Key Stage 2 PE · Swimming and water safety

KS2 swimming 25 metres: a guide for parents

The National Curriculum says that by the end of primary school pupils should be able to swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres. All schools must provide swimming lessons in either Key Stage 1 or Key Stage 2, and in practice many schools teach it in Key Stage 2. This page explains what the aim looks like in practice and how you can support your child.

Swimming 25 metres, explained

Swimming is unusual in PE because the National Curriculum sets a minimum distance. The wording is that pupils should swim competently, confidently and proficiently over at least 25 metres, and all schools must provide swimming instruction either in Key Stage 1 or Key Stage 2. The curriculum doesn’t say in which year, so schools decide. Many take a class to a local pool for a block of weekly lessons, often with specialist instructors, and some children also have lessons outside school.

The programme of study doesn’t define the three words or say exactly how a child must swim the 25 metres, so schools judge it themselves. Teachers often think of them like this. Competent: the child has the skills to move through the water efficiently, with a streamlined body, a steady kick and arm action, and breathing that works. Confident: they are comfortable in the water, can put their face in, can get in safely and are not afraid. Proficient: they can keep going for the full distance without stopping, standing up or grabbing the side. In practice teachers usually look for a child who can swim the distance without any support.

Lessons build the skills in steps. Children start with entering the water, getting used to it, blowing bubbles and floating. They then practise pushing and gliding off the wall, kicking with a float, adding arm movements and learning to breathe in time with their strokes. Next they join these skills together over longer distances. The stroke used for 25 metres is usually front crawl, but a child might also use breaststroke or backstroke. In a pool that is 25 metres long it is a single length, and in a shorter pool it will take more than one length.

Stamina and pacing matter as much as technique. A child can have a good kick and a strong arm pull and still run out of energy after 15 metres because they set off too fast or hold their breath. Teachers introduce this gradually, with distance challenges such as 5, 10, 15 and 20 metres leading up to 25. Not every child will reach 25 metres by the end of primary school, so ask the school how your child is getting on and what to practise outside lessons.

Words your child will hear

Length: One trip from one end of the pool to the other. In many pools, one length is 25 metres.
Width: The shorter distance across a pool.
Streamline: A long, narrow body position, with arms stretched forward and legs together, that slips through the water.
Glide: Moving through the water after a push without kicking or pulling.
Buoyancy: The upward push of water that helps you float.
Stamina: The ability to keep going without getting too tired.
Breathing rhythm: A steady pattern of breathing in and out in time with your strokes.

What the National Curriculum says

The programme of study for Key Stage 2 says:

Pupils should be taught to swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres
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: building up to a first 25 metres

A child in a 25 metre pool can swim 10 metres with a steady front crawl before stopping to get their breath. How might they build up to 25 metres?

Start with a strong push. Instead of beginning in the middle of the pool, push off the wall with the arms stretched forward and the face in the water. A good glide gets the first body-length or two for free.
Breathe out under the water. Many children hold their breath and then gasp, which tires them quickly. Teach them to blow out steadily, like blowing bubbles, so they can turn the head to the side and breathe in without panic.
Slow down. A steady kick and smooth arms use less energy than fast, splashy ones. If the child sets off at a calmer pace, 10 metres can stretch to 15 or 20 with the same fitness.
Use stages. Over several sessions, set stepping-stone targets of 12.5 metres (half a length), then 20 metres, then the full 25 metres, resting between attempts. Practise in water where the child can stand, or with an adult alongside. Each success builds confidence for the next.
Finish and reflect. When the child reaches the end, ask how it felt, what helped, and what to work on. Then repeat it, so the distance becomes comfortable and not a one-off.

A good push-off, steady breathing out and a slower pace help most children go further than they expect, and regular practice turns it into a habit. A child might say: “I pushed off and glided, blew bubbles all the way, and went slowly so I didn’t get tired.”

Common mistakes and how to help

Kicking and splashing as fast as possible

Children think that effort and noise mean speed, and a lot of splash feels like progress.

What helps: Praise a slow, long, quiet stroke. Ask your child to count how many arm pulls it takes to cross the pool and then try to do it in fewer, with a calmer kick.

Holding the breath rather than breathing out under the water

It feels natural to keep air in when the face is under. But then you need a big gasp at the surface, which causes panic and a feeling of tiredness.

What helps: Practise blowing bubbles in the bath or in the pool, breathing out through the mouth and nose. Say “bubbles, bubbles, then turn and breathe in”.

Keeping the head up to see where you are going

Looking forward feels safer, but it makes the hips and legs sink, so the swimmer pushes through the water instead of gliding over it.

What helps: Look at the bottom of the pool with the head still, and turn it to the side only to breathe. Floating on the front with the face in the water makes the difference clear.

Assuming that being able to swim 25 metres makes a child safe in all water

A length in a warm, calm pool is an achievement, but open water is cold, moving and unpredictable.

What helps: Treat 25 metres as a milestone and keep supervising. Talk about water safety rules, and ask the school what it teaches about safe self-rescue.

How to help at home

Practise breathing out. In the bath, with an adult staying beside your child, take turns to put the face in and blow bubbles, then lift the head and breathe in. In a swimming pool the same practice helps front crawl. Aim for slow, steady bubbles.
Go to the pool as a family. Extra time in the water is the best way to build confidence. An adult should stay within arm’s reach of any child who is not yet a confident swimmer. Keep it playful, with races, picking up sinking toys from the floor of the shallow end, and floating contests.
Practise kicking and floating. At the pool, hold a float and kick steadily with a long, relaxed body. Try floating on the front and back with the arms spread out. Staying calm and relaxed in the water makes the swimming easier.
Set distance goals. Agree on a small target that is a bit beyond what your child can do now, such as one more width than last time. Celebrate each step, and note the distance in a notebook so they can see progress.
Talk to the teacher. Ask the school or instructor which skill to practise. It may be a push-off, breathing or arms. One targeted skill for a few minutes is more useful than a general splash.