Greater Auckland Aquatic Action Plan (GAAAP)

Greater Auckland Aquatic Action Plan (GAAAP) is a collaborative initiative that coordinates 8-10 professionally delivered Water Skills for Life lessons to primary school children in the greater Auckland region, ensuring the development of fundamental water skills for life.

It is targeted towards low decile schools (1-6) and Year 3-6 students (7-10-year-olds), delivering approximately 153,000 lessons per year to 21,000 students, covering 152 decile 1-6 schools.

GAAAP is managed by Aktive in partnership with Water Safety NZ, with regional coordination by our Regional Sports Trusts/Partners. This initiative is funded by Sport NZ (KiwiSport), Foundation North and Water Safety NZ.

For GAAAP Funding information and to register your interest, click here.

What children learn

Children who participate in GAAAP are taught Water Safety NZ’s Water Skills for Life programme.

Traditionally, there has been a focus on learn to swim programmes in New Zealand. The assumption has been that if you learn to swim, you have the necessary basic skills to survive in the water. However, research papers, surveys, and practical evidence from other parts of the world, as well as advice from New Zealand water safety sector experts, indicate the learning of a combination of water safety and swimming skills support a reduction in young children drowning.

Based on this evidence, Water Safety NZ has found there is a need for greater emphasis on teaching water safety skills prior to stroke and distance focused swimming skills, and that offering exposure to different aquatic environments (such as rivers and cold open water where most New Zealand drownings occur) is a crucial part of water safety skills learning.

Find out more about what children learn

Other important information

All participating children/schools are recorded on a national database that reports on impact and swim achievement outcomes. Baseline and progression data arerecorded during a students’ first and last lessons and monitored throughout their GAAAP journey. Data is uploaded and reports are used to analyse the swim skill ability of each individual child, class, school and region (Auckland, Harbour, Waitākere and Counties Manukau). Collectively, Aktive reports on the Greater Auckland region.

The project also has a professional development focus for teachers and swim instructors to help them develop the knowledge to deliver water safety education in the pool and classroom.

View available professional development opportunities