Swim:ED’s trailblazing ‘pop-up’ pool programme is tackling the UK’s deepening school swimming crisis, delivering a 160% leap in 25 metre proficiency and giving more children access to safe, inclusive swim and water safety education. 

A critical crossroads for school swimming 

Swimming in UK schools has reached breaking point. In 2023, one in three (28%) children left primary school unable to confidently swim 25 metres. Without urgent action, Swim England estimates the figure will rise to 60% by 2026, leaving 1.2 million pupils incapable of protecting themselves in the water.

A mix of rising costs, instructor shortages, and Covid-related pool closures have contributed to the crisis, preventing thousands of children from achieving the government’s prescribed swim standards. Under the national curriculum, every 11-year-old should be able to: 

• Swim competently, confidently, and proficiently over a distance of 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. 

However, Sport England’s Active Lives Children and Young People Survey shows 36% of state primary schools offered either no swim instruction or fewer than 10 lessons per pupil in the 2022-23 academic year. The shortfall is often caused by unsuitable facilities, lack of teacher availability, or prohibitive admin and coach costs. 

Bringing the pool to the playground 

In 2023, Swim:ED delivered a trailblazing alternative to traditional off-site lessons, bringing state-of-the-art swim facilities, high-quality instruction, and certified lifeguards straight to schools. 

As part of a comprehensive swim programme, a purpose-built pool is installed and managed directly on school premises. Facilities are housed in a lockable, industrial-style modular structure, securely fixed to the school playground. 

The result is a safe, stress-free swim space that removes the hefty transport costs and taxing logistics of off-site instruction, revolutionising how primary schools provide swimming and water safety education. 

The Swim:ED programme maximises every moment in the water, replacing wasted travel time with transformative teaching opportunities. 

Redefining school swim results  

Swim:ED’s programmes are designed for speed and success. Over three intensive weeks, children get fifteen 45-minute sessions of specialised, small-group teaching with no more than ten classmates. Compared to traditional set-ups – involving weekly 25-minute lessons across ten weeks – schools report greater impact in significantly shorter timescales. 

Swim:ED’s ‘Bringing the Pool to the Playground: 2024 Impact Report’ tracks the achievements of 7,589 pupils over the 2023/24 academic year. The report shares milestones for Year 6 leavers, in line with the government’s and Swim England’s assessment standards. 

The results are remarkable, with 83.2% of children making progress in at least one national curriculum focus area: 

Goal 1: Swimming 25 metres unaided – 160% improvement 

• After Swim:ED, 53.7% of Year 6 children could swim 25 metres unaided. 
• Figures rose from 20.7% – a 160% increase. 
• 63% of children showed a marked improvement.

Goal 2: Mastering multiple strokes – 172.6% improvement 

• Thanks to Swim:ED, 70.69% of children could perform a range of strokes. 
• Pupils showed a 172.6% improvement following the programme. 

Goal 3: Performing safe self-rescue – 492% improvement  

• After Swim:ED, 65.28% of pupils demonstrated self-rescue skills – up from 11.03%. 

• That’s a 492.7% improvement rate. 

• Swim:ED’s results exceeded the Black Country average of 52%.

Goal 4: Staying safe in and around water – 912% improvement  

• Following Swim:ED, 81.79% of pupils could explain water safety fundamentals.

• Numbers rose from 8.07% prior to the programme – a surge of 912%. 

What schools say about Swim:ED

At Swim:ED, we’re working to make swimming a positive and pivotal part of pupils’ lives, elevating inclusion, innovation, and effectiveness in swim and water safety education. Our partner schools tell us we’re making a game-changing difference: 

‘Swim:ED has revolutionised swimming lessons at Timberley Primary Academy, saving us logistical challenges and assisting Year 6 attendance. With improved swimming skills and heightened water safety awareness, the impact on our children is beyond measure.’

Ian Griffiths – Deputy Head, Timberley Primary Academy 

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‘Most of the children at our school have little experience of swimming and are not confident in the water. The difference that daily lessons made to their swimming progress and water confidence was huge. Swim:ED has had a dramatic increase in the percentage of children achieving swimming at the national curriculum standard.’ 

Laura Burgin – Deputy Headteacher, Beckfoot Heaton Primary School 

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‘Offering swim lessons on-site meant that the pupils involved spent more time having quality swim lessons rather than travelling. All children made considerable progress and thoroughly enjoyed it. The lessons were conducted by professional staff in a professional manner, and we can’t wait for them to return next September.’

Hannah Jack – Business Manager and PE Lead, Brentry Primary School

Download the impact report 

Swim:ED’s ‘Bringing the Pool to the Playground: 2024 Impact Report’ spotlights the state of UK school swimming and shares pupil-focused plans to solve it. You’ll get: 

• Solutions to common swim-related stresses, including lost learning time, ineffective instruction, and high transport costs. 
• Compelling progress reports from 2023/24 Year 6 leavers.
• Evidence-based benefits of the pop-up pool approach. 
• Details of Swim:ED’s comprehensive programme – from pool and changing facilities to tailored curriculums, digital toolkits, and seamless scheduling. 
• Practical case studies from UK primary schools. 

To learn how Swim:ED could transform swim and water safety education at your school, download the report on this link: https://swim-ed.co.uk/impact-report/