Primary schools taught how

launched in January for schools with a pool amid a growing demand for swimming classes in the region.

‘‘The aim is for our instructors to teach the teachers on skills and lesson plans that they can then teach to the kids when their pools are open during term 1 and term 4, because at the end of the day teachers are trained to be teachers in a classroom,’’ Marlborough Lines Stadium 2000 operations manager Jack Foley said.

Waitaria Bay School principal Laura Thompson said it was really helpful having an outside facilitator in to teach both the children and the staff.

‘‘She could see what we taught but also what we hadn’t taught,’’ Thompson said. ‘‘They [the children] weren’t very good at the life-saving, conserving energy, laying on your back, none of them could tread water. . .

‘‘The other thing that really stood out for me was not just using brightly coloured pool equipment for their learning, but making sure that you use everyday objects. ‘‘It doesn’t have to be a pool noodle to float around on, you can use an upturned bucket, a broom handle.

‘‘We are surrounded by the ocean here, so it is a really important life skill for the children who live out here to be able to have water safety and water swimming skills,’’ Thompson said.

Swimming was part of the national curriculum, and it was expected that all students had opportunities to learn basic aquatic skills by the end of Year 6.

Out of the 29 schools in Marlborough, 22 had a pool – a higher rate than the national average, Foley said.

The Ministry of Education did not fully fund school pools, but they did provide operational funding, as part of their property maintenance grant.

The funding could be used either to run and maintain a pool or for travel and entry to a public pool.

With a further 200 swim class bookings for this time of the year, there were waiting lists at Stadium 2000.

Stadium 2000 general manager Bridget Taylor said they had seen an increase in swim school demand, partly due to last