Why your child should learn to swim

Learning to swim can not only help to save a child’s life, but it can also benefit their long term health. NHS figures have shown that a growing number of children are becoming obese as young as four or five years old.

Healthy start in life

The statistics for more than 1 million pupils across England show 32.4% of girls and 36.1% of boys in their final primary school year are overweight or obese, while the figures for reception are 22.1% and 23.1% respectively. By learning to swim, it gives children the opportunity to exercise in a fun way, whilst helping to prevent childhood obesity.

Safety

With 7,723 miles of coastline around the UK as well as 387 lakes and 2,200 miles of canals and rivers it is vital that children understand the dangers of water. According to the Royal Life Saving Society, drowning is the third highest cause of death in children in the UK. More than 60 children drown during the summer every year in the UK. Parents have a responsibility to their children to make sure they learn to swim. It’s a life skill that all children should be given the opportunity to learn.