Swim England Framework and Awards Explained for Parents and Swimmers

Ever wonder how swimmers progress from splashing in the shallow end to mastering full strokes and earning certificates? If you’ve heard terms like Stage 3, Duckling Award, or seen children proudly show off swimming badges, you’ve already glimpsed the Swim England Learn to Swim framework in action. This nationally recognised program (formerly known as the ASA framework) provides a step-by-step pathway for learners of all ages, from babies making their first splash to adults conquering the deep end.

At Swim Design Space, we are proud to be a Swim England-affiliated swim school, meaning our classes in Cheltenham, Gloucester, and Blakeney follow these trusted guidelines. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll break down the Swim England framework and its awards, explaining each stage and why these awards matter for motivation and skill development. Dive in to discover how the system works and how it can benefit you or your child’s swimming journey.

What Is the Swim England Learn to Swim Framework?

The Swim England Learn to Swim Programme is a world-leading syllabus that helps children and adults learn to swim in a structured, safe, and fun way It’s essentially a roadmap of progressive stages, each with specific skills to achieve, ensuring learners build water confidence and technique step by step.

For children, the framework is divided into four key pathways: Pre-School, Learn to Swim Stages 1–7, Aquatic Skills Stages 8–10, and additional Awards & Challenges beyond that. There is also a dedicated Adult Swimming Framework for grown-ups beginning or improving their swimming. Each stage or award comes with clear outcomes and, upon completion, a certificate and embroidered badge as a mark of achievement.

The beauty of this framework is that it’s inclusive and adaptable. Whether a toddler is getting used to the water or a teenager honing competitive skills, the Swim England stages meet learners at their level. Progression is gentle and confidence-building. For example, a swimmer might start by simply entering the water safely and blowing bubbles, then gradually advance to floating, submerging, swimming longer distances, and learning multiple strokes. Because the framework is nationally standardised, it ensures high-quality teaching across the country.

A Stage 4 swimmer in one swim school has met the same core criteria as a Stage 4 swimmer elsewhere. This consistency is reassuring for parents and swimmers alike, you know exactly what skills have been mastered at each milestone. It’s one reason we at Swim Design Space follow the Swim England framework closely in our lessons. It helps us deliver proven teaching methods and measure progress in a meaningful way, while keeping lessons fun and engaging.

Crucially, the framework isn’t just about swimming lengths – it emphasises water safety and personal growth too. Built into the stages are water survival skills, confidence-boosting activities, and even knowledge like key water safety messages. By the end of the journey, a swimmer trained under this program will not only be able to swim competently; they’ll also understand how to be safe around water, which is a life skill we deeply value. Now, let’s explore each part of the Swim England framework and the awards that come with them.

Pre-School Pathway: Discovery Duckling and Duckling Awards (Ages 0–5)

Before children can swim independently, the Swim England framework offers a wonderful Pre-School pathway to gently introduce infants and toddlers to the water. These are the adorably named Discovery Duckling and Duckling Awards, the very first stages of the learn-to-swim experience for the youngest swimmers. Aimed at babies and children under five, the pre-school awards focus on water familiarity and confidence while keeping little ones close to adult support.

Discovery Duckling Awards (1–4):

This is often where babies (yes, even as young as a few months old!) and very young toddlers begin. In these early classes, a parent or caregiver is always in the pool with the child. The goal is simply to help the child feel comfortable and happy in the water environment. Think cuddles and splashes, blowing bubbles, moving in the water with full adult support, and getting used to having water on their face.

The Discovery Duckling Awards each have their own cute badge and certificate. For example, by the end of Discovery Duckling 1, a little swimmer might be able to bob up and down in the water with support and be at ease with water being poured over the back of their head. By Discovery Duckling 4 (the final in this set), they’ll be attempting things like moving towards the poolside unaided (with an adult close by) and being relaxed with splashing water on their face.

These achievements may sound small, but for a toddler, they are huge wins in building trust and confidence! The emphasis is on fun, gentle play, and safety – ensuring the child always feels secure (hence “full adult support” is mentioned a lot in the criteria). The Discovery Duckling stage is really about making the first water experiences positive ones.

Duckling Awards (1–4)

After Discovery Duckling, or for older toddlers/preschoolers who are ready, come the Duckling Awards. These continue to nurture water confidence but start encouraging a bit more independence in the water (with mum or dad still close by). There are four Duckling levels, each with its own colourful badge. What do kids learn at this stage? By Duckling 1, many children will begin moving by themselves for short distances with perhaps just a light touch of support.

Parents might still be holding them or supporting as needed, but the child might try kicking legs or floating with minimal help. Skip forward to Duckling 4, and you’ll see a big transformation: children will be jumping into the pool unaided (but supervised), going completely underwater confidently, floating on front and back, and even travelling 10 metres without support.

