New
New
All years

Entry and exits, travel, buoyancy and balance

I can enter the water in a safe manner and travel in a balanced and coordinated way.

New
New
All years

Entry and exits, travel, buoyancy and balance

I can enter the water in a safe manner and travel in a balanced and coordinated way.

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Move: quality walking and travel in an aquatic environment requires balance and control.
  2. Move: pulling your hands through the water with speed and power helps you to travel.
  3. Think: to travel, the water must be moving in the opposite direction to your body.
  4. Feel: self-motivation enables us to enjoy moving in the water.
  5. Connect: working with peers to move effectively requires cooperation.

Keywords

  • Move - feet are in contact with, or off, the bottom of the pool; stepping, hopping, skipping, or jumping

  • Travel - independent movement around the pool where feet are off the floor

  • Pull - to exert force onto the water to cause movement in the intended direction of travel

Common misconception

When pupils lose their balance and fall forward into the water, they often instinctively try to place their hands onto the pool floor.

This significantly hinders pupils' ability to regain a standing position, often causing panic. Pupils should be taught how to regain a vertical position before, and at the start of, their first swimming lesson.


To help you plan your all years physical education lesson on: Entry and exits, travel, buoyancy and balance, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Provide demonstrations, before and throughout the lesson, to aid understanding of the correct technique of regaining a standing position. Get pupils to demonstrate if they are able to regain a standing position quickly and effectively from a horizontal position, to help others with their technique.
Teacher tip

Equipment

a noodle per pupil, a large ball per pupil

Content guidance

  • Additional qualification required
  • Risk assessment required - equipment

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Prior knowledge starter quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
Which type of entry do we use a diamond shape with our hands next to our legs?
Correct answer: swivel entry
jumping entry
turning entry
Q2.
What methods can you use to move forwards in the water?
Correct answer: run, jump, swim
stand, float, bubbles
turning, rest, talk
Q3.
Which body parts must you move to stand up from lying on your front?
nose, feet, toes
Correct answer: knees, arms, head
eyes, hair, tongue
Q4.
What do we do if the emergency alarm sounds at the pool?
Correct answer: climb out
Correct answer: wait for instructions
keep swimming

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
What arm action do you use to move or travel forwards in the water?
push
kick
Correct answer: pull
Q2.
What is it called when you independently move around the pool?
floating
Correct answer: travelling
diving
Q3.
What should you do with your body to maintain a floating position?
Correct answer: stretch out
curl up
swim forwards
Q4.
What term describes working well as a team to make progress?
Correct Answer: cooperation, co-operation