Asked by: Lee Pitcher (Labour - Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that schoolchildren receive adequate water safety education before the summer holiday period.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The PE national curriculum makes specific reference to swimming and water safety, stating that all primary pupils must learn to swim competently and confidently over a distance of at least 25 metres, use a range of strokes effectively and perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations.
The department has made changes to the statutory relationships, sex and health education guidance for schools to ensure all pupils are taught about the water safety code, supporting them to be safe in different types of water.