Swim England stage lesson plans (Stages 1–7)
The Swim England Learn to Swim Framework sets clear outcomes for each stage. Good planning means teaching to the stage in front of you and never quietly borrowing outcomes from the stage above. This guide summarises what each stage covers and how to build lessons that stay inside it.
Stage outcomes at a glance
- Stage 1 — Water confidence: entry and exit, bubbles, face submersion, supported floats, short glides with an aid. No strokes, no deep water.
- Stage 2 — Jump in with support, submerge and retrieve, unaided push and glide, 5 m front and back with any recognisable action, star float, kicking with a float.
- Stage 3 — Jump in unaided, push and glide with arms extended, 10 m front and back with recognisable stroke action, unaided rotation, introduction to treading water.
- Stage 4 — All four strokes over 10 m with recognisable technique, front crawl side breathing, correct breaststroke leg action, head-first sculling, treading water 30 seconds.
- Stage 5 — All four strokes over 25 m to Swim England standard, sculling head-first and feet-first, sitting dive, combined skills sequence.
- Stage 6 — All four strokes 25 m to a higher standard, surface dive, 50 m continuous, kneeling or crouching dive, introduction to aquatic disciplines.
- Stage 7 — Refinement: 100 m of each stroke, turns and finishes, 400 m continuous swim, personal survival, preparation for aquatic pathways.
Planning to a stage without exceeding it
The most common planning error is introducing full stroke technique before the stage calls for it. A Stage 2 lesson should not contain breaststroke timing work; a Stage 3 lesson should not be assessing 25 m front crawl. Teach the outcome, then extend the distance or reduce the support — do not jump the stage.
SwimWise AI holds the Swim England outcomes in its planning rules. Select a stage and the generated plan stays inside those outcomes, uses British English and Swim England terminology, and measures distances in metres.
Frequently asked questions
How many Swim England stages are there?
SwimWise AI covers Stages 1 to 7 of the Learn to Swim Framework, from water confidence for non-swimmers through to stroke refinement and aquatic pathways.
Is SwimWise AI affiliated with Swim England?
No. SwimWise AI is an independent planning tool that aligns its lesson content with published framework outcomes. Professional judgement always sits with the teacher.
Plan this lesson in under a minute
Choose your framework, stage, stroke focus and the problem you are seeing. SwimWise AI builds a structured plan with warm-up, timed activities, teaching points, progressions, regressions and adaptations — with a teaching reason behind every activity.
More lesson planning guides
How to build free, structured swim lesson plans that follow a real teaching progression.
Water confidence first: how to plan the earliest stages without rushing into full strokes.
Body position, legs, arms, breathing — a diagnostic order for teaching front crawl.
Kick before arms, and why fins have no place in breaststroke technique work.