Throughout Term 3 a new program focussed on wellbeing through improving Aquatic Competency and Safety has been running in the College pool with a diverse group of students from Years 9, 10 and 11 taking part. Headed up by expert staff members whose primary responsibility is to improve and encourage swimming throughout Newington and it’s greater community the program has been lauded as a great success and will hopefully grow in the future.

Students identified through PDHPE swim testing as requiring assistance with swimming technique and confidence were offered a place in the optional ten lesson, five-week program. We approached a group of parents and students with some information and ended up with about a dozen keen participants mostly in Years 9 and 10. They were our first target group, and it has been very encouraging to see how the boys and staff have responded.

The program is only short and the lessons are designed to build confidence and get the students moving through the water more efficiently, some of the boys have improved dramatically. Future data collected by the PDHPE department will be used by the aquatics team to offer targeted lessons to swimmers with the goal of eventually raising the level of competency in our student population to what we believe is safe.

Ryan Moar 
Director of Aquatics