Swim England welcomes Curriculum and Assessment Final Report

In July 2024, the Government commissioned Professor Becky Francis CBE to convene and chair a panel of experts to conduct a review of the curriculum and assessment system in England.

Swim England has today welcomed the publication of the panel’s final report.

The national governing body attended the Curriculum and Assessment Review Regional Roadshow and responded to the Curriculum Assessment Review Consultation, highlighting the need to improve school swimming and water safety attainment levels to ensure every child leaves school ready to be safe in, on and around water.

Swim England Chief Executive, Andy Salmon, said: “We know just how important it is that children and young people can learn how to swim.

“For many, school will be their only chance to learn this crucial life skill but too many are currently being failed by the system.

“It was therefore pleasing to see our concerns with the current provision of school swimming and water safety lessons acknowledged by the panel and a commitment to look specifically at how school swimming is currently delivered.”

Curriculum and Assessment Review

The curriculum and assessment review report stated:

“The Call for Evidence also highlighted concerns relating to the profile of specific activities such as dance, swimming and outdoor activities… We also recognise the importance of children and young people learning to swim competently and confidently.

“Though all schools must provide swimming and water safety instruction either in Key Stage 1 or Key Stage 2, data shows that in 2022/23, nine per cent of primary schools did not offer swimming and/or water safety lessons, with only half (55 per cent) teaching their pupils safe self-rescue in different situations.

“There is scope, therefore, to improve specificity in the Programme of Study for these activities.”

Recommendations

A specific recommendation of the review is for the Government to introduce:

“A concise, scaffolded approach to the attainment targets and key stage subject content within the Programmes of Study. As part of this, the Government should review how the Programmes of Study refer to individual activities (such as swimming), including whether they are sufficiently specific to support quality teaching.”

In response, the Government has committed to ‘considering how specific elements like swimming are presented to ensure they support quality teaching and progression’.

This is a welcome step and Swim England stands ready to support this work.

The report also states the importance of children and young people being offered enrichment opportunities. Including access to sport and the role of new PE and School Sports Partnerships to deliver high-quality curriculum PE.

Additionally, expanding opportunities for extra-curricular sport and physical activity, and build strong links between schools, local clubs and National Governing Bodies of sport.

Swim England will be working hard to make sure that swimming and aquatics forms part of these offers.

You can read the full report here.