1 out of 4 children can’t swim when going into year 7.

[Quiethelper]

As the title says really. I was shocked to read over 1 out 4 children can’t swim 25m when going into year 7.

Secondary schools in our area don’t do lessons. Surly this needs to be addressed for the ones who couldn’t save themselves if they fell into water.

I would fully support and be happy for budget to be allocated for children to have essential swimming skills.

I feel really sad about this statistic.

People do just randomly fall in though. Recently two children were knocked into a canal when a boat hit the lock and the arm swung round and hit them. Last spring at our local lake a child slipped down the bank and slid in.

It’s not just about learning to swim as in strokes, it’s also about being water confident and that takes not simply lessons but lots of experience.

Some children take years to get to that standard. My eldest started swimming lessons at 4. He didn’t do lessons for a couple of years over Covid, and in total has had almost 5 years of weekly lessons from three providers. This includes private 2:1 lessons with his brother for the last two years. He is now 11 and is still nowhere near able to swim 25m. Youngest is about to turn 8, has had 3 years of lessons and has just passed the very first level which doesn’t include any swimming unaided.

I live in a very deprived seaside town and it’s scary the amount of children who can’t swim. I’m talking about three children who can swim in the whole of a three form entry school. I do think it’s one of those things thst needs reform. My eldest swims for a team and he still got the half year school swimming, surely the money is better spend giving children that can’t swim a years swimming instead?

I live by the Thames people fall in all the time, particularly in summer.

I just think that it should be free, to a basic standard. Floating, treadwater, raise hand, look for a branch to reach someone if they are in the water - don’t go in. Hopefully skills to swim to the edge - if your in kick off shoes - that kind of thing - I’m no expert. But surly this is essential. More so than some things on the curriculum and not in going just to get them to that level.

I’m not surprised at all. I could and my kids could but none of dh’s family could.

round here they all get swimming lessons on ks2 so they all have some ability but I gather that’s not everywhere.

Getting my kids through swimming lessons cost a small fortune. I don’t think teaching your kids yourself is realistic for the vast majority of families. I’m a good swimmer but wouldn’t know where to start.

I honestly can't understand the people defending children not being able to swim.

This literally is a race to the bottom.

That’s nice. Ours are £12.50 a week per child, it does not get you cheaper entry outside of lessons. If we took both DDs swimming that would be an additional £23.60 for the four of us to go. So weekly for lessons for two DDs plus a family session we take them to is just under £50 a week, £200 a month. £100 a month for just the lessons.
We pay for the lessons, but you’re wrong to say swimming isn’t beyond the reach of some people’s finances.

Oh and if I joined the leisure centre to get free swimming, that would be £40 a month.

This is the local council leisure centre. It’s nothing fancy.

The lack of pools doesn't help. Its pretty much impossible to take a child swimming outside if formal lessons... and formal lessons depends on luck.

Locally... they open the waiting lists once a month. Thats not to have lessons, that's to get a spot on the waiting list, which is then a case of luck.

The whole thing is a mess...

Then there's school lessons. The lessons themselves are free... but they need parents to pay for the transport. And coaches are expensive. Great if you live near a pool!

And while I realise some councils are better than others.. in one area we lived in each school was allocated the same amount of pool time regardless of number of pupils. So some kids went every year for a term from Yr3-6 others got half a term in Yr5 and Yr6.

I also think it’s a very good statistics.
I agree with everything above : both lessons and visits to the pool are expensive, pools are freezing, time slots for family swimming are very limited, the shallow end is not shallow enough and the area of it is very small.
And yes to teach your child yourself you need to be a good swimmer, I’m not. By the way that’s why you would never ever see me in a current.

In my area a couple of young people drawn over last few years. It wasn’t because they couldn’t swim, it was because they were drunk.
Something to think about.

Not surprised at all.

Nearest council pool - since covid their booking system is a convoluted mess. Freezing and grim once you're there.

Holiday lessons are brilliant but get booked up in minutes.

DD for a year had 1:1s in the nearest private school but that entailed a 30 minute drive each way through rush hour London traffic at 6pm on a work night.

Getting kids to the stage where they can swim independently is an unexpected slog. I’ve taken DD to various swimming classes since she was 3 months old and she’s just got her 5m badge, age 5. Possibly she’s just not got the aptitude for it but I’ve half a mind to build a display case for the badge as it must have cost us £’000’s in class fees over the years. She’s currently taking weekly lessons in an outdoor pool as it’s the only place around without a long waiting list, one of the cheapest in our area at £55 a month, and they heat the water to bath temperature in winter. We can afford the time & money to do this as we only have one DC and a decent amount of disposable income but I can understand why it’s not high on the priority list of those who don’t have either or both of those luxuries.

"I don’t think teaching your kids yourself is realistic for the vast majority of families. I’m a good swimmer but wouldn’t know where to start."

There are thousands of guides and videos available on line to help you teach your children this vital skill.

I just think that it should be free, to a basic standard
Everything should be free in a perfect world. Swimming, tutoring, basic holidays for MH reasons, coats, shoes.. I'm getting tired of parents who fail to have children at the right time when they are more secure financially, or who have more when they can't even pay the above for the one(s) they gave already.

The state is NOT responsible for all families financial needs.

As for swimming lessons not needed, by biggest concern would be peer pressure from friends, not wanting to admit they can't swim, thinking they'll be ok, especially when drinking is involved as young adults.

It's all relative though. You say 4 weekly lessons are really cheap at just over £20, PP said they are expensive at over £20 for 1 half hour lessons per week.

DS's Primary school now do a term of lessons, walking to a pool on a Naval Base. Mine missed out because Covid closed everything down.
DS goes to Scouts, with regular hikes to local beaches. He's always the first one in the water and loves swimming with his friends.

Yes i’m sure it’s physically doable but it’s a pretty big effort on the part of the parent to go regularly with several children in tow and teach all of them. Lots of towns don’t have a pool for starters! And lots of families don’t drive. Many many families just have other priorities.

I agree with that - the effort and cost of getting them there, for deprived families especially those with multiple children it is not going to be a priority.

You can say what you like about the Scottish government and they’ve certainly done lots of things I disagree with but actually they’ve done lots of really good work at lifting children out of poverty. Child poverty been reduced to 23% in Scotland, along with affordable lessons and possibly that has real impact on uptake.

My dad taught us kids to swim in the sea, on a cold wet afternoon in Weymouth whilst we were there on a caravan holiday.

He led us around by our hands and got us to kick our legs.
We stood in the water and practiced the arms.
He led us around by our hands then gently let us go so we could put it all together.
We were away!

I've since taught many children and adults to swim using this method. It is easy.

One session at your local pool or on holiday and your child could have a skill and a joy for life.

I would add, the framework that swimming lessons work to is easily available online

https://www.swimming.org/learntoswim/swim-england-learn-to-swim-framework/

I am a decent swimmer but I think with youtube etc to check certain techniques most people would be able to teach themselves and therefore teach their kids.

Our youngest can't manage group sessions due to SEN but he's doing really well 1-2-1 with me. I looked at specialist 1-2-1 SEN swimming teachers and they were out of budget for us so this is what we need to do.

My sons primary did a brilliant thing. instead of lessons weekly for a term - they took them every day for two weeks! It was intensive and by the end my son could swim. Highly recommmend.

the reality is we have shit swim facilities in many towns and cities - plenty of children will not be swimming regularly

I’m not surprised. Lessons are time consuming and expensive. They also require organisation eg getting on wait list. It’s a huge time commitment especially if multiple children. Lessons are often in working hours. I took dc weekly for 4 years. The holiday crash courses are good, did one of those but needs a parent able to go daily.
Some will be cultural, if mum can’t swim or won’t wear swimwear then won’t take child. I used to do a mum and baby water baby class in a town with 40% Muslim population and no Pakistani heritage mums attended.
When we were young swimming was a hobby kids did on own. So from 8 or 9 you could swim alone. The council pool used to do a Saturday inflatable session. So mum drop tweens off, kids swim and 20p cone chips after. That wouldn’t be socially acceptable now.

My friend’s primary school hired a pool to come to school car park and all the kids had lessons for a week. It’s only 1.5 miles to town leisure centre but was apparently cheaper than pool hire and coach weekly.