The Royal Life Saving Swim Teacher course provides candidates with essential competencies to teach swimming and water safety to children aged 3-12 years. Accreditation is valid for three years.

The course is approximately 15 contact hours (theory and practical)‚ plus on the job teaching hours. Topics include:

1. How people learn
2. Being an effective teacher
3. Plan‚ deliver and review a lesson
4. Instructing water familiarisation, buoyancy and mobility skills
5. Towards efficient stroke development
6. Aquatic safety, survival, and rescue skills
7. Instructing water safety and survival skills
8. Principles of movement in water
9. Water familiarisation, buoyancy, mobility, and safety
10. Teaching safer diving skills

Course Prerequisites
Candidates are required to complete a series of online learning modules prior to commencing the face to face component. You are required to have access to a computer and the internet in order to access these online modules.

Participants wishing to complete this training are to be 16 years of age or turning 16 in the calendar within which the course is to be held to participate in this course. Participants cannot be licensed until they are 16 years of age. 

You are required to have a reasonable level of fitness and swimming ability to perform the required aquatic skills.

Please Note: Royal Life Saving Society NSW is not a CRICOS provider; it is unable to provide national training to overseas students holding a student visa.

Assessments
To gain the Swim Teacher accreditation, the following assessment components must be satisfactorily completed:

1. On-line theory assessment (completed prior to attending a face to face practical workshop. Online Learning will approximately take 9 hours). 
2. Practical demonstration of teaching skills, including the preparation of lesson plans.
3. Demonstrate competence in basic water rescues.
4. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) assessment, to be completed on-course. For further information on CPR requirements please click here.
5. Practical on the job teaching hours in a learn to swim environment signed off by a workplace supervisor

 

Course Requirements
This interactive course is delivered in a blended format, it requires the completion of a self paced online knowledge component followed by a 1 day practical face to face workshop.

Working With Children Checks
All swim teachers require the relevant Working with Children Check in your State or Territory, whether you are paid or a volunteer. In order to obtain your Swim Teacher Licence you will require a current Working with Children Check.

You can complete the Swim Teacher course and receive your Statement of Attainment (see outcomes heading below) without having completed a Working With Children Check.

Please be aware that some checks can take several weeks to be processed, it is recommended that you apply for your Working with Children Check (NSW), or Working With Vulnerable People check (ACT & Tasmania) as early as possible to avoid delays with your Swim Teacher Licence.

Candidates under 18 may not be required to complete a Working With Children Check, it is recommended you confirm with your local State or Territory authority.

 
Outcomes
The Royal Life Saving Swim Teacher course contains units of competency which are nationally recognised from the SIS Sport, Fitness and Recreation Training package.

Upon successful completion of all pre-course and on-course assessment requirements, candidates will be issued a Statement of Attainment for the following units:

• SISCAQU023 - Plan swimming lessons
• SISCAQU025 - Teach water safety and survival skills
• SISCAQU020 - Perform water rescues
• HLTAID009 - Provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation

In addition to the successful course completion, you are required to complete and submit the Swim Teacher Licence Application/Workbook. This 2 step application contains evidence of the units of competency that will be completed on the job. This section of the application is an official document that provides evidence of: 

• SISCAQU024 - Teach water familiarisation, buoyancy and mobility skills
• SISCAQU026 - Teach swimming strokes

Swim Teacher Licence
In addition to the successful completion of the online and face to face components of the course, candidates are required to complete on-the-job teaching hours in a range of teaching conditions in order to obtain a Swim Teacher Licence. This on-the-job assessment ensures the Swim Teacher is able to apply the skills learnt in the training course at their place of employment. The on-the-job component needs to be signed off by a workplace supervisor. More information on who can be a workplace supervisor is provided in the on the job workplace booklet.