Essentially, Duckling 4 graduates are performing fundamental swimming actions with little to no assistance, which prepares them beautifully for the next phase – Stage 1 of the main Learn to Swim Framework. Throughout Duckling classes, instructors use songs, games, and toys to keep it playful. If you peek into a Duckling lesson at Swim Design Space, you might see tots chasing floating toys, practicing big arm movements (often in the form of “let’s pretend to be a starfish!” for floating, or “kick kick kick to make splashy feet!” for propulsion), and getting lots of high-fives for every little achievement.

For parents, these early awards are as much about celebrating your child’s first aquatic milestones as they are about skill-building. Each certificate marks a proud moment, the first time they jumped in or floated by themselves. It’s a lovely way to chart progress in those pre-school years. And remember, at this age progress looks different for every child. Some take to water like little ducklings (pun intended), while others are more cautious, both are okay.

The framework is there to ensure no step is skipped, and confidence is built gradually. By completing the Duckling Awards, your child will have a strong foundation: they’ll be happy in the water and ready to transition into more formal swimming lessons without fear.

Learn to Swim Stages 1–7: Building Core Swimming Skills

When children reach around age 4–5 and have gained basic water confidence (through Ducklings or just general water play), they are ready for the core Learn to Swim Stages 1–7. These seven stages form the heart of Swim England’s framework for kids in fact, they’re described as the “core, national syllabus of learning to swim for primary school-aged children”. Each stage has specific learning outcomes and an award to recognise completion. Let’s break down what happens in Stages 1–7 and what skills your child will develop along the way:

Stage 1 – Water Introduction

This first stage is all about becoming comfortable in the pool environment. Kids often begin Stage 1 around school-entry age (5 years old, give or take), though older beginners will start here too. In Stage 1 classes, children learn how to enter and exit the water safely, get their faces wet without fuss, and move around in the water with support as needed.

A lot of it is about basic water competency: blowing bubbles, feeling the water buoyancy while being held or using floats, and understanding simple pool safety (like two important pool rules). By the end of Stage 1, many kids can float on front and back (with support), glide short distances, and regain a standing position by themselves. They’ll also know at least a couple of pool rules (for example, no running on deck or always listen to the lifeguard). Essentially, after earning the Stage 1 badge, a child is happy and safe in shallow water, they know “Hey, I can do this!” and they’re eager for more.

Stage 2 – Becoming Independent

In Stage 2, children build on those fundamentals and start doing more skills without support. The goal is to gain a bit of independence in the water. Now kids will practice things like jumping in from the side safely, submerging their whole head under water to blow bubbles (a huge confidence boost for many little ones!), and beginning to move in the water on their own power for 5 metres on front and back.

By this stage, floatation aids (like noodles or float belts) are gradually removed for certain skills, so the child learns to kick and paddle unaided (under close supervision). Key outcomes by the end of Stage 2 include: push and glides from the wall on front and back, traveling 5m on front and back without floats, and doing simple rotations (like rolling from front to back).

They’ll also learn to exit the water without using the steps, which is a handy safety skill. Earning the Stage 2 award shows that a child can move and support themselves in water for short distances and is becoming water-confident.

Stage 3 – Fundamental Skills

At Stage 3, children are really starting to look and feel like swimmers. They can now swim short distances (10 metres) on front and back without support. Stage 3 focuses on reinforcing core skills: submerging, buoyancy, orientation, and propulsion. A typical Stage 3 class might have kids jumping in and fully submerging, retrieving objects from the bottom (to practice going underwater and opening eyes), and pushing off the wall in a streamlined body position.

They’ll practice coordinating arm and leg actions (the early stages of proper front crawl, backstroke, etc., often still with rudimentary technique at this point). There’s also an introduction to water safety knowledge – children learn “safe swimming” messages like always swim with an adult or what to do if they fall in water.

By the end of Stage 3, kids should be comfortable swimming 10 metres on front and back, fully submerging when asked, and performing a few different skills in the water with good control. When your child earns their Stage 3 certificate, they’re not just doggy-paddling – they have a foundation of real swim technique forming.

Stage 4 – Technique & Deep Water Prep

In Stage 4, the focus shifts to developing better technique and introducing all four strokes in some form. At this level, lessons often move to the main pool (shallow end) if they haven’t already, and children might start venturing into slightly deeper water with confidence. A big part of Stage 4 is building stamina and efficiency: kids will practice continuous kicking for 10 metres on front and back (often using kickboards) to strengthen their legs. They also try basic breaststroke and butterfly kicks (usually for short distances or with support), this is the first time those more complex strokes appear.

