Home / Education / UK Schools Launch Water Survival Curriculum This September
UK Schools Launch Water Survival Curriculum This September
22 Jun
Summary
- New water safety curriculum to be implemented in UK schools.
- Rising costs and pool closures impact swimming lessons for children.
- Focus shifts to survival skills, like floating, for open water safety.
Starting this autumn, UK primary and secondary schools will introduce a new Water Safety Forum curriculum. This framework is designed to teach children essential swimming techniques and survival strategies for dangerous water situations.
This development occurs amidst significant challenges for swimming education, including pool closures and escalating costs. For example, a family outing for an hour of swimming can now cost over £20 to £25. Swim England reports that approximately 90% of children in the South enjoy swimming, yet only 77% can swim 25 meters by the end of primary school.
The National Water Safety Forum has identified rising operational costs as a major reason for pool closures, labeling it a 'terrible investment' when facilities are lost. This situation underscores a call for government investment to maintain swimming pools, especially for schools that own them.
In response to water-related incidents, such as 11 deaths during a recent heatwave, the new curriculum will emphasize key safety messages like 'Stop and Think,' 'Stay Together,' 'Float,' and 'Call 999.' Professor Mike Tipton highlights that learning to float is crucial for survival, particularly in open water, as swimming proficiency in a pool does not guarantee safety in natural environments.
