National Rescue Award for Swimming Teachers and Coaches LIGHT Refresher

It is suitable for teachers working in a wide range of swimming pools, including pools where the water is deeper than the teacher’s standing depth. This award is only suitable when the facility has staff qualified as lifeguards or first aiders who can respond quickly to a swimming teacher or coach in an emergency. It is a non-regulated award. 

If a lifeguard or first aid backup is unavailable, the standard NRASTC should be used.

The NRASTC LIGHT course is 6 hours plus assessment and is deliverable in one day.

Topics covered during the course include:

• The teacher, swimming pool, and class management
  • Intervention rescue 
  • Emergency action
  • CPR and drowning/effects of drowning

NRASTC LIGHT candidates must meet the following criteria:

• Must be 16 years of age at the date of assessment
• Be able to meet the following criteria before the course:
  • Swim 50m
  • Surface dive to the deepest part of the pool
  • Climb out without help and without using steps or ladders
• Hold a valid NRASTC LIGHT qualification
• Demonstrate the required Continual Professional Development required

By the end of this course, candidates will be able to:

• Understand your role and responsibilities
• Understand what should be included in an induction
• Understand what is included within Pool Safety Operating Procedures
• Understand what a programmed session is
• Demonstrate how to manage and assess risks
• Understand pre-class safety considerations
• Identify how to manage safety during lessons
• Understand teacher-to-participent ratios
• Identify additional needs for swimmers with special educational needs and/or disability (SEND)
• Identify learning from previous accidents/near misses
• Demonstrate teamwork in an emergency
• Identify the different types of casualties
• Demonstrate the different ways to enter the pool
• Demonstrate personal safety during rescue
• Demonstrate use of available rescue equipment
• Demonstrate poolside based rescue
• Demonstrate in-water rescue
• Demonstrate the management of an unconscious casualty in the pool
• Demonstrate how to rescue a casualty from the deepest part of the pool
• Demonstrate how to rescue more than one casualty
• Demonstrate how to recovery casualties and exit them from the water
• Demonstrate how to manage a casualty with a suspected spinal injury in the water
• Demonstrate the management of an unconscious casualty who is not breathing normally in the pool
• Identify when to administer Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
• Demonstrate CPR using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) on a manikin:
• an infant / a child
• an adult
• Understand the effects of drowning on a casualty

For the NRASTC LIGHT, the date of certification is based on the achievement of the final unit and the validity will be two years from date of achievement. Candidates must re-qualify prior to the expiry date of their existing award.

NRASTC LIGHT enewal candidates may renew their award within the period of validity of their existing award as stated on their certificate. This will include a full assessment of knowledge and skills by an independent assessor. Candidates must have access to the most up to date manual prior to assessment.

The following is required to be completed by candidates prior to the renewal assessment of their award to demonstrate their ongoing professional competence:

6 hours Continued Professional Development within the last two years from the date of previous assessment covering content from the syllabus:

• The Teacher, Swimming Pool and Class Management (at least 2 hours)

• In-water swimming pool rescue skills (at least 2 hrs)

• CPR, AED and First Aid (at least 2 hrs)

Continued Professional Development (CPD) can be achieved by:

• Attendance at ongoing training and competency assessment (strongly recommended)

• Attendance at alternative training, face-to-face or online, relating to

The NRASTC LIGHT course syllabus and practical skills are continually assessed by the course trainer and a suitable level competence must be achieved to be put forward for a final independent assessment. The assessment will include verbal question and answer sessions, practical demonstrations of water rescue skills and CPR.