Another fun element is sculling and treading water: children learn to float and change shapes (like star float, mushroom float) to understand buoyancy, and they’ll practice sculling water with their hands and treading in place. By the end of Stage 4, a swimmer can swim at least 10 metres of a stroke of their choice with decent technique, kick 10m of all four kicks, and demonstrate they can float, submerge, and rotate comfortably. Essentially, Stage 4 graduates are water confident in deeper water and have a taste of every stroke.

Stage 5 – Improving Coordination & Water Skills

In Stage 5, children refine their swimming coordination and control. They should now be able to swim **10 metres of **front crawl, backstroke, breaststroke, and a bit of butterfly, all to the expected standards (with reasonable technique).

A key outcome is performing a tread water for 30 seconds, a critical safety skill and stamina builder. They also learn a “shaped jump” (like a straddle or tuck jump) into deeper water and how to surface dive (maybe picking up objects from the bottom). Sculling skills get more advanced (head-first and feet-first sculling for 5m each). By the end of Stage 5, the swimmer’s strokes are really taking shape, and they can swim longer distances continuously (25m may be introduced).

At this point many children start to look like competent swimmers to onlookers. They’ve also built enough stamina to handle a full length of a typical pool and have solid water safety skills in their toolkit.

Stage 6 – Towards Full Competence

Stage 6 ramps up the challenge to ensure swimmers can handle themselves in various situations. It often includes practising in full deep water. Here, kids learn skills like swimming underwater (for at least 5 metres), surface dives, and even rescue skills like shouting for help or using a life aid, because Swim England wants swimmers this age to be safety-aware (there are separate Water Safety awards too, which some programs integrate here).

Endurance is increased: swimmers might do 50m or more continuously by the end of Stage 6, and they practice all four strokes to improve efficiency. A hallmark of Stage 6 is learning appropriate breathing techniques for strokes like front crawl (bilateral breathing, for example) and maintaining good body position over longer swims. They also practice complex skills like rotation and buoyancy control with clothes on (to simulate an accidental fall-in scenario).

By the end of this stage, students should be comfortable swimming at least 25m of a stroke (likely more in class practice), and performing essential survival skills (like tread water 1 minute, swimming on front and back with clothes, etc.).

Stage 7 – Confident, Competent Swimmer

This is the culmination of the core Learn to Swim Framework. A Stage 7 swimmer is considered a fully independent, confident swimmer who is ready to either start competitive swimming, junior lifesaving, or other aquatic sports, or simply enjoy recreational swimming safely for life.

In Stage 7, children perfect their stroke technique over 25m+ distances, often aiming to swim a full 100 metres using at least three different strokes proficiently by the end (even though the stage outcomes officially focus on 25m, many programs, including ours at Swim Design Space, like to exceed this). They also learn basic rescue skills, like how to help someone in trouble without putting themselves at risk (simple reach or throw rescues), and important self-rescue techniques.

A Stage 7 graduate will demonstrate: efficient freestyle (front crawl) with side breathing, a controlled backstroke, a legal breaststroke, and a recognisable butterfly – usually each over 25m. They can dive (if pool depth allows), surface dive to the bottom to retrieve an object, and swim underwater. They can also perform a safe self-rescue sequence (like tread water, then swim to safety).

Earning the Stage 7 award is a big deal – it means your child has all the essential aquatic skills to be safe and competent in the water. Many parents mark this milestone with celebration (and perhaps signing up for a competitive swimming club or specialised classes next).

In summary, Stages 1–7 take a non-swimmer to a capable swimmer. Along the way, your child collects a rainbow of badges and certificates, tangible proof of their hard work and progress. But more importantly, they gain confidence, resilience, and a love for swimming. We strongly believe in these stages; that’s why in our Swim Design Space kids’ lessons, we make sure each child masters the fundamental outcomes of every level before moving up. It builds a solid foundation and prevents skill gaps. It’s also worth noting that each child progresses at their own pace, some zoom through a stage in one term, while others benefit from a bit longer to really nail those floats or kicks.

Quality of skill is more important than rushing to the next badge. By Stage 7, the goal is that swimmers are ready for whatever path they choose next, be it competitive sport, hobby swimming, or advanced awards.

(Many programs, including ours, aim for kids to meet or exceed Stage 7 outcomes. For instance, we ensure our graduates can swim 100 metres confidently, tread water 30+ seconds, and handle themselves in clothes, critical life-saving capabilities beyond just the basics. This addresses a common issue: too many children stop lessons after achieving 25m and lose out on truly solid survival skills. We’re here to change that by ensuring no child graduates without real water proficiency.)

