Key Stage 2 PE · Swimming and water safety

KS2 swimming strokes: front crawl, backstroke, breaststroke

As well as swimming at least 25 metres, the National Curriculum asks Key Stage 2 pupils to use a range of strokes effectively, and gives front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke as examples. Children learn the body position, arm action, leg action and breathing for each stroke, and then to choose and link them. This page explains what each stroke looks like and what teachers are looking for.

Swimming strokes, explained

The statutory requirement is that pupils use a range of strokes effectively, and the curriculum’s examples are front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke. Those three are examples rather than a list schools must follow, though they are the strokes school swimming lessons usually concentrate on. Effective does not mean fast or perfect: it means the child’s technique works, so the stroke moves them through the water smoothly and they can keep it going. Schools must provide swimming lessons in either Key Stage 1 or Key Stage 2, and the strokes are taught as children grow in confidence.

Front crawl is swum face down. The arms reach forward and pull back in turn, one after the other, while the legs make a steady up-and-down flutter kick that starts from the hips. The face is in the water, looking at the bottom, and the swimmer turns the head to the side to breathe in as one arm pulls, then breathes out into the water. Backstroke is the same idea on the back: the face stays up out of the water, the body is flat and the hips are high, the arms circle one after the other and the legs flutter. Because the face is clear of the water, breathing is easier but it is harder to see where you are going.

Breaststroke is different because the arms and legs work together, not in turn. Both arms sweep out and round in front of the chest, the head comes up to breathe, and the legs then do a whip kick: the heels are drawn up towards the bottom, the feet turn outwards, and the legs push round and squeeze together. The stroke then finishes with a glide, with the arms stretched forward and the body straight. Teachers often use the rhythm “pull, breathe, kick, glide”. Some children find breaststroke comfortable early on because the head is often above the water, but the timing and the kick can take longer to master.

Teachers break each stroke down and practise the parts separately: legs with a float, arms with a float between the legs, then putting them together with breathing. They also teach children to move between strokes, for example to turn from front to back and rest, and to pick the stroke that suits the situation. Children may be asked to describe what they do, comment on a partner’s swimming and say how to improve, linking to the wider aim of evaluating performance. The curriculum does not mention butterfly or racing, though some children learn them at swimming clubs.

Words your child will hear

Front crawl: A stroke swum face down, with the arms pulling in turn and a continuous flutter kick.
Backstroke: A stroke swum on the back, with the arms circling in turn and a continuous flutter kick.
Breaststroke: A stroke swum face down in which the arms and then the legs move together, finishing with a glide.
Flutter kick: A kick where the legs move up and down in turn, starting from the hips with relaxed ankles.
Whip kick: The breaststroke leg action: heels up, feet turned out, then a circular push and squeeze together.
Pull: The part of an arm stroke that pushes water back to move the swimmer forward.
Recovery: The part of the arm stroke where the arm returns to the starting position ready to pull again.

What the National Curriculum says

The programme of study for Key Stage 2 says:

Pupils should be taught to use a range of strokes effectively [for example, front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke]
All schools must provide swimming instruction either in key stage 1 or key stage 2.

Objectives from the National Curriculum in England, © Crown copyright, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Try it: getting the breaststroke timing right

A child says their breaststroke feels slow and tiring, and they keep sinking. They are doing the arms and the legs at the same time. How can they fix it?

Start in a glide. Push off the wall with the arms stretched forward, the legs together and the body straight, and glide for a moment with the face in the water.
Pull. Sweep both hands out and round in a small heart shape under the chin. The head and shoulders rise slightly, which is the moment to breathe in. The pull should be a short, strong action, not a huge circle.
Breathe, then reach. Breathe in as the hands come together, then put the face back in the water as the arms stretch forward. Blowing out under the water on the glide stops the breath building up.
Kick. As the arms shoot forward, bring the heels up towards the bottom, turn the feet outwards like a duck’s, then push round and squeeze the legs together. This is what drives the body forward.
Glide. Stay stretched out and still for a second before the next pull. If the child glides, the timing becomes pull, breathe, kick, glide, and the stroke feels smoother and less tiring.

The fix is to separate the actions: arms first, then the legs, then a glide. A child can say it aloud: “pull, breathe, kick, glide.” The kick comes after the pull, not at the same time, and the glide gives rest and distance.

Common mistakes and how to help

Using a scissor kick in breaststroke, with one leg forward and one back

It feels natural to kick one leg after the other because it is how we walk, and it resembles the flutter kick used in other strokes.

What helps: Practise the leg action holding the side of the pool or with a float, and say “heels to bottom, toes out, push round and squeeze”. Breaststroke legs move together and are always mirror images.

Lifting the head high in front crawl to breathe

The instinct is to get the mouth as clear of the water as possible, but a lifted head makes the hips and legs sink and slows the swimmer.

What helps: Keep one goggle in the water and turn the head to the side as the arm pulls. Practise by holding a float and rolling the head to breathe while kicking.

Kicking from the knees, with a cycling action

Children copy the pedalling movement they know, so the knees bend a lot and the legs make little forward push.

What helps: Kick from the hips with long, relaxed legs and floppy ankles, just making small splashes at the surface. Hold a float and watch the feet come to the surface.

Sitting up in backstroke with the hips low

The swimmer looks at their feet, or tries to see where they are going, so the head lifts and the bottom sinks.

What helps: Lie back with the ears in the water and look at the ceiling or sky. Press the chest up and keep the tummy firm. A float held on the chest shows how a flat body feels.

How to help at home

Practise the breaststroke rhythm on land. Sit on a chair or lie on a bed and say “pull, breathe, kick, glide” while moving the arms and then, separately, the legs. Practising the order helps the pool movements to feel familiar.
Float and kick. At the pool, with an adult close by, hold a float and kick with long legs, first on the front and then on the back. Compare which is easier, and note what happens to the hips when the head lifts.
Watch and describe. Watch a family member swimming, and ask your child to describe the stroke: are the arms going together or in turn? Is the face in or out of the water? Describing helps them to notice their own technique.
Ask for one thing to work on. Ask the teacher or instructor for one tip for each stroke and practise only that, such as keeping the head still in front crawl. A single focus is easier to remember and brings quicker improvement.
Try all the strokes. With an adult close by, make a game of swimming one width of each stroke: front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke. Ask which feels strongest, and why. Choosing the right stroke for the occasion is part of using a range of strokes effectively.