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The National Rescue Standard (NaRS) Pool Safety Award

What is the NaRS Pool Safety Award?

In response to the growing demand by school staff engaged in teaching or supervising swimming activities for better water safety in light of greater responsibility and liability, STA has, in close partnership with education professionals and consultation with representatives from the Association for Physical Education (AfPE) and the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), developed the new National Rescue Standard (NaRS) Pool Safety Award. The Award is a specialist, fit-for-purpose qualification designed specifically to equip primary and secondary school staff with a range of key skills to deal competently with poolside aquatic emergencies.

Award overview:

The NaRS Pool Safety Award is a comprehensive qualification providing core skills development in the following areas:

Rescue techniques, including spinal injury and aquatic first aid
Emergency procedures
Pool hazards and risk assessments
Operational duties and responsibilities
Relevant legislation

Course:

The course duration is six hours.

Features:

Candidates will be tutor-assessed as follows:

Completion of the portfolio and pre–course worksheet
Continual practical assessment by the course tutor:
1. Demonstrating the ability to perform the various defined rescue activities in a safe manner
2. Demonstrating CPR, preparatory actions and aftercare
Completion of the end of course worksheet

Entry Requirements:

The main requirements for school staff are that candidates must:

Be 14 years of age, or older, at the time of the examination;
Be involved with either teaching, assisting or supervising school swimming or pool sessional activities

Benefits:

The NaRS Pool Safety Award will provide holders and employers with a number of immediate and long-term benefits:

A specialist, nationally accredited qualification for school staff;
Gives parents and guardians confidence that your school maintains the highest standards of care towards its students and staff;
Enhances the professional development of school staff and enables staff to gain CPD points for attending and passing the course;
Ability to be integrated into Graduate Teacher Training Programmes