Swim:ED’s groundbreaking ‘pop-up’ pool programme is reinventing school water safety education, raising 25-metre success rates by 157% in the past 12 months.
The UK’s deepening water safety crisis
More children than ever are leaving primary school without life-saving swimming and water safety skills. In 2024, 30% of Year 6 pupils were unable to confidently swim 25 metres – up from 28% the previous year. Despite pockets of progress among younger children, the knowledge gap is expanding across most age groups.
By 2026, it is estimated that 1.2 million children will fall short of the national curriculum’s key requirements:
- Swim competently, confidently, and proficiently over at least 25 metres.
- Use a range of strokes effectively (for example, front crawl, backstroke, and breaststroke).
- Perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations.
A perfect storm of instructor shortages, local pool closures, and rising operational costs has made it harder for schools to access and deliver quality swim and water safety education. In the 2022/23 academic year, 35% of primary schools offered fewer than 10 swim sessions per pupil – the equivalent of weekly lessons for just half a term.
While schools struggle to provide essential swimming and water safety instruction, child drowning deaths in England have doubled in the past four years.
Powering change with a pop-up approach
In 2023, Swim:ED launched a game-changing alternative to traditional off-site lessons. Bringing the pool to the playground, we eliminated transport, staffing, and admin pressures with a one-stop package of state-of-the-art swim facilities, experienced instructors, and bespoke swim curriculums.
Enjoying specialist support at every stage, schools benefit from a temporary, heated, purpose-built pool installed and managed directly on their grounds. Facilities are housed in a lockable, industrial-style modular structure, with the option of changing rooms for added ease and privacy.
The comprehensive programme includes flexible timetables, tailored teaching plans, rigorous safety protocols, and a data-driven portal to track pupil milestones.
Redefining school water safety education
Swim:ED’s inclusive, intensive approach speeds and consolidates learning, so children quickly master new skills and put them to practical use.
Over 5-7 disruption-free weeks, children get fifteen 45-minute sessions of specialised, small-group teaching with no more than 12 classmates. Compared to standard off-site arrangements – typically involving weekly 25-minute lessons across ten weeks – schools report greater impact in significantly shorter timescales.
Without time wasted on off-site travel, every moment in the water is maximised – and the proof is in the progress. Swim:ED’s Making Waves, Changing Futures: 2025 Impact Report tracks the development of 15,382 Swim:ED participants over the 2024/25 academic year, sharing achievements of Year 6 leavers, in line with the government’s and Swim England’s assessment standards.
Pre- and post-programme results show remarkable advancement, with 91% of children improving in at least one national curriculum focus area:
- A 157% jump in Year 6 pupils able to swim 25 metres unaided, climbing from 23% to 59%.
- A 119% increase in children mastering multiple strokes – more than doubling from 31% to 68%.
- A 337% improvement rate in safe self-rescue abilities. After Swim:ED, 69% of pupils demonstrated self-rescue skills – rising from 16%.
- A 503% surge in water safety knowledge. Following Swim:ED, 78% of children could explain how to protect themselves in and around the water, compared to 13% before the programme.
Glowing feedback for the Swim:ED programme
‘It’s fantastic to see the impact of the work that Swim:ED are delivering to improve primary school-age swimming proficiency and water safety education.
‘Over recent years, our members and partners that work in and operate leisure facilities with pools have told us about the challenges that they face to remain operational. So it’s great to see such clear, positive outcomes, that are supported by workforce and participant-led data.
‘Job creation and career development is key, as the sector grows to support the health and wellbeing of our communities, and in this case, to directly save lives.’
Tara Dillon – CEO, Chartered Institute for Management in Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA)
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‘I am thrilled to have found the Swim:ED programme. We have had an exceptional half-term of swimming and water safety lessons for our pupils. The entire experience has been outstanding, and we couldn’t be more pleased with the quality of instruction and service provided. A special mention goes to Coach Rachel, whose flexibility, professionalism, and dedication have made a noticeable impact on our pupils. Her encouragement fostered confidence and skill-building, and the growth we witnessed is a testament to her commitment.’
Rachel Rodipe – Class Teacher and Swimming Lead, Charville Academy
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‘Swim:ED created a noticeable shift in school dynamics. Children showed kindness, encouraged one another, and became more confident, both personally and in their swimming. Parents were impressed that the school had a pool on site, and younger pupils were excited for their turn in the future. Pupils became more independent – remembering their kit, changing quickly, and returning to class ready to learn.’
Eve Chappell – Assistant Headteacher, Chilwell Croft Academy
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‘We have absolutely loved having the swimming pool at our school. It has been a fantastic opportunity for our pupils to develop their confidence in the water, improve their swimming skills, and enjoy a unique experience right on our doorstep. The smiles, laughter, and progress we've seen over the past weeks have been incredible, and it's been a joy to provide this life‑saving skill to so many of our children.’
Sharon Burke – Headteacher, Percy Shurmer Primary Academy
Download the 2025 impact report
Swim:ED’s Making Waves, Changing Futures: 2025 Impact Report provides expert guidance and cost-effective plans to consistently boost swim and water safety proficiency. Inside, you’ll find:
- Solutions to common hurdles, including staffing issues, planning problems, and lost teaching time.
- Impressive performance milestones from 2024/25 Year 6 leavers.
- Number-based benefits of the pop-up approach.
- Teacher feedback, industry insights, and case studies from UK primary schools.
- A complete Swim:ED snapshot, including pool and changing facilities, tech tools and templates, custom curriculums, and experienced teaching teams.
To find out more about Swim:ED’s revolutionary swim and water safety education programme, download the report on this link: https://swim-ed.co.uk/impact-report/
Grab a spot on our discovery webinar
Want to learn more directly from the Swim:ED team? Join us on Thursday 27 November at 4pm for a friendly, informative discovery webinar. We’ll guide you through the Swim:ED programme step by step, helping you explore the possibilities for your school.
Reserve your place: https://tinyurl.com/ym4e78r8