Q: What is the Stratford Sharks Academy?

A: The Academy is a Swim England Accredited Swim School for children aged 7 years and up, focusing purely on the SE Aquatic Skills Pathway – Competitive which sits above the SE Learn to Swim Framework.

Q: What is the structure of the Academy?

A: There are four Academy groups - Pre Academy, Academy Bronze, Silver and Gold, with a maximum of 20 swimmers in each group. The Pre and Bronze Group swims for one hour per week, the Silver Group two hours per week and the Gold Group up to three hours per week.

Q: When do the Academy Groups swim and how much does it cost per month?

A: All Academy Group sessions last for one hour:

Day	Pool	Duration	Time	Pre Academy	Bronze	Silver	Gold
				£34.25	£34.25	£38.50	£40.50
Wednesday	Shipston Leisure Centre	1 hour	18:00 - 19:00
Friday	Stratford Leisure Centre	1 hour	18:30 - 19:30
Saturday	Stratford Leisure Centre	1 hour	13:00 - 14:00

Q: Who is involved?

A: The Academy Group is led by Jenny Chapman and works alongside other coaches and the Academy Crew of volunteers, all of them competitive swimmers, who assist on  Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, working across the Academy Groups.

Wednesdays - Coach - Suzanne Verralls, Academy Crew - Keana Pearce, Becca Mitchell, Henry Wheeler

Fridays - Coach Jenny Chapman, Academy Crew - Josh Mitchell, Amelie Ristov, Becca Morrison, Ellie Harsant, Molly Bullock, Jack Wood, Amelia Knipe

Saturdays - Coach - Sophie Warden, Volunteers - Vanessa Holland, Jane Wilkinson, James Thomas, Academy Crew - Abi Skinner, Cassie Lea, Lucy Thomas

Q: Who do I speak to get more information about the Academy?

A: If you want to talk to us further about the Academy group, send an email to Jenny Chapman on  headofacademy@teamsharks.com

Q: How can I be part of the Academy Crew of volunteers?

To be part of the Academy Crew, you have a good understanding of the club and the structure of its sessions and competitions, you are enthusiastic and passionate about the development of Academy swimmers, have a basic understanding of aquatics and safety within sessions and  you have plans of either gaining a Swim Teacher or Coach qualification as part of your interest and future development. A fun and supportive role. You will assist the delivery of Academy squad training sessions under the supervision of a qualified coach or teacher, therefore giving you an opportunity to take on a new challenge, gain practical teaching/coaching experience and support the development of Academy swimmers.  To start your experience, you can join the month you start Year 10 and contact Veronica on fixtures@teamsharks.com. Depending on current numbers, you may not start straight away. Once you are 16, you can then start a Swimming Teaching or Coaching course. West Midlands Swimming and the club will partly fund the course, in return you continue to volunteer for the club after you are qualified.