Swim club calls for more school water safety lessons

Swim club calls for more school water safety lessonsImage caption, All children are meant to learn how swim at least 25 metres before they leave school as part of the current cucciculm.ByEllie CleverleySouth of EnglandPublished22 June 2026Swimming lessons are being impacted by pool closures and rising costs, but the attention is being turned to water safety as a new curriculum is set to come out in September. From the autumn a new Water Safety Forum is being introduced to primary and secondary schools.Its framework is designed to teach children how to swim and how to survive if they are caught in dangerous situations.The City of Southampton Swimming Club has said even more needs to be done to teach swimming in schools first. For many children, swimming is more than just a fun activity, it is an important life skill that could one day save their lives.About 90% of children in the south said they love to swim, according to governing body Swim England.But only 77% of children leave primary school being able to swim 25m - a standard sized swimming pool length. Head Coach, Matt Heathcock, said cost is a huge factor impacting people being able to swim: "For myself and my family, you're looking at over £20 to £25 just to go for maybe an hour of swimming."And with pools closing, lessons are becoming more expensive too.".Image caption, Matt Heathcock has been an active swimmer from a very early age with his dad also being a coach, he now leads the City of Southampton Swimming club.Since the pandemic, pools across the country have been closing due to rising costs and lack of use which has been called a 'terrible investment' by Adam Goymer, Head of National Water Safety Manager."That is certainly a call to action for government to invest in swimming pools to keep them running. "Schools that are fortunate to have their own pool, it would be a sheer loss if they couldn't keep it because of costs". he said. At least 11 people acro...