Stages 8–10: Diving Deeper into Aquatic Sports and Skills

After completing Stage 7, swimmers have a choice: they can continue within the Swim England framework to further develop specialized skills or move into other areas like competitive club swimming. The Swim England pathway provides Stages 8, 9, and 10, known as the Aquatic Skills Framework, to encourage young swimmers to explore different aquatic sports and advanced techniques. Instead of being one-size-fits-all, Stages 8–10 branch into four main specialist streams. This is where things get really exciting, swimmers get to taste various disciplines and find what they enjoy most:

Aquatic Skills Stages 8–10 (Swimming Discipline)

One option is to continue with swimming skills in a competitive swimming direction. In these stages, the emphasis is on honing the four competitive strokes (front crawl, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly) to a higher standard, improving starts, turns, and increasing endurance. Essentially, it’s preparation for club swimming or just personal excellence. By Stage 10 of the Swimming specialism, a young swimmer would be swimming multiple lengths with strong technique, doing racing dives and tumble turns, and ready to thrive in a competitive squad or school swim team.

Aquatic Skills Stages 8–10 (Artistic Swimming)

Formerly known as synchronised swimming, this track introduces swimmers to the graceful world of artistic swimming. Over the three stages, they’ll learn skills like sculling in place, basic ballet legs, somersaults, and holding creative poses in the water. They also practice simple routines set to music, developing rhythm and teamwork. By Stage 10 Artistic, swimmers can perform sequences with figures and coordinated movements – setting them up to join a synchronised swimming club if they wish.

Aquatic Skills Stages 8–10 (Water Polo)

For those who love teamwork and ball games, the water polo pathway is a fantastic choice. Here, swimmers learn treading water with an eggbeater kick, passing and catching a ball, and moving through the water with their heads up. By Stage 10 Water Polo, they’re playing mini-games, understand positions, and can perform skills like picking up the ball in one hand, shooting at a goal, etc. They essentially gain the basics to join a junior water polo squad.

Aquatic Skills Stages 8–10 (Diving)

This stream introduces the excitement of springboard or platform diving. Swimmers will learn how to dive safely from poolside in Stage 7, but in Stage 8–10 Diving they progress to skills like proper take-offs, different types of dives (pike, tuck), somersaults, and maybe using a low diving board. By Stage 10, they might be doing simple dive routines and certainly have the fundamentals to enter a diving club. (Note: access to diving boards or deep water is needed, so not all swim schools offer the full diving awards – but those that do, follow these guidelines).

The idea is that there are three awards (levels 8, 9, 10) in each specialism and swimmers are encouraged to choose one path to focus on. This doesn’t mean they’re locked in forever – a child could complete Stages 8–10 in one specialism and later try another. But usually by this point, kids have an inkling of what they enjoy most. For instance, a child who loves dance might gravitate to artistic swimming, while a kid who’s a strong freestyler might stick to competitive swimming training.

Aside from these four, Swim England also highlights alternatives for those inclined toward lifesaving or adventure. For example, instead of Stage 8–10, a swimmer could take RLSS Rookie Lifeguard awards (learning lifesaving skills in water) or BSAC Dolphin Snorkeller awards (for snorkelling and basic scuba concepts). These are offered through partner organisations but are recognised pathways for aquatic development too.

By completing Stages 8–10 in any strand (or an equivalent like Rookie Lifeguard), a young person really rounds out their aquatic abilities. Plus, upon finishing, they are eligible for the coveted Swim England Gold medal, more on the medal awards in a moment! The key takeaway is that Stages 8–10 keep the journey going for those who aren’t done yet at Stage 7.

It’s all about expanding horizons: you’ve learned to swim, now learn to sprint, or spin, or save a life, or perform a routine. From a Swim Design Space perspective, while our regular lesson program focuses on the core learn-to-swim stages, we absolutely encourage kids to pursue these avenues via local clubs (and we incorporate elements like treading water, basic dives, and games in our higher-level classes to give them a head start). The framework ensures a smooth handover, a Stage 7 graduate stepping into a Stage 8 Water Polo or a Junior Lifeguard course will have the confidence and skill base to flourish.

Adult Swimming Awards: It’s Never Too Late to Learn

Swimming isn’t just for kids, far from it! Many adults either never had the chance to learn as children or want to improve their technique and endurance later in life. The great news is Swim England has a dedicated Adult Swimming Framework with its own set of awards tailored to grown-up learners. At Swim Design Space, we welcome adult beginners and improvers all the time, and we use this adult framework to guide our teaching. It’s built to be encouraging, flexible, and relevant to adults’ goals (which can differ from kids’ goals).

The Adult Framework consists of four progressive stages that are suitable for everyone, from complete non-swimmers to those looking to refine advanced skills. The stages have rather motivational names:

Be Water Confident

This is the starting point for many adults who might feel nervous or unfamiliar in water. The focus is on overcoming fear, standing in shallow water confidently, learning to float, and basic movements. You won’t be forced to do anything uncomfortable; it’s all about gently building trust in yourself and the water. By the end of this stage, an adult should be happy putting their face in, exhaling underwater, floating or gliding a short distance, and generally feeling “I can do this.” It’s amazing to see a hesitant adult go from anxiety to genuine enjoyment as they earn their Water Confident award.

