PARKWOOD LEISURE’S ROOKIE TO LIFEGUARD PROGRAMME

The Rookie to Lifeguard journey programme is a swim and lifeguarding programme developed by Hutton Moore at Parkwood Leisure in conjunction with the RLSS to guide children through from being young swimmers to being fully qualified lifeguards, in turn creating employment opportunities for the future.

Rookies

We all start out as rookies in every walk of life, right? Well the Rookie to lifeguard programme programme is no different. The scheme begins with Stage 1 of the Bronze Award and progresses to  Stage 4 of the Masters Rookie. Each participant is taken along a journey to give them the necessary skills in swimming, progressing to the level where our Rookie Lifeguards perform impressive lifesaving tows; some participants start as early as 9 years old!

Survive and Save

The amazing thing about the programme is that there is natural progression. Kids can show promise from an early age and it is recognised. 

Survive and Save is a step up, there is no doubt about that. Children must be 12 years and over to be accepted onto the course due to the challenging nature it entails. 

There are four award areas to experience, the Medallion Awards, the Beach Awards, the Stillwater Awards and the Sport Awards and you can choose to specialise in one area or learn a broader range of skills by completing multiple awards.

The highest achievement in the Survive & Save Programme is the Distinction Award, which is awarded to those who achieve 3 Gold Level awards within a 24-month period.

Andy creates a series of activities throughout the course which challenges participants to the level that is expected to complete the course. They include pulling up three manikins off the bottom of the pool in under 90 seconds, timed swim challenges, removing individuals from the pool 4 times the kids body weight!

 Andy and his team make these sessions enjoyable, fun and it starts participants off along a journey to not only gaining invaluable qualifications but also making friends for life.

Junior Lifeguard Programme

If you’re researching how to become a lifeguard online, you will not come across this stage. That is because this stage is exclusive to our programme. In order to progress to being a fully qualified lifeguard, you must be 16 years old. That’s quite a gap if you were to complete the Survive and Save course by the time you’re 12! So  Andy and the team at Parkwood Leisure created the Junior Lifeguard Programme to specifically prepare candidates for the National Pool Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ). Andy takes the participants through step by step what is needed to prepare for the NPLQ as well as vital life saving support skills. We can’t think of a better way to prepare the participants for the conclusive stage of the programme! 

National Pool Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ)

The course comes to an end by achieving the ultimate goal of becoming a lifeguard. But you’ll have to show more than just swimming capabilities to get past the course – people’s lives will be in your hands!

Andy’s methods once again come into play to ensure participants pass the three components of the course:

• The Lifeguard and the Law, Swimming Pool Supervision
• Intervention and Rescue and Emergency Action Plans
• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, AED and First Aid

The components put all of the skills learnt to the test. Participants must display the knowledge and practical ability of swimming pool supervision as well as being able to perform first aid. 

An assessment takes place at the end of the course. It determines your knowledge and understanding of the principles of working as a pool lifeguard and assesses your ability to apply the skills and knowledge in a work-related environment.

It all sounds pretty serious towards the end?

We won’t hide away from the fact that you’ll need to display important qualities to be a lifeguard. But fear not, Andy and the team have put together a course that will fully prepare you for all of the tests put in front of you. This in addition to the fun nature of the course being maintained, with your friends and giving you skills to take forward to the rest of your life.