Swimming

Swimming and Hydrotherapy Sessions at Mayfield School

At Mayfield School all students get the opportunity to experience our wonderful Swimming Pool.  This can be either as part of a structured swimming lesson or a hydrotherapy session, depending on the needs of the student.  Our key objectives in the pool are;

• Confidence in water
• Safety around the dangers of water
• Learning to swim
• Hydrotherapy to aid muscle strength and relaxation
• Dressing skills
• Enjoyment in the water
• MOVE and individual Physio programme

At Mayfield we aim to teach each child to swim to the best of their ability.  Each child has a personalised programme to guide them through the process of learning swimming skills at their own pace.  Students are supported on a 1:1 basis in the water to ensure their safety and enjoyment during the sessions.  Sessions are structured and work on the key skills of kicking, pulling and submerging in the water.  We use a variety of techniques and swimming aids to support students on an individual basis as each student will progress at their own pace.  As a Swimming team we take great pride in the huge success stories we have seen in our pool.

Some students benefit more from Hydrotherapy based sessions where we will work through their individual physio and MOVE programmes in the water.  We also have a hydrotherapy programme of our own where we encourage freedom of movement in the water, stretching and relaxation.  We are very fortunate we can create a calming environment with our pool equipment including colour changing lights, music, water fountains, jets and in floor bubbles.  All of this makes for a wonderful Multi-sensory experience.  Our pool is heated to 34 degrees which also aids in relaxation of the muscles and ensures our less mobile students are comfortable.  We have full hoisting and changing facilities to ensure everyone can access the water safely.

During all swimming sessions we re-enforce communication methods used throughout school including speech, signs and symbols. We also cross with many core subjects in school such as Science and Numeracy during our sessions.

Before and after sessions we encourage students to be as independent as possible changing, dressing and showering to work on key life skills.  This can often work on many individual targets and incorporate our MOVE programme.

Mayfield pool is a happy place where we hope students feel confident, enjoy spending time and gain key life skills which will hopefully make swimming outside of school a positive experience for our young people, their parents and carers.

We love to smile, splash and celebrate success.

Your dedicated swimming team

Debbie and Cheryl