Be a Swimmer

This stage is for adults who have cracked the confidence barrier and are ready to swim independently. Perhaps you can already doggy-paddle a little or float, but now you’ll learn to swim short distances (maybe 5–10 metres or a width) without support or flotation aids. We work on foundational techniques of a basic front crawl and backstroke, teaching how to kick and use your arms effectively. By the end of “Be a Swimmer,” you should be able to swim at least one length (around 25m) continuously without stopping, and feel comfortable in deeper water. For some, this is the stage where they say “I guess I really AM a swimmer now!” – that first time you cross the pool is a huge victory.

Be a Better Swimmer

Be a Master Swimmer

Don’t be intimidated by the name; you don’t need to be Master's age (which in swimming just means 25+) – any adult who has gained some solid ability can work on these advanced skills. “Be a Master Swimmer” is about advanced techniques and possibly competitive skills. Maybe you want to learn a proper racing dive, or master the butterfly stroke, or train for a triathlon swim. Endurance training is a part of it, as is fine-tuning strokes to be competition-legal if that’s relevant.

It sets you up to either join a Master's swimming club or just be able to swim confidently in any setting, from lap leagues to open water. By the end of this stage, many adults can swim all four strokes, handle long distances, and have the knowledge to plan their own swim workouts.

One great aspect of the Adult Awards is that they acknowledge different goals adults might have. Some adults care about distance, they want to hit that 1-mile swim milestone – while others care about stroke quality or overcoming a specific fear (like deep water). To complement the four core awards, Swim England also offers Adult Distance Awards for set distances (5m, 10m, 25m, 50m, 100m, 200m, 800m, and 1 mile).

These work as motivational targets for adults who enjoy challenging themselves to swim further and further, you can get a badge for each distance achieved, just like kids do. For instance, we’ve had adult learners proudly achieve their 25m badge after a few weeks, then go on to collect 50m and 100m as their fitness improves. It’s amazingly encouraging to see that progress on paper (or in patch form!).

There’s even a Blank Achievement Award – essentially a certificate you or your instructor can fill in with a personalized accomplishment (say, “Overcame fear of deep water and swam in the 2m section” or “Completed first open-water swim”). This is a fantastic idea because adult journeys can be very personal, and sometimes an achievement doesn’t fit a standard badge but deserves recognition nonetheless.

In our Swim Design Space adult classes, we incorporate these Adult Framework stages in a supportive, no-pressure environment. We know adults learn differently from kids – you might want explanations of why to do something, or you might have some anxiety or embarrassment to get past. That’s okay! The Adult Awards give a clear pathway yet with flexibility. There’s no rule that you must collect every badge, but many of our adult swimmers find them rewarding. They’re proof of how far you’ve come, perhaps from being water-shy to now swimming multiple lengths confidently.

And let’s not forget, learning to swim as an adult is brave. It’s challenging to put yourself out there and tackle something new, but it’s also incredibly empowering. Each of these adult awards is about celebrating that bravery and progress. From the first time you float on your own (huge moment!) to when you finally nail that rhythmic breathing in front crawl, we’ll be cheering you on.

We often share with our adult learners that small wins lead to big gains. In fact, celebrating each little step, like your first unassisted 10m swim, triggers confidence and motivation to keep going. (Psychologically, ticking off these awards can give that dopamine boost of accomplishment, which helps you stick with it!). So whether you’re 30 or 60, if you’re considering starting or restarting swimming, know that this framework is there to guide you and you’re never alone on the journey.

Badges, Certificates, and Medals: Celebrating Every Achievement

One of the most exciting parts of the Swim England framework, especially for kids, is the awards system that comes with it. After all, who doesn’t love a tangible reward for hard work? 🏅 These awards aren’t just feel-good extras; they play a key role in motivating swimmers, recognizing progress, and making the whole learning experience more engaging. Let’s dive into how the awards work and the variety of badges and certificates available:

Stage Completion Awards

As we covered, every time a swimmer completes a stage (whether it’s Duckling 2 or Learn to Swim Stage 5 or Adult “Be a Swimmer”), they earn an official Swim England certificate and a woven badge to mark that achievement. Kids often sew the badges onto a towel or display them on a pinboard with pride. Each certificate lists the outcomes they’ve accomplished, it’s a real confidence booster for a child to see a checklist of skills with ticks next to them! These awards are designed “to reward your child for their development of essential aquatic skills” at each step.

From our experience at Swim Design Space, we can’t overstate how motivating this is: we see children’s eyes light up when they’re handed their Stage 1 certificate or Duckling badge. It’s a celebration of their effort and progress. Even adults get a kick out of earning a certificate – it’s proof “I did it!” that can be very meaningful on a personal journey.

