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    Our learn to swim levels follow an age-based and skill-based progression pathway, helping your child to develop at a pace that suits them.

    From our Starfish level for infants right through to our Shark level for school-aged children – our swimming teachers will support your child and help them reach their potential.

    Discover the skills your child could learn as they progress through our swimming lesson levels.

    Infant swimming lesson levels

    Starfish

    For children aged six to 12 months. Parent / carers join their child in the water to learn water safety education and socialise with group activities. Activities include water exploration as well as buoyancy and flotation with attempted movement towards a target (with and without aids). Class size: eight students.
    Periwinkle

    For children aged one to two years. Parent / carers join their child in the water. This level focuses on water safety education, becoming confident and comfortable in the water, progressions towards floating and kicking, and comfortable and confident submersion on request. Class size: eight students.
    Minnow

    For children aged two to three years. Parents / carers join their child in the water for buoyancy and flotation activities. Children learn kicking and arm movements, recovery from a fall in and deliberate movement towards a target. Class size: eight students.

    Preschool swimming lesson levels

    Tadpole

    For children from three years to school-age. Children learn: push and glide with bubbles‎, independent submersion with bubbles‎, aided jump entry and return to edge, extended arm paddle‎, aided kick on front and back, aided treading water, torpedo three metres. At this level, children achieve one National Swimming and Water Safety benchmark skill! Class size: up to five students.
    Goldfish

    For children from three years to school-age. Children learn: jump entry and return to edge, independent rollover, how to recover an object from chest-deep water, freestyle and backstroke basics, introductory survival backstroke, and to tread water for 15 seconds. At this level, children achieve five new National Swimming and Water Safety benchmark skills. Class size: up to five students.
    Flying fish

    For children from three years to school-age. Children learn: step in entry and recovery, freestyle and backstroke (10 metres), introduction to breaststroke and butterfly kick, duck dive, how to swim underwater and recover an object, and how to throw an aid and direct a swimmer to safety. At this level, children achieve one new National Swimming and Water Safety benchmark skill. Class size: up to five students.

    School-age swimming lesson levels

    Octopus

    Children learn to kick and float on their front and back, how to paddle and kick, torpedoes, how to tread water, and an introduction to freestyle and backstroke. Two National Swimming and Water Safety benchmark skills are achieved at this level. Class size: five to six students.

    Sardine

    Children learn jump entry and how to recover to safety, kicking on front and side breathing, introductory whip kick, foundational backstroke and freestyle, floating, sculling and treading water, and duck diving. Five new National Swimming and Water Safety benchmark skills are achieved at this level. Class size: maximum six students.
    Turtle

    Children learn underwater push and glides, side breathing skills, breaststroke and survival breaststroke kick, survival sequences, freestyle and backstroke. Class size: maximum six students.

    Salmon

    Children learn crouch dive, step-in and compact entries, freestyle and backstroke (12 metre achievement), survival backstroke (25 metre achievement), and breaststroke kick with breathing. Class size: maximum seven students.
    Tuna

    Children learn stride entry, freestyle and backstroke (25 metre achievement), survival backstroke (50 metre achievement), breaststroke (25 metre achievement), performance skills (pace clock, tumble turns, egg-beater kick), and shallow dives. Five new National Swimming and Water Safety benchmark skills are achieved at this level. Class size: maximum eight students.

    Dolphin

    Children learn freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke (50 metre achievement), 20 minute endurance swim, performance skills (backstroke starts, complex tumble turns, racing dives and water polo basics), butterfly (15 metre achievement), sidestroke kick, and survival sequences wearing clothing and using life jackets. Three new National Swimming and Water Safety benchmark skills are achieved at this level. Class size: maximum eight students.
    Shark

    Children learn various safe entry techniques, freestyle, breaststroke and backstroke (100 metre achievement), 20 minute endurance swim, butterfly (50 metre achievement), performance skills (individual medley swimming, pace clock interval training, touch turns, water polo ball skills) and survival sequences including basic emergency response. Class size: maximum eight students.

    Learn more about swimming lessons with the Y

    We’re proud to deliver high quality swimming lessons at multiple locations across Victoria. Find your local Y swim school and discover what makes our lessons so great!

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