Trigger Warning: This blog contains some content that may be triggering around the important subject and statistics around drowning, please read on with care.
Why school swimming and water safety matters
Imagine a classroom with 33 empty chairs, each one representing a child in England who loses their life to drowning each year (Royal Life Saving Society [RLSS] UK, 2026). RLSS UK reports that nine out of ten of these deaths are considered preventable, with inland open water, such as canals, rivers and lakes, presenting the greatest risk. The report also highlights that boys, Black children, children known to social care and children living in deprived communities are disproportionately affected. During the May 2026 heatwave alone, 19 people lost their lives to drowning (RLSS UK, 2026).
Drowning is not just an urgent issue in England, it is an urgent health issue that disproportionately impacts children and young people worldwide, with drowning being the fourth leading cause of death in children aged 1-4 years and the third leading cause of death in children aged 5-14 years (World Health Organization [WHO], 2026). For many children, school swimming may provide their only structured opportunity to develop swimming ability, water safety knowledge, and confidence in aquatic environments. School swimming and water safety is more than a curriculum requirement; it is about developing competence, safety, confidence and enjoyment in and around water for all children.
What does it mean to be able to swim? Moving beyond the 25m target
According to the current National Curriculum Framework in England, the benchmarks for being able to swim by the end of their primary education (11 years of age) are to ‘swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres; use a range of strokes effectively; and perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations’ (Department for Education [DfE], 2015). In comparison, children aged 9-12 years in Finland are expected to learn water rescue skills, swim at least 50m using two strokes, and complete a 5m dive (Haapala et al., 2023). For older pupils in Finland, the curriculum targets for swimming continue and by 16 years of age, pupils are expected to swim for 200m, of which 50 metres is swum on their back (Haapala, 2023). In contrast, there are currently no statutory requirements for swimming in England for children over the age of 11 years (DfE, 2015).
Although distance-based outcomes can be useful, being able to swim 25m in a swimming pool is very different to being water competent in a range of blue spaces. Research by Junge et al. (2010), highlighted that 94% of children in their research study, who could swim 25m and declared ‘swimmers’ were unable to stop and rest whilst swimming due to insufficient breathing and buoyancy control. Interestingly, they were outperformed by children who could only swim 10-15m but who did so comfortably and were skilled at floating in deep water, with the latter group covering distances of up to 30m.
So, the question is what should school swimming and water safety programmes be aiming for? As highlighted in swimming literature, swimming ability alone is often insufficient to prevent drowning (Moran et al., 2012). Therefore, as practitioners, we need to think beyond swimming distance alone. The aim is not only to help children swim further, but to support them to become water competent: able to draw on the movement skills, safety knowledge, attitudes and behaviours needed to be safer in, on and around water (Moran, 2015). To understand the specific skills involved in drowning prevention and becoming water competent, Stallman et al. (2017), developed a research informed framework of 15 competencies, with a vision to facilitate progression beyond curricula debates. The framework is widely accepted and has inspired many swimming and water safety programmes (Mekkaoui et al., 2025). Building upon the work of Stallman’s water competencies, there is a current shift for school swimming programmes to respect the characteristics of the unique child through the concept of Aquatic Literacy (AL) (Invernizzi et al., 2021).
Moving towards Aquatic Literacy
While physical literacy is gaining momentum globally, the field of aquatic literacy has only recently begun, with a range of expressions being used to reflect the concept i.e., ‘aquatic literacy’ ‘aquatic physical literacy’ and ‘physical literacy in aquatic environments’ (Carolo et al., 2026). As described by Mekkaoui et al. (2025), the construct of AL is complex as it also includes a focus on water safety knowledge and therefore goes beyond the concept of physical literacy. When considering AL, children’s behaviours in and around water are influenced by a range of factors including their individual needs, tasks, context, social interaction, prior experiences, motivation, and development (Dudley et al., 2019). As practitioners it is important to consider how specific contexts can help to develop learners’ competencies for drowning prevention within a broader holistic version of embodied, lifelong movement in and around water (Carolo et al., 2026).
What better support could look like in school swimming and water safety programmes
If we are serious about moving beyond a narrow measure of swimming ability, then support for developing children’s swimming and water safety needs to begin before children enter the pool, continue throughout lessons, and extend to the wider contexts in which children encounter water. The advice below draws on the SHARPP Swim Cards (Powell et al., 2026), developed to support school swimming and water safety provision in England.
Before
- Reduce uncertainty by providing clear information about routines, travel, equipment and expectations.
- Use visual supports or walk-through resources where appropriate.
- Consider pupils’ preferences and concerns around swimwear, changing and privacy.
During
- Create an emotionally safe environment where all pupils can experience success.
- Keep instructions concise and maximise opportunities for movement and practice.
- Adapt tasks and groupings to support engagement and confidence.
Beyond the pool
- Integrate water safety into wider PE and classroom learning.
- Consider which pupils may need additional support, particularly those with limited access to swimming beyond school.
- Use seasonal and local contexts to discuss real-world water risks.
- Reinforce water safety messages before holidays and periods of extreme weather.
Ultimately, moving beyond 25m does not mean dismissing distance-based swimming outcomes. Rather, it means recognising that children need broader, more inclusive and more connected support if they are to develop the confidence, competence and judgement needed to be safer in, on and around water. If swimming 25m is only part of the story, what changes could you make today, tomorrow or next week to help children become more water competent in your school setting?
Key Further Reading
Carolo, D.M., Dudley, D., Queiroga, A.C. and Martins, J. (2026) Integrating Physical Literacy Into Blue Physical Activity Promotion, Drowning Prevention and Aquatic Education, Quest, DOI: 10.1080/00336297.2026.2655226
Mekkaoui, L., Vogt, T., Camporelli, F., Costa, A.M., Costa, M.J., De Martelaer, K., D’Hondt, E., Garrido, N.D., Gandrieau, J., Kwasna, A. and Ljødal, I. (2025) Improving Water Safety and Long-term Engagement in Aquatic Physical Activity: The Aquatic Literacy Framework. Journal of teaching in physical education, 1(aop), pp.1-11.
Powell, E., Woodfield, L., Goldie, L. and Jones, A. (2026) SHARPP swim: school swimming and water safety resource cards. 2026 Edition. Birmingham Newman University. SHARPP Swim – School Swimming and Water Safety Resource Cards | Newman University Online Store
Royal Life Saving Society UK (2026) Child Drownings Report 2026. Available at: https://www.rlss.org.uk/child-drownings-report-2026 (Accessed: 17/06/26).
Stallman, R.K., Moran, K., Quan, L. and Langendorfer, S. (2017) From swimming skill to water competence: Towards a more inclusive drowning prevention future. International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education 10(2): 3.
World Health Organization (2026) Drowning. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/drowning (Accessed: 12/06/26).
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