7 September 2022

2022 – Changes to Swimming

The P – 12 Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Framework (P – 12 CARF) specifies the requirements for all Prep to Year 12 Queensland state schools to deliver a world-class education.  The P – 12 CARF outlines that Queensland state schools deliver, in Prep – Year 6, a water safety and swimming program in alignment with the Australian Curriculum.  The Australian Curriculum outlines water safety and swimming occur in banded year levels, of Prep, Year 1 and 2, Year 3 and 4 and Year 5 and 6. 

An intensive water safety and swimming education program will be provided by Royal Life Saving Society Queensland for students in Prep, Year 1, Year 2, Year 4 and Year 6, in one-week blocks.  This program will occur in addition to the Physical Education program.  This program aims to provide the skills and knowledge for staying safe in and around the water, how to help and CPR awareness.  Our intent is to ensure that all students access this opportunity in 2-year cycles.  Year 3 and Year 5 will not access this program in 2022, but will in 2023, as Year 4 and Year 6 students respectively.  

The program provided by Royal Life Saving Society Queensland is an evidence-based program and the elements of this program are outlined below.  These elements align with the sequence of competency for water safety and swimming education set out by the Department of Education.

We are aware that this is a change to how swimming has previously been delivered at Calliope State School.  These changes are necessary due to human resourcing (staffing) and timetabling implications of the previous program being unsustainable.  We are currently experiencing a shortage in staffing and are unable to cover teachers and teacher aides in our classrooms for student support.  Please understand that providing a quality education program is our highest priority. In comparison to previous years, students have participated in 8 x 45-minute sessions of swimming across a term.  This program offers 5 x 45-minute sessions, in an intensive 1-week block – a session every day.   

Further information will be sent out to year levels who are swimming in the coming weeks to complete permission and medical forms.  Individual parent queries and questions cannot be answered separately and all information will be provided in the newsletter and parent permission forms.  Please refer to these as the correct information about swimming.

Kind regards,

Naomi Hughes                                                              Rebecca Crapp
Deputy Principal – Curriculum                                      Acting Principal