Spotlight on Quality Swim Schools – Swim City, Wellington

Every swim school is different, so we are sure you will enjoy reading about our Quality Swim Schools, and how they advertise and run their programmes.    

Swim City Swim School is part of the Hutt City Council in Wellington. The programme runs out of three pools – Huia Pool, Naenae Pool, and Stokes Valley Pool. Their programme caters for the Hutt Valley community, and has many participants from the wider Wellington area also. With over 2000 participants each week and 45 staff delivering the programme, Swim City has thought of many ways that they can continue to provide the services that meet the needs of the community, whilst challenging themselves to continue to deliver a high quality programme.      

One thing that Swim City have implemented into their programme is “no aids week”. This was initially implemented once per term, but following positive feedback from parents, Swim School Coordinator Kay Lindsay decided to implement this twice per term. “No aids week encourages the instructors to come up with inventive and creative teaching methods challenging both themselves and the children. When we first introduced this about a year ago, the instructors found it a little difficult, but now have risen to the challenge and I see some really inventive and fun teaching methods, and yes, the feedback from the parents is very positive”  

Swim City also deliver water safety week every term, with all children in the programme having the opportunity to experience some form of water safety. This happens in the middle of the term, with special attention being paid to swimming in clothes and taking them off, swimming without goggles, sculling, rolling backwards off mats and righting themselves, swimming under mats, simulated rapids, lots of doggy paddle and rolling onto their backs.      

Swim City celebrates the success of their participants by awarding “swimmer of the term” status to children .  

The swimmers are nominated by the instructors for a variety of reasons including "for always getting in the pool even though she is upset", "biggest smile", "great progress". We select a swimmer from each level. These swimmers have their photos put up on the notice board for all to see and are also shown in the Swim City term newsletter. But, it is not only the students who have their successes celebrated – Swim City also celebrate their staff through the “TOM award”. This is for the “Teacher Of The Moment” and is awarded to a member of staff who goes above and beyond the call of duty or supports other team members just to name a few!      

Swim City are extremely committed to developing their staff, and put a big emphasis on ensuring that their staff are qualified and keeping up with the ever changing needs of the aquatic industry. The staff recently participated in an ASTA course, and they have numerous staff who have completed the Early Childhood Swim Teacher Award, the School Age and Adult award, and the Teaching Swimmers with a disability award. It is very clear to see how the staff at Swim City value their training, through witnessing staff who are passionate about what they do, and who appreciate the responsibility they have in teaching children to learn to swim.  

We look forward to continuing to work with Swim City in the future, and wish them the very best for a busy and rewarding Term 3.