“Small Step” Awards (I CAN Awards)

Swim England also has I CAN awards, which are single-skill certificates for young children. These are brilliant for recognising mini-milestones, particularly in the Pre-School framework. For example, an “I CAN enter the water safely” or “I CAN float on my back” certificate can be awarded when a toddler masters one specific task. They’re used as complements to Duckling awards, to keep the littlest learners encouraged even before they complete a full Duckling level. Not every swim school uses these, but they’re nice optional extras, we sometimes give out little stickers or in-house “high five” awards for similar reasons, to acknowledge the baby steps on the way to big steps.

Rainbow Distance Awards

As swimmers progress through stages, one set of awards that often runs in parallel are the Distance badges. The Swim England Rainbow Distance Awards are a series of bright, cheerful badges for swimming set distances, starting from just 5 metres up to an impressive 5,000 metres (!). The early distances (5m, 10m, 15m, 20m, 25m etc.) often correspond with what kids achieve during Stages 1–7. For instance, a child in Stage 2 or 3 might earn their 5m badge when they first swim that far on their own. By Stage 5 or 6, they might do 25m and get that badge.

The Rainbow Awards are designed to keep kids motivated by challenging them to go a little further as their skills improve. They also include a Puffin Award for 5m with floatation aids (for beginners). The idea is to gradually increase stamina, a swimmer who can comfortably do 25m can then set sights on 50m, then 100m, and so on, each time getting a badge to mark the accomplishment.

However, an important note (which we always emphasize to parents): distance alone isn’t an indicator of full water safety. A child might power through a 50m swim but still need to work on technique or deep-water skills. That’s why Swim England also has Water Safety Awards and reminds families that distance awards are about stamina, not a free pass to swim unsupervised. Still, collecting these rainbow badges is immensely satisfying. Many a swimmer has a collection from Puffin (5m) through 25m, 50m, 100m etc., all the way to a Mile badge (for the truly dedicated!). They’re like scout badges, each one telling a story of hard work.

Stroke-Specific Awards

In addition to pure distance, Swim England provides Stroke Awards for 5m, 10m, and 25m in each of the four strokes. These are useful when focusing on mastering technique. For example, a child might earn a 10m Breaststroke Award once they can swim breaststroke properly over that distance. These encourage learners to develop good form in every stroke, not just default to doggy paddle or sloppy freestyle to cover distance. Some swim schools integrate stroke awards in higher stages to ensure kids pay attention to technique (we all know how tempting it is for a kid to splash through 25m any which way just to get the distance badge, stroke awards encourage doing it the right way).

Water Safety and Personal Survival Awards

Safety is at the core of the program, so naturally, there are awards for those skills too. Swim England has separate Water Safety or Personal Survival awards (often taught around Stage 7 or in special sessions). These cover things like swimming with clothes on, using flotation devices to rescue someone, basic CPR knowledge, etc. If your child participates in something like the RLSS Rookie Lifeguard, they’ll get awards for that as well. Achievements in safety skills are just as celebratory, being able to tread water for 3 minutes or perform a reach rescue is huge.

Swimming Challenge Awards (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Honours)

For advanced swimmers, typically those who have finished Stage 7 or Stages 8–10, there is a set of challenging “exam-like” awards called the Swimming Challenge Awards. These come in Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Honours levels. They test a wide range of abilities, almost like a “swimming proficiency test.” For example, the Bronze Challenge might require swimming 400m using two different strokes, diving to fetch objects, and treading water for 3 minutes.

By the Gold and Honours level, the tasks get quite advanced – e.g. Gold includes swimming 800m (half front crawl, half another stroke) in under 25 minutes, performing a plunge dive and a somersault, and more. These awards are hard-earned and are often done by young people who really love swimming and want to push themselves, or by club swimmers to show versatility and stamina. The awards come with certificates, cloth badges, and even a special metal pin badge for your lapel.

Not every recreational swimmer goes for these, but it’s good to know they exist – they’re great for teens who need a new goal after Stage 7, especially if competition isn’t their thing. We’ve seen how preparing for a Challenge Award can give a teenager a focus and pride in achievement outside of racing.

Completion Medals

Swim England introduced a lovely way to commemorate finishing each framework: bronze, silver, and gold medals. These are awarded when a swimmer completes all the Awards in a given framework. Specifically, a bronze medal is earned after completing the Pre-School Framework (i.e. all Discovery Duckling & Duckling awards). A silver medal is for completing Learn to Swim Stages 1–7. And the gold medal – you guessed it, is for those who finish the Aquatic Skills Stages 8–10 (or equivalent, like finishing one of the sport specialisms or the Swim Challenge Gold). These medals are a big deal; they represent years of dedication.

