Swimming
•Year 1
•12 Lessons
This foundational swimming unit introduces Year 1 students to the aquatic environment through a carefully scaffolded progression that prioritises safety, confidence, and enjoyment. The approach emphasises playful exploration and natural movement patterns, allowing students to develop essential water skills whilst building the emotional resilience needed for lifelong swimming participation. Through imaginative language and fish-like movements, students gradually master floating, gliding, and basic propulsion techniques in a supportive, pressure-free environment.
12 lessons in this unit
Lesson 1
Big Question:
How can we feel safe and confident when we first enter the water?
Key Objectives:
Lesson 2
Big Question:
How can we move confidently and safely in the water while developing our swimming skills?
Key Objectives:
Lesson 3
Big Question:
How can we move through water safely and confidently?
Key Objectives:
Lesson 4
Big Question:
How can we safely explore underwater breathing and moving in different ways?
Key Objectives:
Lesson 5
Big Question:
How can we feel confident and safe when putting our whole body underwater?
Key Objectives:
Lesson 6
Big Question:
How can we make our bodies float like a star in the water?
Key Objectives:
Lesson 7
Big Question:
How can we use our legs to move through water like a fish?
Key Objectives:
Lesson 8
Big Question:
How can we use our legs and breathing to move safely through the water?
Key Objectives:
Lesson 9
Big Question:
How do we use our arms to pull ourselves through the water like fish swimming in the sea?
Key Objectives:
Lesson 10
Big Question:
How can we use our arms like powerful paddles to move through the water?
Key Objectives:
Lesson 11
Big Question:
How can we use our legs to propel ourselves backwards through the water whilst maintaining a straight body position?
Key Objectives:
Lesson 12
Big Question:
How can we bring together all our swimming skills to move confidently in the water?
Key Objectives: