ASA 2014 Census reveals 45% of primary school children are unable to swim a length

The Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) is calling on primary schools and politicians to show their commitment to school swimming as new figures reveal that 45 per cent of primary school children are unable to swim 25 metres, despite it being a national curriculum requirement.

The call comes as the national governing body for aquatics released its third annual School Swimming Census into the state of school swimming, which again shows that tens of thousands of primary school pupils aren't  learning these life-saving skills.

The report, published today, found that 45 per cent of children aged between seven and 11-years-old are unable to swim the length of an average sized pool without aids.

The report also makes points as to why school swimming should be a priority for teachers, parents and politicians alike:

•tSwimming is the only sport that saves lives. It is also the only sport that MUST be taught in every primary school as part of the national curriculum – it is not optional

•tAlthough school swimming is a national curriculum requirement, over 1,300 primary schools (around 1 in 14) do not offer swimming provision at Key Stage 2
 
•tBy assigning a School Swimming Champion and working closely with the ASA, primary schools will be able to increase the impact of lessons and help more children to leave primary school able to swim a minimum of 25 metres unaided

•tIf primary schools commit to teaching the ASA’s recommended minimum of 25 hours of swimming lessons a year, an estimated 200,000 additional children would leave primary school being able to swim

•tDrowning is the third highest cause of accidental death of children in the UK (according to the Royal Life Saving Society http://www.rlss.org.uk/about-us/our-organisation/our-organisation)

•tAs well as being a life saving skill, swimming also promotes health and fitness, is a fun and family friendly activity and opens the door to a host of other water based sports

In response to these findings the ASA has developed and is campaigning that schools sign their School Swimming Charter.

The charter offers a comprehensive package of support that aims to ensure every primary school in England has the necessary knowledge and resources required to deliver high quality school swimming programmes.

ASA Acting CEO Ashley Beaveridge said: “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.

“Our research shows that school swimming is often the only opportunity for many children to learn to swim, so it is vital that we look at the barriers preventing primary schools from allocating the required time.

The ASA is also asking politicians to support calls for Ofsted to be more rigorous in their assessment and reporting process of school swimming. Currently the standard and regularity of swimming is overlooked in school assessments, resulting in schools sometimes prioritising other curriculum subjects over this important area.

Beaveridge added: “The Department for Education has shown its commitment to school swimming by keeping it within the revised national curriculum and providing funding through the Primary PE and Sports Premium. We are asking those in central and local government to continue to support the only sport that saves lives by supporting calls for Ofsted to be more robust in their assessments and encourage their local primary schools to sign up to the School Swimming Charter.”

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