The National Plan for Teaching Swimming (NPTS) is being reviewed to ensure it continues to effectively underpin the development of the sport and produce competent swimmers from armbands to gold medals.
Introduced in 1998, the NPTS is one of the most successful programmes ever introduced by a sports governing body and has become the preferred framework for the delivery of learn to swim lessons throughout the UK.
A national syllabus for aquatic achievement, the NPTS provides a clear structure for development and one of the benefits of the review is the new-look NPTS will encompass core skills for all aquatic disciplines (including lifesaving), encouraging swimmers to master the basics before moving seamlessly to discipline-specific lessons.
The ASA’s Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) framework, that advises children to learn core skills before specialisation, underpins the new NPTS and makes the creation of future Olympic champions even more likely.
Other important benefits will also be delivered as the revised NPTS structure will make it easier for swimming lesson providers to work closely together to link up to deliver an integrated approach to all levels of the sport. From school swimming and the national curriculum, public and private learn to swim schemes, NPTS incorporates all levels right through to clubs as it also complements the ASA Swim 21 structure, the organisation’s quality assurance scheme for clubs.
The review is being lead by Di Bishop, a Sports Development Consultant, and there are clear goals in mind while co-ordinating the work.
“The outcomes we’re aiming for with the revised NPTS includes developing youngsters who are more competent in the water and know how to enjoy themselves in it,” said Bishop.
“The enhancements made will give them a basis for long term participation in and around water and an understanding of the value of swimming within a healthy lifestyle.”
Having agreed the new structure, the ASA is now working to confirm content for each level and is consulting with specialists and tutors across the country before finalising the syllabus. Pilots are also in the pipeline to fine-tune the programme before it goes live.
The updated NPTS will be launched at an ASA Education conference in April next year with resources and support available ready for a formal introduction nationwide from September 2007.
Representatives of the ASA Business Team will also be on hand to offer advice and support as learn to swim providers phase in the new NPTS.
Seminars are planned for 2007 to enable qualified teachers to update themselves on the revised approach, while new teacher training courses will automatically follow the NPTS syllabus from September as part of the new UK Coaching Certificate (UKCC) teacher qualifications.
ASA Chief Executive David Sparkes explains how a change in the organisation’s teacher and coach training structure provided the perfect opportunity to update the NPTS.
“It’s been eight years since we introduced the National Plan for Teaching Swimming and with the launch of the UKCC qualifications in 2007 we felt it was the right time to review lesson delivery across the organisation,” he said. “The ASA is well-known as a leader in sports education and ASA staff and consultants have been working hard since January to ensure the revised Plan offers the best possible template for learn to swim schemes.
“The new Plan teaches elements of competitive swimming alongside diving, synchronised swimming, water polo and lifesaving, which means children will learn a variety of key skills before they branch out into as many of the aquatic disciplines as they like.
“We’re now in the final stages of the restructure, and we’ll be working with our staff, partners and providers across the country to ensure the changeover runs as smoothly as possible.”
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The National Plan for Teaching Swimming is a template for learn to swim schemes and is used by more than 700 leisure providers and swim schools across the UK.
If you are a lesson provider and would like to find out more about the National Plan, please contact ASA Business Team Administrator Steph Clarke on 01527 507 010 or email stephanie.clarke@swimming.org
The Amateur Swimming Association is the English National Governing Body for Swimming, Diving, Water Polo, Open Water, and Synchronised Swimming. It organises competition throughout England, establishes the Laws of the Sport and operates comprehensive certification and education programmes for Teachers, Coaches and Officials as well as its renowned Learn To Swim Awards scheme. The ASA supports 1,600 affiliated swimming clubs through a National/Regional/County structure. The ASA aims to ensure everybody has an opportunity to learn to swim.
www.britishswimming.org
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