Do my children learn about water safety at school?

More than 9 in 10 parents think it is important that children are taught about water safety in schools, however formal, class-based water safety lessons aren’t currently part of school curriculums across the UK and Ireland. As such, in our survey, we saw that only 1 in 5 children have had formal water safety education at school in the last 12 months.

Access to quality swimming tuition by the time children leave primary school is vital. However, in England there is great variation in the accessibility, quality, consistency, and evaluation of the current intended outcomes for school water safety and swimming between schools.

IN ENGLAND, it is currently a statutory requirement for schools to deliver the following three national curriculum outcomes for swimming and water safety, to each pupil by the end of Key Stage 2 (age 11):

• Perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations.

• Swim competently, confidently, and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres.

• Use a range of strokes effectively, for example, front crawl, backstroke, and breaststroke.

We believe that this would achieve equality for all young people, addressing many of the practical barriers that currently prevent many children from accessing pool-based lessons.

According to Sport England’s Active Lives Survey (2021) only 34% of children and young people with a low family affluence score can swim 25 metres unaided, compared to 77% of those with a high family affluence score.3

Can I teach my children how to stay safe ?

In our survey of UK parents, 89% felt that it’s important their family has basic knowledge of how to stay safe in the water and self-rescue. However, only 23% had any formal training or education in the last 5 years and 57% have never received any formal water safety training or education themselves.

So, we’re asking parents: would you feel confident to equip your children with the knowledge and skills required to keep them safe in, on and around water?

We’re urging parents to access our free water safety resources to help ensure you and your children can learn these critical skills. The Royal Life Saving Society UK provides high quality, water safety education. Visit the Royal Life Saving Society UK website for more information.

23% of UK parents we surveyed had any formal training or education in the last 5 years

57% of parents have never received any formal water safety training or education themselves.

The Sports England Active Lives Survey recorded that 408,000 people regularly took part in open water swimming in 20/214. Physical benefits are noted to include better sleep and a boosted immune system, whilst emotionally outdoor swimming is said to improve your mood, helping you feel happier.5

In the UK, inland waters can be as low as in winter to as high as the mid 20℃ in peak summer. Coastal waters vary from low single digits to the high teens7

Google searches for ‘open water swimming’ reached a five-year high in July 20216, yet with an increase in outdoor swimming activities comes an increased risk of exposure to cold water. Water temperature has a significant impact on a person’s ability to swim and for how long they can safely stay in the water.

In April 2022, we heard reports of a healthy 39 mother-of-three who tragically died suddenly at a cold-water therapy camp after being immersed in the water8

In the analysis of 133 accidental drownings in outdoor spaces (including lakes, quarries, reservoirs, rivers, locks, canals, ponds and the sea),

We have seen that more than twice as many people who drowned suffered cold water shock in a lake, quarry or reservoir, compared to other outdoor sites.

This is generally because lake, quarry and reservoir environments tend to be deeper and colder than other outdoor water sites, such as rivers and ponds.

The Royal Life Saving Society UK always advises to enter cold-water slowly. In 51 cases of UK accidental drowning citing cold water shock, 71% had entered the water suddenly via a jump or unexpected fall.

This fits with what we know about cold-water shock and how it impacts the body in the early stages of immersion. Even the initial gasp for breath when you enter cold water can be enough to fill your lungs with enough water to cause you to drown. Never assume that because you can swim you will be able to manage the demands of swimming in outdoor water.

In our analysis, we saw that 78% and it is a fair to assume that for those that have learnt to swim solely in a swimming pool, that their ability to swim in cold water is much less when swimming outdoors.

If you’re considering open water swimming, acclimatising to cold water is an important step in enjoying a safe swim. Take a look at our guidance with our Sponge to Plunge Plan.

More about the Royal Life Saving Society UK

For over 130 years Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) have been focused on reducing the number of lives lost to accidental drowning. Our mission is to be the leader in lifesaving and lifeguarding in the UK and Ireland; sharing our experience and knowledge with as many people as possible, giving everyone the potential to save lives and enjoy water safely.

We have used our extensive, world-leading knowledge of water safety and training to develop a comprehensive range of vocational qualifications and a series of awards and education programmes which all aim to prevent drowning and stop the unnecessary loss of life. Our portfolio includes the National Pool Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ), the UK’s leading lifeguard training programme.

ABOUT OUR RESEARCH: Research among UK adults

In March 2022, we conducted a quantitative online survey amongst a nationally representative sample of n=561 UK adults aged 18-65.

UK Water Incident Research Hub (WIRH)

The Water Incident Research Hub (WIRH) aims to improve access to water incident data, aquatic safety, and research and published over 150 help pages and articles supporting aquatic safety professionals. It has archived over 300 case reports from over 2,500 public records relating to UK water incidents between 1995-2022.

You can access more details on the research, including the data here

ENDNOTES

1. National Water Safety Forum WAID Database (2017-2021)

2. Swim England, The Value of Swimming Report (2019)

Royal Life Saving Society UK and our incredible members, volunteers and supporters continue to teach children in our water safety programmes outside of school. Why not check out one of our local lifesaving clubs to add vital water safety knowledge and training to a child’s swimming skills. Learn more

3. Sport England Active Lives Children and Young People Survey Report (Academic year 2020-21)

4. Sports England Active Lives Adult Survey (November 2020/2021). Regularly defined as participated at least twice in the last 28 days.

5. Swim England, The health benefits of open water swimming (Health benefits of open water swimming | Swim England Open Water

6. Source: Google Trends August 2017-August 2022

7. Outdoor Swimmer, A guide to water temperature (May 2022)

8. Daily Mail Online, (26 April 2022) Mother-of-three, 39, DIES after plunging into river at cold water therapy camp | Daily Mail Online