Are Cornwall’s Primary Schools Equipped to Teach Swimming? Survey Aims to Uncover Gaps

In Cornwall, 31% of children are leaving primary school unable to swim 25 metres, raising concerns about water safety and swimming education across the county. In an effort to address this issue, Newquay Leisure World is encouraging parents to speak to their children’s schools and ask them to complete a survey launched by Cornwall Council, in collaboration with Active Cornwall and Swim England.

Survey to Understand School Swimming Challenges

The survey, found here, aims to provide a clearer picture of the swimming abilities of primary school children and to identify barriers that schools face in delivering swimming lessons. By gathering this data, Newquay Leisure World and its partners hope to better understand the landscape of swimming education across Cornwall’s primary schools.

“We know that 31% of our children in Cornwall leave year 6 unable to swim 25m,” stated the team at Newquay Leisure World, who expressed a commitment to collaborating with regional and national organisations to improve swimming statistics. By combining efforts with Swim England, Active Cornwall, and local leisure partners, they aim to increase the number of children leaving year six with the ability to swim 25 metres confidently.

A Call to Parents and Schools

Parents are being encouraged to engage with their children’s schools and advocate for them to participate in the survey. The insights gained from this data are expected to facilitate future discussions and collaborations with partners at various levels, aiming to co-design an approach tailored to Cornwall’s unique needs in primary school swimming education.

For more details and to take part in the survey, schools can visit the survey link directly.