Why UK Children's Swimming Skills Are Declining & Potential Solutions

At Swim Generation, we're passionate about water safety for children and understand how important it is to be competent in the water and to be aware of potential dangers. Unfortunately, we're seeing a decline in children's swimming skills in the UK. In this article, we'll cover some recent statistics showing decreasing standards, examine the reasons we believe are contributing to this, and discuss possible actions to help reverse the trend.

Let's Look At Some Of The Numbers

To support the title of this insights article, here are five recent statistics on the decline of swimming skills in the UK.

³In the year up to 2024, 30% of primary school children were unable to swim 25 meters unaided. This has risen from 23% in 2018.
³In the same year, a study by Swim England found that around 70% of 11-12-year-olds could not swim 25 meters ‘competently, confidently, and proficiently’.
₂Inner-city areas are the worst-performing in the UK, with 50%+ rates of inability, according to a Hansard report.
³In 2023, 4.7% fewer children aged 5-16 in school years 1-11 could swim 25 metres unaided compared to 2017.
³A recent Swim England report in 2024 estimates that up to 60% of primary school leavers could be unable to swim 25 meters unaided by 2026.

Pool Closures & Associated Costs

Pool closures across the UK continue to outnumber openings. In 62023-2024, the pool count decreased by 79, from 4351 to 4272. The Guardian also reported that, in England alone, the number of public swimming pools fell by 400 from 2010 to 2025. The decline in swimming pool availability affects the national curriculum, as there are fewer places for children's swimming lessons and many are now too far away. Another issue arising from pool closures is overcrowding, which can lead to lower-quality lessons and further reduce potentially life-saving skills.

Pandemic Disruption

Even before the pandemic, swimming skills were declining in the UK. During lockdown, pool closures and restrictions led to extended cancellations of swimming lessons, causing significant disruptions to skill development. It also meant year groups missed out on starting their classes on time.

Another consequence of shutdowns is regression: the long breaks lead to the loss of skills and a need to relearn, undermining confidence. Additionally, restrictions led to staffing shortages by preventing some individuals from qualifying as swimming teachers.

Withdrawn From Lessons Too Soon

One of the main issues is the confusion between confidence and competence in water, which can lead to serious consequences. Too often, once a child has achieved 25 meters unaided, they are removed from classes. 7 Swim England states that more than half of children are taken out of swimming lessons too early, having not yet learnt lifesaving skills such as treading water for 30 seconds. This is where private lessons help to cement skills infused with vital lifesaving techniques.

The four fundamentals for competency, as outlined by Swim England, include:

The ability to swim 100 meters nonstop.
Treading water for a minute.
The ability to ‘star’ float for a minimum of 30 seconds.
Capable of swimming fully clothed, which is unfortunately what can often occur in accidents.

Solutions To Stop The Decline

At Swim Generation, we are dedicated to enhancing children's swimming skills and safety techniques. Below are some strategies that we believe could help:

Get Parents Onboard

Helping parents understand the importance of swimming skills, their physical and mental benefits, and how they can save lives. In the 1950s and 60s, campaigns to promote swimming were successful. The slogan was, ‘Every child must swim’, and its impact was huge, with drowning rates dropping significantly.

School Encouragement

Below are some initiatives that could help schools reverse this negative trend.

Make swimming compulsory in the National Curriculum with a set minimum number of lessons.
Promote a culture of water safety and the importance of skills learning at school.
Encourage local authorities to keep pools and related facilities open.
Make school swimming data readily available to support accountability and help parents choose a school that values swimming skills.

Improve Water Safety Knowledge

Unfortunately, drownings are a major cause of death in children. 8In a concerning trend, the number of child drowning fatalities (aged 0-17) in England has roughly doubled over the last four years, rising from 20 in the year ending March 2020 to 40 by the year ending March 2024. Schools can play a fundamental role in addressing declining skills and reducing deaths.

A campaign to increase the number of swimming lessons at schools.
Cover all aspects of water safety, including beaches, lakes, pools, reservoirs, and other hazards.
Work with organisations such as the RNLI and RLSS.
Encourage parent participation and education.
Encourage external swimming lessons with reputable swim schools such as Swim Generation.

Conclusion

Swim Generation is passionate about swimming safety, and one of our main aims is to help reduce water-related accidents through self-rescue and survival skills. We offer high-quality, effective swimming lessons with proven outcomes. Contact our friendly team to discover how we can support your child’s swimming needs.