Rookie Lifeguard (Age 8 to 13)

The Rookie Lifeguard programme has been designed by water safety specialists at RLSS UK. It is designed to ensure that every child in the country has essential water skills to keep themselves safe and knowledge of what to do in an emergency. The programme features swimming and lifesaving skills supported by water safety education, allowing participants to enjoy swimming as an activity and vitally, to protect their lives should an accident occur in or out of the water.

The Rookie Lifeguard skills make Rookies aware of how to take better care of themselves, their family and friends, and give them the information they need to promote water safety in their day to day activities. The awards contain survival, rescue and sports skills as well as Life Support and water safety elements.

All Instructors are Enhanced DBS checked and Rookie Instructor Qualified with teacher status.

Minimum requirements upon starting:

  • Able to Swim 50m on front and back confidently
  • Minimum age 7
  • Willingness to learn and have fun!

 About the programme 

Built into the programme are lessons in valuable survival, rescue and sports skills…all delivered in an exciting way that will get children involved and motivated. The course can run parallel to your child’s current swimming lessons and will enhance the skills they learn in the pool.

For many of our Rookie Lifeguards, our programme offers the first opportunity to explore water safety, gradually gaining independence and confidence while learning vital life skills. Our programme will inspire and embolden your child, helping them keep themselves, their friends and their family safe in the water through a range of fun activities that lead towards a series of awards.

Rookie Lifeguard is aimed at children – though the skills learned through the course of the programme are just as valuable to people of all ages. The scheme begins with Stage 1 of the Bronze Award and progresses to Stage 3 of the Gold Award, starting off at an ability level suitable for brand-new swimmers and progressing to the level where our Rookie Lifeguards perform impressive lifesaving tows.

Even the shyest kids find they make new friends through the Rookie Lifeguard scheme, as teamwork and peer support are crucial elements of the programme.

 

  Bronze Stages

Upon completion of Bronze Stages 1, 2 and 3, Rookie Lifeguards should be able to:

  • Enter shallow water safely and confidently and wade
  • Tread water and signal for help
  • Swim continuously in clothing for 50m
  • Swim Lifesaving Backstroke
  • Scull head and feet first
  • Hold the ‘HELP’ position
  • Demonstrate a non-swimmer, weak swimmer and an unconscious casualty
  • Demonstrate a ‘Shout and Signal’ rescue
  • Throw an aid
  • Demonstrate a reach rescue
  • Enter deep water safely and confidently
  • Perform a feet first surface dive and swim underwater
  • Climb out in deep water without using the steps

  Silver Stages

Upon completion of Silver Stages 1, 2 and 3 Rookie Lifeguards should be able to:

  • Swim continuously in clothing for 200m on your front and back
  • Demonstrate a reaching rescue
  • Throw a buoyant aid to a casualty 8m away
  • Enter shallow water and wade to a casualty
  • Using a throwing aid, instruct the casualty what to do
  • Using a rigid aid instruct the casualty what to do
  • The support position
  • Tread water for 3 minutes
  • Swimming, surface dives and object recovery
  • Shallow turn and rescue an ‘unconscious casualty’
  • Coil and throw a rope to a casualty 10m away and pull to the side in less than 45 seconds
  • Enter deep water using a straddle jump
  • Demonstrate a fall-in entry into clear deep water
  • Swim 20m continuously with your head out of the water on your front

  Gold Stages

Upon completion of Gold Stages 1, 2 and 3 Rookies should be able to:

  • Coil and throw a rope to a casualty and pull to the side
  • Swim 400m continuously in clothing
  • Demonstrate Lifesaving Backstroke, Sidestroke, Breaststroke or Front Crawl
  • Tread water, removing clothing then swim 50m
  • Climb out of deep water unaided
  • Demonstrate fall-in, compact jump or shallow dive
  • Demonstrate a Reverse
  • Demonstrate a Standoff
  • Rescue an unconscious casualty at depth in less than 2 minutes 30 seconds
  • Demonstrate supported rescue breathing whilst waiting for help
  • Demonstrate the support position
  • Demonstrate non-contact rescues
  • Treat for shock
  • Hand signals
  • Using any recognised competitive stroke, swim 400m continuously, in less than 12 minutes

 

 RLSS Rookie Lifeguard Video