Why swimming lessons for under-11s are so important – Jane Nickerson

Making sure every child knows the fundamentals of how to stay safe in and around water is an important life skill that can, literally, be the difference between life and death.

Drowning is the third most common cause of accidental death in children and that is the reason why swimming lessons are part of the national curriculum.

However, to help turn a confident young swimmer into a competent one, swimming lessons outside of school are essential.

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Unfortunately, 96 per cent of children – around 3.4 million – are being taken out of swimming lessons too early by parents who believe they have become a competent swimmer.

We at Swim England have now introduced minimum standards so parents can make informed decisions on when is the right time to stop swimming lessons.

Can your child swim 100m without stopping?

Can they tread water for at least 30 seconds?

Have they experienced swimming in clothing?

Can they float to live by performing a star float on their back for at least 30 seconds? If the answer to any of these questions is no, then I’d implore all parents and guardians to keep their children in swimming lessons until they can.

Most parents mistakenly think their child is competent in the water if they are able to put their head under water or they enjoy jumping into a swimming pool.

That’s not the case.

There is a fine line between being confident and knowing what to do if 
they find themselves in a difficult situation.

Having fun with family and friends in a warm pool is a very different scenario to finding yourself fully clothed in a cold river, lake or canal after either falling in or aiming to help others who may be struggling. By completing Stage 7 of Swim England’s world-renowned Learn to Swim Programme as a minimum, parents will have increased confidence that their loved ones will be much safer were they to get into trouble than a child who hasn’t demonstrated these skills.

It’s why Olympic champions Duncan Goodhew, the 1980 Olympic champion, and James Guy, who won two relay golds in Tokyo just last month, were quick to support our campaign urging parents to ensure their children are competent swimmers.

Both Duncan and James have achieved great things in the pool – but, first and foremost, they also had to learn how to become competent swimmers.

Not everyone will go on to top the podium at an Olympic Games, but becoming a competent swimmer opens the door to lots of other water-based activities – as well as helping to develop healthy lifestyle choices.

We appreciate that in today’s hectic world, swimming lessons face competition from a range of other 
extra-curricular activities.

However, there is simply no other activity like swimming.

It offers a lifelong form of exercise that brings many physical and mental health benefits. Most importantly, it could help save a life.

So, I’d urge all parents and guardians who say that school swimming lessons are more than enough for their child to think again.

While every child should learn at primary school how to swim and perform safe self-rescue, that shouldn’t be the end of their swimming education.

In fact, it should be just the beginning.

Jane Nickerson is chief executive 
of Swim England.

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