Scuba takes off at BGS
3rd June 2009
C
hildren at a leading North Yorkshire prep school are at the forefront of a new drive to teach youngsters to scuba dive.
hildren at a leading North Yorkshire prep school are at the forefront of a new drive to teach youngsters to scuba dive.A group of pupils at Belmont Grosvenor School on the outskirts of Harrogate are taking to the pool once a week to gain their scuba diving qualifications.
They are the youngest group of children PADI instructor Andy Johnston has taught – and he is hoping they will encourage more youngsters to take up the sport.
Pupils at Belmont Grosvenor School, based at Swarcliffe Hall, Birstwith, are offered a wide range of after-school clubs and activites – and the new scuba diving course, being held in the school’s own swimming pool, has proved a hit.
Heaadteacher Jane Merriman said the course was offering pupils new skills to build on in the future.
“We are looking to provide a wide range of after-school activities to complement the hard work carried out in the classroom during the day.
“Scuba diving gives children the chance to learn new skills and overcome fears, which is an important part of a child’s development. The courses are being run with safety and enjoyment at the fore – and children are learning a skill they can enjoy in the future,” she said.
At the end of their eight-week PADI Seal Team course, the youngsters will have mastered the basics of scuba diving – giving them the chance to take their PADI Open Water qualification when they are older.
It’s the first time PADI Master Instructor Andy Johnston, who teaches scuba diving at secondary schools across the region, has taught a group of younger children– and he is delighted with their progress so far.
“PADI has been running the Seal Team, aimed at 8 to 12-year-olds, for about four years but this is the first time we have run an organized group for younger children and I am delighted Belmont Grosvenor School has taken the initiative.
“Scuba diving is a wonderful activity and I am keen to introduce the sport to a younger generation. It is exhilarating and liberating to have a feeling of weightlessness in the water, to see fish up close – it really is wonderful,” he said.
Children at Belmont Grosvenor School are being taught competence and confidence in the water through a series of fun sessions that mix theory with skills in the swimming pool.
As well as safety in the water, students are taught to respect the acquatic world and how to protect it.
Belmont Grosvenor School opens its swimming pool once a week to the community for adult-only swimming between 8 and 8.45am – and Andy is hoping to run a series of summer school PADI courses at BGS during the holidays.
