Q&A: Parkwood Leisure discuss their Swimming Teacher Observation reports with us

We caught up with Ally Zell, Head of Aquatics and Sports at Parkwood Leisure, to discuss the reasons for carrying out the Swimming Teacher Observation reports and the benefits they have gained.

Parkwood Leisure manages 75 leisure centre facilities on behalf of 31 local authorities throughout England and Wales. Their mission is to create strong, lasting partnerships, built on a foundation of efficient and effective delivery, to encourage happier and healthier lifestyles.

Why did you want to carry out the Swimming Teacher Observations?

As part of our ongoing development of our Learn to Swim Programme across multiple sites, it is important to ensure our high standards are maintained across the group. The ‘Swimming Teacher Observations package’ is one of the tools we use to monitor the quality of our swim lesson delivery and understand any training requirements for our teachers.

What have the outcomes been from the observations and feedback reports?

The reports we have received have given us an insight into the delivery of our product across the selected sites we have chosen. This has informed us where policies and procedures are being followed and where we may need to reinforce them. The reports allow us to create and deliver a training programme based on outcomes provided within the reports.

How has it benefited your Learn to Swim programme?

This has benefited our Learn to Swim Programme as it provides the insight we require to ensure we deliver a consistent quality product across the group and provide the relevant tools/knowledge where improvement may be required.

Why did you choose Swim England to carry out this work?

As Swim England are the National Governing Body and we partner with them, we believe this ensures that this external audit of our product is essential to maintain our high standards.

To find out more about the Swimming Teacher Observation package, please contact us below.