CHILDREN from year three at Bromsgrove’s Fairfield First School and year two at Tenacres in Redditch have had some amazing achievements after just 12 weeks with Sholfins Swim School CIC.
The feedback from the schools, children and parents has been fantastic about Sholfins – a new not-for-profit community interest company which teaches swimming.
It is based at Woodrow First School which provides the perfect safe pool environment for children to start their swimming journey.
Rachael Compton-Wylie from Sholfins, which also runs community classes, said: “We are truly grateful to Woodrow First School for their support in providing us with this opportunity to make a difference in our community, especially due to the knock-on effects Covid has had on some year groups.
“Due to the pandemic some children may leave school never having had swimming lessons.
“We hope we can help in providing opportunities for schools to help with this as well as other people in the community who want to learn to swim.”
The small classes – of seven to eight children with two instructors in the water – maximise progression and no matter the level, each pupil achieves an officially recognised award after 12 weeks.
Rachel added: “As we move into an exciting new year with our schools again and continue to deliver our community lessons on Monday evenings, we hope to encourage new schools to join us and work with us to provide the children of our community the earliest opportunity to learn how to swim.”
All of Sholfins’ instructors are fully qualified to level 2, are enhanced DBS checked and have safeguarding qualifications.
Most instructors are also RLSS trained lifeguards and First Aid Qualified.
“We at Sholfins believe that everyone should be given the opportunity to learn how to swim.
“Swimming and Water safety is a vital life skill that every child should have access too through their primary educational years.
“Our aim is to address the issues and barriers facing schools in providing access for all of their pupils from reception years upwards, to participate in lessons and fulfilling the National Curriculum requirements in their early years.”
Sholfins also includes lessons in water confidence games, stroke development and water safety both in pools and open water environments.
The lesson for open water involves a real life rescue scenario involving inflatable boats, which the children absolutely love and will remember for years to come.
Email [email protected] or find Sholfins on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for more.
