Recurring concern

Failure to provide adequate school swimming education

First to latest report 18 Jan 2018 — 30 Jan 2025

Reports that mention this concern
2
Times this concern has been raised
3
Stated actions linked to this concern
7

What this concern includes

Includes failures in school-based swimming education, including failure to deliver statutory primary-stage lessons, insufficient swimming standards or curriculum provision at later school stages, and inadequate access to pools where these directly limit children's swimming and water-safety education.

What is not included
  • Excludes general public swimming provision, recreational swimming and lifeguard services where school swimming education is not the deficient process.
  • Excludes swimming-pool safety, water-rescue and open-water hazard controls unrelated to the provision or adequacy of school swimming education.
  • Excludes generic school staffing, funding or curriculum deficiencies unless they directly result in inadequate school swimming education.
  • Excludes individual children's swimming ability where no failure in school swimming education provision is identified.

Reports and published responses 2 reports

See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response

  1. Manchester West

    AI-generated summary

    Alex Edward CROOK · Prevention of Future Deaths report

    This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

    Report summary

    Alex Edward Crook, aged 15, drowned after going out of his depth while playing at the edge of Scotsmans Flash on 7 September 2024. The concerns included failures to provide statutory swimming lessons, inadequate wording and siting of warning signs, and proposed siting of throw lines away from obvious water entry points.

    Read the report on judiciary.uk

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Failure to deliver statutory swimming lessons at key stages 1 and 2

    Wider context from the report

    “He did not have statutory swimming lessons at key stage 1 or 2 and I am informed that three schools in Wigan area still in breach of statutory duty to deliver such lessons. ”

    Source location

    Alex Edward CROOK · Prevention of Future Deaths report
    Page 1 · concerns

    Open source report

    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Write to local authority-aided primary schools reminding them of their statutory swimming-lesson obligations.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “The WWSP met on 27th February 2025 and one of the actions from this meeting was that a letter was to be sent to all local authority aided primary schools in the Wigan borough in respect of the provision of swimming lessons. The duty to provide swimming lessons in primary schools as part of the National Curriculum is imposed on schools. Academies are not required to follow the National Curriculum, so therefore are not under a duty to provide swimming lessons. Local authorities are under a duty to promote high standards of education but the responsibility to ensure that the National Curriculum is provided lies with the individual schools. I can confirm that the Local Authority has written to all local authority aided schools within the Wigan Borough to remind them of the school’s obligations, as part of the National Curriculum, to provide swimming lessons for pupils.”

    Source location

    Response from Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council
    Page 2 · response
    Published 4 February 2025

    Open published response

    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Identify further support for swimming lessons for schools and young people.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “I can confirm that the three schools in the Wigan area that had not provided swimming lessons at the time of the inquest have now all engaged and have booked swimming lessons. Furthermore, Mabs Cross Primary School, which is the primary school Alex attended having engaged in school swimming lessons with the Council for over 20 years and Alex’s class did engage in lessons when Alex was a pupil at the school. The WWSP also agreed an action to identify further support for swimming lessons for schools and young people. Common barriers to accessing swimming lessons tend to include class sizes, lack of year 6 mop up sessions, parental consent needed for attendance, transport costs and funding for high school swimming lessons, all of which are being considered by the WWSP in respect of a potential local pilot for free swimming lessons for young people within the borough.”

    Source location

    Response from Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council
    Page 2 · response
    Published 4 February 2025

    Open published response

    Source evidence

    How this respondent position was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Responsibility for ensuring National Curriculum swimming provision rests with individual schools, not the local authority.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “The WWSP met on 27th February 2025 and one of the actions from this meeting was that a letter was to be sent to all local authority aided primary schools in the Wigan borough in respect of the provision of swimming lessons. The duty to provide swimming lessons in primary schools as part of the National Curriculum is imposed on schools. Academies are not required to follow the National Curriculum, so therefore are not under a duty to provide swimming lessons. Local authorities are under a duty to promote high standards of education but the responsibility to ensure that the National Curriculum is provided lies with the individual schools. I can confirm that the Local Authority has written to all local authority aided schools within the Wigan Borough to remind them of the school’s obligations, as part of the National Curriculum, to provide swimming lessons for pupils.”

    Source location

    Response from Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council
    Page 2 · response
    Published 4 February 2025

    Open published response

  2. Inner South London

    AI-generated summary

    Master Abdul-Jamal Ottun · Prevention of Future Deaths report

    This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

    Report summary

    Master Abdul-Jamal Ottun, a 17-year-old school student, drowned while swimming in Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia, during a school rugby tour on 12 July 2015. The principal concerns were the adequacy of risk assessment and supervision, including the lack of consideration of a lifeguard, the risks of cold open water, the safest entry point, necessary equipment, and rescue arrangements.

