Swim:ED’s 2025/26 Impact Report: How we’re building skills and breaking barriers

Swim:ED’s pop-up pool programme supercharges swimming attainment while widening access to essential water safety knowledge.

A growing divide in swimming and water safety education

Thousands of children across the UK leave primary school without fundamental swimming and water safety skills. By Year 7, the National Curriculum expects children to meet three key targets: swim competently over at least 25 metres, use a range of strokes effectively, and perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations.

Yet staff resourcing issues, declining pool stock, and a postcode lottery of swimming provision are preventing too many pupils from reaching minimum standards – particularly those from disadvantaged communities:

• In 2025, 27% of Year 7 pupils could not confidently swim 25 metres.
• 30% could not perform safe self-rescue.
• In schools with a higher proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals, the number of children unable to swim 25 metres rises to 45%.

Access plays a make-or-break factor. For many schools, local pool closures mean longer journeys, complex logistics, and hours of lost learning time, while an ageing swimming estate and instructor shortages limit opportunities for effective teaching. BBC research shows that most UK children receive just six weeks of 30-minute swimming lessons during primary school – the equivalent of only three hours of tuition across four years.

The consequences can be devastating. Child drowning deaths have doubled since 2020, with children from ethnic minority and deprived communities disproportionately affected. According to the Royal Life Saving Society UK, Black children drown at more than three times the rate of white children, while 71% of children who drowned had been known to social care during their lives.

Swim:ED’s Building Skills, Breaking Barriers 2025/26 Impact Report details how we’re changing the picture in primary schools across the UK. Through research, innovation, and proven outcomes, we're breaking down barriers to swimming and water safety education – and helping more children to protect themselves in and around water.

Reaching more pupils, powering stronger results

By bringing the pool directly to the playground, Swim:ED eliminates the disruption, costs, and access issues of traditional off-site swim lessons.

Our all-in-one programmes – featuring state-of-the-art swim facilities, experienced instructors, and bespoke KS1 and KS2 swim curriculums – maximise every minute in the water, helping children learn and consolidate core skills more quickly:

• Intensive, tailored instruction. Over 5-7 weeks, children get fifteen 45-minute sessions, learning in specialised groups of no more than ten.
• Greater impact in less time. Compared to conventional off-site arrangements – typically involving weekly 25-minute lessons across ten weeks – schools report stronger outcomes in significantly shorter timescales.
• Inclusive, personalised provision. Flexible teaching supports younger and more anxious swimmers, as well as pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

The results are clear and compelling. Our 2025/26 impact report captures the achievements of 3,740 Year 6 pupils – 1,491 more than the previous year. Across the latest cohort, 85% of children improved in at least one National Curriculum focus area, with substantial gains across every key measure:

• Swimming 25 metres unaided. A 157% increase, with attainment climbing from 24% to 62%.
• Safe self-rescue. After Swim:ED, 68% of pupils could perform self-rescue, compared to just 15% before the programme – a 351% surge.
• Mastering multiple strokes. A 105% overall uplift, almost doubling from 34% to 70%.
• Water safety theory. Following Swim:ED, 89% of children could explain how to protect themselves in and around the water – rising from 18% and achieving a 388% relative leap.
  
  

Real schools, remarkable success stories

Since launching our first pop-up pool in 2023, Swim:ED has helped 46,966 children learn to swim and stay safe in the water.

Our report brings our track record to life through school case studies and first-hand feedback from headteachers and teachers. Their experiences demonstrate how bringing swimming lessons on site can overcome practical barriers, support individual needs, and transform children's relationships with the water.

Newtown Primary Academy, West Bromwich
Closing a critical National Curriculum gap

‘We wanted our children to learn in a positive swimming environment where they could flourish, develop their existing skills, and gain new ones. Swim:ED was a fantastic experience for our school. Our pupils loved the provision and really engaged with it. Seeing the children make progress was a privilege.’

James Bushell, Middle Leader

Arden Primary Academy, Stockport
Turning anxiety into achievement

‘Swim:ED made a real difference for our children. Pupils who had previously found lessons at the local baths challenging were much more engaged because the journey and unfamiliar environment were no longer creating anxiety. Across the three weeks, we saw clear progress in their swimming and self-rescue skills, while also reducing disruption to the school day.’

Julia Dunn, Headteacher

Shire Oak Primary School, Leeds
Social connections, seamless delivery, and exceptional SEND support

‘We would recommend Swim:ED because it provided regular, focused, and inclusive swimming lessons on the school site. Children who had previously been frightened of entering a pool learned that they could overcome their fears with the right environment and support. The programme also encouraged some children to continue swimming in their own time, creating the potential for longer-term participation and enjoyment.’

Marcelle Maver, Deputy Headteacher

Three years of Swim:ED success stories – and counting
St Mary’s Catholic Primary Academy, Wolverhampton

‘Swimming and water safety have become an important part of St Mary’s PE curriculum offer. Our pupils, staff, and parents are always excited to see the pool arrive, particularly the swimming teachers who have worked with us for several years. The programme, which we have adapted to meet the needs of our school and pupils, has helped many children feel safe in the water and achieve National Curriculum expectations. We would fully recommend the Swim:ED team!’

Sarah Williams, PE Lead

Download Swim:ED’s 2025/26 impact report

Swim:ED’s Building Skills, Breaking Barriers 2025/26 Impact Report takes a deep dive into the practicalities and potential of pop-up pools. Alongside this year’s impressive pupil progress, you’ll find:

• An overview of the UK swimming and water safety landscape – and what it means for your school.
• Year 6 leavers’ performance across Swim:ED and National Curriculum requirements.
• Outcomes for pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM), children with English as an additional language (EAL), and those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
• Teacher testimonials, industry analysis, and case studies from primary schools across the UK.
• Research-based insights into the future of swimming and water safety education, drawing on Swim:ED’s joint study with the University of Chichester.
• A snapshot of Swim:ED’s one-stop programme, including facilities, safety protocols, curriculums, digital tools, and hands-on support.

Transforming school swimming and water safety education goes beyond improving attainment. At Swim:ED, we’re tackling inequalities in provision and giving more children the knowledge to stay safe around water.

Discover how the pop-up approach could help your school build fundamental swimming skills, boost water confidence, and broaden access to high-quality swim and water safety education.

Download the Building Skills, Breaking Barriers 2025/26 Impact Report here