Half Of Primary School Children Unable To Swim Length Of A Pool

Recent research has revealed that almost half of primary school children, aged between 7 and 11, are unable to swim 25 metres without assistance. Despite swimming being a requirement on the national curriculum, over 1,000 primary schools elected not to provide swimming lessons. Furthermore, some schools were found to offer insufficient time in the pool to enable children to learn how to swim proficiently, according to the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA). The association’s yearly poll of primary schools discovered that 45% of pupils in this age range could not swim unaided. This indicated a slight improvement over last year, when 51% were found to be unable to swim the same distance without help.

The ASA warned that more needs to be done to ensure children understand vital water safety. As well as 25-metre swimming proficiency, children should leave primary school with a good knowledge of staying safe around water. The association further recommended that each child needed around 25 hours of lessons to fulfil these aims.

Around 6.6% of primaries, almost 1,300 schools, provide no swimming lessons for pupils aged 7 to 11, the poll found. On average, pupils receive 18 swimming lessons each year, up from 16 last year. However, despite this increase, the children only spend just under 10 hours in the water, less than half the recommended amount. Current lessons last, on average, just 33 minutes each.

A further significant issue was shown to be that 40% of parents were unaware of their children’s swimming progress and effectiveness in water safety.

The ASA is urging primary schools to participate in its school swimming charter, which would help schools develop appropriate programmes for pupils. Acting chief executive Ashley Beaveridge stated: “Swimming isn’t just a leisure activity or a way for young people to keep healthy, it’s a life-saving skill that every child has the right to learn. As such, it is concerning that despite school swimming being a national curriculum requirement, nearly 1,300 primary schools still do not offer swimming lessons.”

The association’s research highlights that for many children, school swimming provides the only chance to learn to swim, making it essential that barriers to suitable time allocation are identified and rectified.