The Aquatics Program at Eastern Ranges School runs for students from Foundation – Grade Six. The program runs all year with students participating once a week in a half an hour session.
The aquatic program has a major focus on water safety and students learn and consolidate skills such as safe water entries, rescue techniques, rescue strokes, floating and the use of floatation aids. Furthermore, students learn basic swimming strokes such as freestyle, backstroke and breaststroke. In Middle School, students have the opportunity to access the local community swimming pool to work on both water safety skills and stroke development, as well as generalising their independent dressing skills in a new environment. The program also allows students to work with the swimming teacher and classroom staff to develop independent dressing skills and build confidence in and around the water environment.
Students are assessed based on Swim and Survive standards from Royal Lifesaving Victoria with further assistance, resourcing and collaboration with Autism Swim. Autism Swim allows our swimming teachers to access expert professionals to help in designing individual swimming lessons for specific student needs.
The skills and techniques learnt in the Aquatics Program will assist students in future camp experiences that have a focus on water paly activities such as surfing, canoeing and beach swimming.