If your child sticks with swimming right from the toddler stage through to competent swimmer, they’ll have a shiny medal and a heap of confidence to show for it. The medals even come on a ribbon and are made from partly recycled metal, a nice eco-friendly touch. We love awarding these at Swim Design Space when applicable; it often coincides with kids “graduating” from our program or moving on to club swimming. There might be a ceremony or at least a hearty round of applause for the medalist, it’s really an achievement worth celebrating.

From a motivational standpoint, these badges, certificates and medals align perfectly with the idea of celebrating small wins (as we discussed in a recent blog post!). Each award is like a milestone marker that keeps swimmers, especially children, excited and proud of their progress. Instead of one distant goal (“learn to swim… someday”), the journey is broken into lots of fun, reachable goals. This triggers the reward centers in the brain; psychologists note that recognizing even minor achievements gives a dopamine boost, fueling confidence and eagerness to tackle the next challenge.

In practice, we see that a child who earns their Stage 3 badge is usually raring to start Stage 4 because they’ve built self-belief. They think, “If I could do that, I can do the next thing too!” It creates a positive feedback loop.

Also, the awards make swimming tangible. Kids might forget exactly how it felt when they first floated by themselves, but the certificate on their wall reminds them “I did that.” It’s a great antidote to setbacks too, if a child hits a tough skill later on, looking back at their row of badges can encourage them to remember how far they’ve come and not give up.

We often incorporate little celebrations in classes when someone earns an award: a round of applause from peers, maybe ringing a bell or getting a high-five from our mascot. We want swimmers of all ages to feel proud of their progress.

And let’s be honest, adults enjoy these “gold stars” too! We’ve had adult students stick their 25m or 100m certificate on the fridge at home as a badge of honor, and they should, it’s fabulous. One adult learner told us that seeing her kids earn badges actually inspired her to start lessons and collect her own. Swimming becomes a family affair of cheering each other on.

Lastly, while the external rewards are fantastic, they ultimately reinforce the internal rewards of swimming: increased confidence, better health, and the pure joy of mastering a skill. The awards are like a map of your swimming journey, but the real treasure is the ability and love for the water you gain along the way. Every swimmer’s journey is a collection of these milestones, and every little victory matters in building a lifelong swimmer

(Quick tip for parents: Consider creative ways to celebrate awards. Some families make a scrapbook of certificates or let the child choose a fun activity when they earn a new badge. Others use a reward chart; e.g., a sticker each time they pass a level, culminating in a treat. Visual markers of progress, like hanging up ribbons or badges, can make children beam with pride. One fun idea: when your child passes a stage, maybe let them pick a new piece of swim gear or a swimsuit as a reward, it can boost excitement for the next stage. In fact, new gear can sometimes mark progress: “Wow, you completed Stage 2 – maybe it’s time for your own special goggles!” We’ve seen kids absolutely light up when they get to wear, say, a quirky animal-themed swim cap or shiny new goggles as a token of their achievement. They can’t wait to try it out in their next lesson, which keeps the momentum going. And yes, our Swim Design Space store has plenty of fun, safe, comfy swim gear options if you’re looking for ideas!)

Why This Framework Matters (and How to Get Involved)

By now, you might be thinking, this sounds like a lot of levels and badges – is it really necessary? In our view (and experience), yes. The Swim England framework and awards provide structure, motivation, and credibility to the learn-to-swim process. Here’s why that matters:

1. Ensures a Thorough, Safe Education

Swimming is a potentially life-saving skill, but only if taught properly. The framework’s step-by-step approach ensures that vital safety skills – like safe entries, treading water, and understanding water hazards, are baked into the learning process from the beginning. Students don’t just learn how to move in water, they learn how to do so safely and confidently. We’ve sadly seen cases (outside our school) where children rush through to swimming a length but never learn to tread water or what to do if they fall in unexpectedly.

The staged approach prevents such gaps. Swim England’s program is designed by experts and it’s evidence-based, drawing on decades of teaching experience across thousands of learners. As a Swim England affiliate, Swim Design Space follows these stages to make sure nothing is missed in turning out a capable swimmer. You can have peace of mind that your or your child’s learning is aligned with the national standard.

2. Motivation through Recognition

The awards system, as discussed, keeps swimmers engaged. It’s easy for motivation to dip in the face of challenges (learning to swim can be hard work at times!), but having that next badge to aim for or that sense of achievement when you get a certificate is invaluable. It breaks the journey into manageable goals.

This is not just anecdotal. motivation science backs it up: celebrating small milestones triggers positive emotion and motivation to continue. At Swim Design Space, we make it a point to cheer on every accomplishment, no matter how small, because confidence grows with each success. The official framework gives us the roadmap of successes to aim for.

