Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of primary school children leave their primary schools unable to swim.

The Swim Group was set up in 2015, bringing together representatives from across the swimming sector. The government asked the Swim Group to submit an independent report setting out recommendations for improving curriculum swimming as part of the attached Sporting Future strategy. The report, also attached, found that almost a third (31%) of Year 6 pupils leave school unable to swim.

The Department for Education has established an implementation group, which brings together officials from across government with stakeholders. The group is reviewing the recommendations in the report with a view to agreeing what action to take to support more pupils to learn to swim.

The department does not collect or hold data on secondary school pupils.