    Read the report on judiciary.uk

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Lack of required swimming education and adequate pool access in secondary schools

    Wider context from the report

    “He said that in this country schools do not teach children to swim to a sufficiently high standard to be safe. Children are often expected to swim 25m in a heated pool, which gives no skills to save oneself in deep cold open waters. This compares with New Zealand, where 400m is the target used in education. Swimming is not in British schools’ curricula: there is no requirement for any swimming at secondary school and access to pools is limited. ”

    Source location

    Master Abdul-Jamal Ottun · Prevention of Future Deaths report
    Page 2 · concerns

    Open source report

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Failure to teach children swimming skills sufficient for safety in deep cold open waters

    Wider context from the report

    “He said that in this country schools do not teach children to swim to a sufficiently high standard to be safe. Children are often expected to swim 25m in a heated pool, which gives no skills to save oneself in deep cold open waters. This compares with New Zealand, where 400m is the target used in education. Swimming is not in British schools’ curricula: there is no requirement for any swimming at secondary school and access to pools is limited. ”

    Source location

    Master Abdul-Jamal Ottun · Prevention of Future Deaths report
    Page 2 · concerns

    Open source report

    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Commission an independent swimming-sector expert group to report recommendations for improving curriculum swimming.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “I can assure you that we are aware of the inherent risks of water-based activities and that my department is committed to reducing the number of deaths by drowning. To this end, we tasked an independent group of experts from across the swimming sector to submit an independent report setting out recommendations for improving curriculum swimming as part of the Sporting Future strategy. The group published their report in July 2017 and we subsequently established an implementation group, and are currently reviewing the recommendations in the report. In response to the report, we have already provided schools with more flexibility to use their PE and School Sport Premium funding to support Top-up swimming lessons, as well as funding teacher training to support delivery of high quality swimming lessons.”

    Source location

    2018-0020-Response-by-Department-for-Education
    Page 2 · response
    Published 8 March 2018

    Open published response

    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Review the independent report’s recommendations for improving curriculum swimming.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “I can assure you that we are aware of the inherent risks of water-based activities and that my department is committed to reducing the number of deaths by drowning. To this end, we tasked an independent group of experts from across the swimming sector to submit an independent report setting out recommendations for improving curriculum swimming as part of the Sporting Future strategy. The group published their report in July 2017 and we subsequently established an implementation group, and are currently reviewing the recommendations in the report. In response to the report, we have already provided schools with more flexibility to use their PE and School Sport Premium funding to support Top-up swimming lessons, as well as funding teacher training to support delivery of high quality swimming lessons.”

    Source location

    2018-0020-Response-by-Department-for-Education
    Page 2 · response
    Published 8 March 2018

    Open published response

    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Give schools greater flexibility to use PE and School Sport Premium funding for top-up swimming lessons.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “I can assure you that we are aware of the inherent risks of water-based activities and that my department is committed to reducing the number of deaths by drowning. To this end, we tasked an independent group of experts from across the swimming sector to submit an independent report setting out recommendations for improving curriculum swimming as part of the Sporting Future strategy. The group published their report in July 2017 and we subsequently established an implementation group, and are currently reviewing the recommendations in the report. In response to the report, we have already provided schools with more flexibility to use their PE and School Sport Premium funding to support Top-up swimming lessons, as well as funding teacher training to support delivery of high quality swimming lessons.”

    Source location

    2018-0020-Response-by-Department-for-Education
    Page 2 · response
    Published 8 March 2018

    Open published response

    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Fund teacher training to support delivery of high-quality swimming lessons.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “I can assure you that we are aware of the inherent risks of water-based activities and that my department is committed to reducing the number of deaths by drowning. To this end, we tasked an independent group of experts from across the swimming sector to submit an independent report setting out recommendations for improving curriculum swimming as part of the Sporting Future strategy. The group published their report in July 2017 and we subsequently established an implementation group, and are currently reviewing the recommendations in the report. In response to the report, we have already provided schools with more flexibility to use their PE and School Sport Premium funding to support Top-up swimming lessons, as well as funding teacher training to support delivery of high quality swimming lessons.”

    Source location

    2018-0020-Response-by-Department-for-Education
    Page 2 · response
    Published 8 March 2018

    Open published response

    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Implement the national primary physical education curriculum requirements for swimming, water safety and safe self-rescue.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “The new physical education curriculum, developed with a range of sector experts, was introduced in 2014. Swimming and water safety is compulsory in the national curriculum at primary levels - key stages 1 and 2. The curriculum sets out the expectation that all pupils should be taught to:”

    Source location

    2018-0020-Response-by-Department-for-Education
    Page 1 · response
    Published 8 March 2018

    Open published response

Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.

Back to top

Data last updated 7 September 2026