3. Consistency and Transferability

Because the Swim England stages are recognised nationwide (and even internationally admired), a child can move to a different area or swim school and pick up where they left off. If your child is Stage 4 here and you move cities, the new instructor will know exactly what that means and what to work on next. It’s like a common language among swimming teachers. This consistency is also why many primary schools and leisure centres in the UK use the Swim England framework for their lessons. So if your child gets school swimming lessons, what they learn will complement what we teach, they’re on the same page, literally.

4. Inclusive for All Ages and Needs

The framework isn’t just rigid levels for one “type” of swimmer. It’s designed to be inclusive. There are provisions for those with additional needs (the stages can be adapted, and there are even specialist inclusion awards). The adult pathway means no one is left out due to age. We’ve taught learners from 6 months old to 70 years old within this structured approach. It works across the board because it’s principle-based: build water confidence, then fundamentals, then refine skills, at any age, that progression holds true.

5. It’s Fun and Celebratory

Perhaps most importantly, it makes the process fun. Kids love the names (being a “Duckling” or getting a “Rainbow” badge), and turning progress into a game or challenge keeps them engaged. It’s not an endless slog; it’s an adventure with checkpoints. We often incorporate the award themes into classes e.g., we’ll talk about going for that distance badge in a gamified way (“today, let’s see if you can swim the length of a whale, that’s about 15m, because I think you’re close to your 15m badge!”).

It gives tangible context to practice. And when milestones are hit, we celebrate. Seeing a child’s face light up when they realise they just swam their first width or when they get applause for completing Stage 1, that joy is what keeps them coming back eagerly for lesson after lesson, which in turn leads to them truly mastering swimming. In short, the framework nurtures a lifelong love of swimming, not just a checkbox exercise.

Now, if you’re feeling inspired to start or continue this journey, getting involved is easy. Swim England’s framework is available through most quality swim schools, and certainly here at Swim Design Space. We are passionate about guiding every swimmer through these stages in a supportive, personalised way. Our instructors are not only Swim England qualified, but they also understand the human side of the journey – the nerves, the excitement, the plateaus, the breakthroughs – and will support you or your child every step (or splash) of the way.

Embark on Your Swim England Journey with Swim Design Space

Ready to dive in? Whether you have a toddler who’s eager to start Ducklings, a school-age child aiming to earn their next stage badge, or you’re an adult finally taking the plunge yourself, Swim Design Space is here to help you succeed. As a Swim England-affiliated centre, we strictly follow the framework discussed above, ensuring top-notch, nationally vetted instruction. We also keep class sizes small and the environment friendly, so every swimmer gets the attention and encouragement they need. Our locations in Cheltenham, Gloucester, and Blakeney offer classes that fit your schedule, with experienced instructors who make lessons safe, fun, and effective.

By enrolling with us, you’re not just signing up for swim lessons, you’re joining a program where you can track progress, celebrate each achievement, and build skills for life. We provide award progression updates and will happily guide you on how to reinforce learning (for instance, through our recommended practice activities or using the Swim England My Learn to Swim app at home, which many kids love for unlocking digital rewards as they progress). And don’t worry, we’ll take care of ordering all those badges and certificates when the time comes – you just enjoy the proud moment!

If you need quality swim gear to get started, we’ve got you covered there too. Using comfortable, well-fitting equipment can make a huge difference in a swimmer’s confidence. For example, a good pair of goggles that don’t leak or a swim cap that keeps hair out of the face can help a child focus on learning instead of distractions. We’ve curated kid-friendly goggles, fun swim caps, training aids and more in our on-site store, feel free to explore our collection for the gear that suits your stage of learning (sometimes a simple new float toy or fins can even boost a child’s enthusiasm to practice). It’s all about setting you up for success in the pool.

Ready to start earning those Swim England awards? The best way is to jump in and begin lessons. We invite you to book a class at your nearest Swim Design Space location to kick off the journey. Our team will assess your or your child’s current level and fit you into the appropriate stage, no matter if you’re a total beginner or picking up from a previous stage. From there, the sky (or rather, the pool) is the limit! You can and secure your spot in our upcoming term. If you’re unsure about anything or have more questions about the framework, just reach out, we’re always here to help.

Swimming is truly a gift that keeps on giving: it promotes health, safety, confidence, and sheer happiness. And with the Swim England framework guiding the way, that gift comes with a series of proud accomplishments at every step. We’ve seen countless swimmers transform, children who start out clinging to the pool wall end up racing across the pool with big grins, and adults who once feared deep water end up doing laps for fitness. Those transformations are powered by patience, practice, and the progressive rewards that keep learners motivated.

So, let’s celebrate the journey from splashy beginner to skilled swimmer, one award at a time. 🏊

✨ Join us at Swim Design Space and let’s make waves together, your next swim milestone awaits!

Book your class, grab your goggles, and see you in the pool!