Programme Feedback

Waikawa Bay Primary, Picton

Waikawa Bay School opted in to participate in the State Kiwi Swim Safe programme .The initial visit from made it an easy choice to opt in, following this we had the privilege of a visit from Koru who set the scene nicely for the children and staff. The children were able to lead into the christmas holiday period with solid water safety messages which was helping school and community.Swimming New Zealand has visited the school with professional development training for all of the staff. The professional knowledge shared and the way in which it was presented was absolutely fantastic. The teaching staff came away with worthwhile practical information on the natural progressions with swimming, combined with water safety teaching aspects.  Staff came away with many practical ideas to take into their lessons. They came away with an understanding of the progressions or stage developments and the importance of each one. From a principal’s perspective I know that staff are receiving the same message which brings in consistency. We can work as a team!From the perspective of the children the State Kiwi Swim Safe programme is going to be so valuable. We are a school and community surrounded by water. Our children need to be water wise and have the physical skill and competence to manage themselves in and around the water.  Thank you to State Kiwi Swim Safe for seeing the importance and taking up the initiative. I’m sure there will be long lasting benefits. 

Maranatha Christian School, Wellington

I would really like to thank you and your team again for the great experience it has been going through the programme with you guys. We certainly have learnt a lot, especially some teachers who are not usually involved with swimming much. I have found it to be of great help for staff to learn and see how it is done. Some staff gave me the impression that they felt a bit left out during the sessions. I had told them to observe and make mental notes of how they can improve their knowledge and skills,  I know that we have benefited from the experience, and so have the students.

Thank you for all the books, CD's, certificates, etc. that we have received. It makes our job much easier. Thank you for the ongoing support that you have offered. It is great to have some of our own parents involved in the programme, this is an extra bonus for us. You guys have been awesome!

Leeston Consolidated School, Christchurch

Many many thanks for the PD that was run with our staff this week.  It is not always easy to convince staff that attending two staff meetings in one week will be worth their while, but in this case they didn’t need convincing.  The sessions were succinct, just in time learning, with valuable focus on aligning our school values and the NZC with our swim programme.  Each session was well planned and had lots of notes to talk about that were relevant to what you had seen – the feedback was excellent – both in what we are doing well, and how we might make our lessons even better. Many staff are talking about what they have instigated straight away and we are already seeing the results in our children in increased confidence.  Having the pool side assistance was a valuable part of the programme and very much appreciated by staff. This PD has definitely made a difference to the way we teach swimming, and has been invaluable in refreshing and re-energising our staff – thank you so much for your efforts.

Forrest Hill School, Auckland

The Swimming PD we received from Swimming New Zealand was fantastic! The State Kiwi Swim Safe programme is an excellent ready-to-use resource that delivers consistency throughout the whole school.  We were given some very practical ideas involving the classroom, pool and the beach. The presentation style was great, pacey, fun and informative.The programme has good links to the New Zealand Curriculum and shows the learning progressions at each stage. We really liked the certificates and will use these in our school learning journals. Teachers thoroughly enjoyed the PD and thought it was extremely worthwhile. It has motivated and informed our whole staff and we're  looking  forward to our poolside support sessions in the next few weeks.

Porritt Primary School, Napier

I would like to write and thank you for the State KiwiSafe Swimming workshop that was conducted at our school. We feel as Napier is surrounded by the sea, rivers and pools that it is vital that our children have confidence and competency when in and about the water. To have our whole staff in attendance was a real bonus for us and enables all our teachers to be informed and on the same page. The presentation that was given was assuring for the teachers and left them believing that they can truly help our children to be safe but at the same time enjoy swimming.We appreciate the time took to answer our questions which along with the presentation reflected the deep understanding of the role teachers have to play in helping children learn to swim and be safe. The whole State KiwiSafe programme was appealing to the teachers and I know will be readily taken up by the children. The incentives and clearly identified steps of progression are just what the children will respond to.We look forward to an ongoing partnership with you as we adopt the State Kiwisafe programme.

Matamata School, Matamata

"Matamata primary teachers were thrilled to be introduced to the new State Kiwi Swim Safe programme because it is comprehensive and provides a clear learning pathway for teaching swimming.  Our teachers have eagerly delved into the CD resource to assist with their programme planning and daily lesson delivery.  Having the support of the facilitator to follow-up at the poolside during lessons is invaluable and will provide opportunities for the teachers to refine their training ability. Teachers, parents and students are so appreciative of the free training and resources provided to our school to teach our children how to swim safely and the necessary skills to survive in the water".

Fairhaven School, Te Puke

"The State Kiwi Swim Safe programme has been fantastic for all staff members because they feel more confident about the teaching of swimming and water safety.  The programme is absolutely wonderful and having a schools swim safe advisor at the poolside helping teachers organise their swimming programme has been fantastic.  We definitely appreciate the training we received was at no cost so our teachers can pass on swimming and water safety skills to children. Thank you very much".

Isleworth School, Canterbury

"All the staff are really enthusiastic about what they are learning and have really benefited from both the initial session and  sessions at the pool - they have really appreciated help in identifying which stage the children are at and helping them to organize their groups""Teachers are enthusiastic in their praise for the State Kiwi Swim Safe programme. It is well planned with learning intentions and success criteria clearly stated and progressions in learning are clearly outlined with lots of suggested activities to use with children. Having  poolside assistance has been wonderful as it helps teachers identify the instructional stage for the children and introduces  lots of fun activities which help the children learn the specific skills they are working on. All teachers have said that it is great professional development for them and has boosted their confidence in teaching children to swim" 

Konini Primary School, Wellington

"Very excited to be part of the State Kiwi Swim Safe programme which will help us work alongside the instructors to allow for better instruction. Good progression of skill development that includes awareness of water safety at the beach, river and around the pool.  Really looking forward to teaching swimming again, thanks heaps".  

Glen Oroua School, Manawatu

"The programme - WOW!! Logical and scaffolded to build on skills.  It is very user friendly and designed to support busy teachers and very easy to understand. Great support with student tracking sheets and certificates.  The certificates show progress which is important for both students and parents. The programme supports and sits nicley beside the current NZ Curriculum, with a clearly defined vision, values, key competencies and connections to the Treaty. The sections of the programme are clearly defined with work that can be done in the classroom (thinking !!!!! YEH!!!), at the pool and at the beach. It connects Beach Ed so much more to the Curriculum.Presentation was coherent, passionate, knowledgeable and practical. 3 hours after a full school day can be tough but the manner kept everyone interested and involved.We are enthusiastic about getting started next year".

Waverley Park School, Invercargill

“The training our school received from Swimming New Zealand gave us an in-depth look into the progressions of teaching swimming and different stages that students progress through.  The supporting resources are very ‘teacher friendly’ and we loved the fact that it is easy to follow for practical sessions as well as being tightly aligned to the new curriculum.  Even before you hit the water, the resource has classroom learning experiences covering water safety in both swimming pools and open water. The new State Kiwi Swim Safe programme has motivated and informed our whole staff and we are all looking forward to getting stuck in!”