Key Stage 2 PE · Swimming and water safety

KS2 water safety and self-rescue: a guide for parents

The National Curriculum requires Key Stage 2 pupils to perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations, as part of the swimming programme. It is about knowing what to do if you unexpectedly find yourself in difficulty in the water: staying calm, floating, getting help and reaching safety. These are life skills that matter as much as swimming a length.

Water safety and self-rescue, explained

Swimming lessons teach strokes and distance, but the curriculum also says that pupils should learn to perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations. The wording is broad, so schools decide exactly what they cover and how, and it depends on the pool and the instructors. Lessons may include entering the water safely, floating on the back to rest, treading water, changing direction, and getting out of the pool without a ladder. Some schools also practise swimming in light clothing, so that children feel how much heavier it is.

The most important idea is to stay calm and float. If a person falls into cold water unexpectedly, the body’s first response is often to gasp and breathe fast, and the instinct is to thrash about. This is sometimes called cold water shock. The safest response is to lean back, keep the head back, spread the arms and legs out like a star and let the body float until the breathing slows down, which usually takes a minute or two. Only then should the person call for help, swim a short way to safety or hold on to something that floats. Children practise floating on their backs for this reason, and a child who has learned to float calmly has a major safety skill.

Water safety also covers the time before anything goes wrong. Children are taught that open water such as rivers, lakes, quarries and the sea can be much colder than it looks, even on a warm day, and that currents, hidden objects and steep drops are not visible from the bank. They learn to swim where there are lifeguards, to never swim alone, to wear a lifejacket on a boat, and that inflatable toys and armbands are not safety equipment. Children also learn how to get help by shouting and waving, and how to call the emergency services by dialling 999, asking for the coastguard at the coast or the fire service inland, and saying where they are.

A key lesson is what to do if someone else is in trouble. Children are taught not to jump in after a friend, since a rescuer can get into difficulty too. Instead they should shout for an adult, get someone to call 999, and, if they can do so safely from the edge, reach out with something long or throw something that floats. Together, these skills turn swimming from a fun activity into a safe one, and they help children judge their own limits as they get older.

Words your child will hear

Self-rescue: The actions a person takes to get themselves out of danger in the water, such as floating, calling for help and swimming to safety.
Float: To stay on the surface of the water with little effort, often lying on the back with the head tilted back.
Tread water: To stay upright with the head above water by moving the arms and legs.
Cold water shock: The body’s reaction to sudden cold water, which can include gasping and rapid breathing and passes after a short time.
Lifeguard: A trained person who watches swimmers and can help in an emergency.
Current: Moving water in a river or the sea that can carry a swimmer away.
Lifejacket: A jacket worn on or near water, for example on a boat, that is designed to keep a person afloat. Armbands and inflatable toys are not safety equipment.

What the National Curriculum says

The programme of study for Key Stage 2 says:

Pupils should be taught to perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations
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: what to do after falling into cold water

Your child is asked to explain what to do if they fall into cold water unexpectedly, such as from a riverbank or a boat. What would a good answer include?

Stay calm and do not try to swim hard straight away. The first minute or two is when the body reacts most strongly to the cold, with fast, gasping breaths.
Float. Lean back, tip the head back so that the ears are in the water, and spread the arms and legs out like a star. Take slow, steady breaths. The body floats more easily when the lungs hold some air.
Wait for the breathing to settle. This usually takes a minute or two. Keep floating, and use small movements of the hands to stay on your back.
Call for help. Shout, and wave an arm if you can stay afloat while doing it, so that people can see and hear you. If you have a phone or a whistle and can reach it safely, use it. If something that floats is within reach, such as a lifebuoy or a boat cushion, hold on to it.
Move to safety. Once the breathing has calmed, swim steadily or paddle on your back towards the nearest safe place, such as the bank or the boat. Once you are out, tell an adult, even if you feel fine, as you may need to warm up.

A good answer is “float, stay calm, call for help and then get to safety.” A child might say: “I would lean back and float like a star until my breathing slowed. Then I would shout and wave for help, and swim to the side only if it was close.”

Common mistakes and how to help

“I can swim 25 metres, so I will be fine in a river or the sea”

A length of a warm, still pool with a lifeguard and a wall is very different from cold, moving water with no edge to hold on to.

What helps: Explain that being a good swimmer is a good start, not a guarantee. Talk about how cold water, currents and hidden objects change things, and why swimming only where there are lifeguards matters.

Swimming hard straight away when you fall into cold water

It seems like the quickest way out of danger. But the body’s first reaction to the cold is gasping, and hard swimming makes this worse and tires you quickly.

What helps: Practise floating on the back in the pool until it feels easy. Remind your child to float first, breathe, and only then decide what to do.

Jumping in to rescue a friend

Children are kind and brave, and want to help, but a panicking person can pull a rescuer under.

What helps: Teach “shout, reach, throw, don’t go”. Shout for help, call 999, and if it is safe from the bank, reach with a long object or throw something that floats.

Believing that inflatable toys and armbands keep you safe

They look like safety equipment and are used in pools, so children trust them.

What helps: Explain that these toys can deflate, drift away or tip you off, and are not a substitute for supervision. A properly fitted lifejacket or buoyancy aid is the equipment designed for safety on the water.

How to help at home

Practise floating. At the pool, with an adult close by, practise floating on the back with the head tipped back and arms and legs spread. Count slowly to ten, then twenty. Relaxing and breathing steadily is the skill, so keep it calm and fun.
Talk about the rules. Before holidays or days out near water, talk about the rules: never swim alone, only swim where there are lifeguards, check the depth, and wear a lifejacket on a boat. Ask your child to tell you the rules rather than just listening.
Practise “reach or throw”. On dry land, practise throwing a soft toy, a rolled-up sock or a rope towards a target, and reaching with a long stick or umbrella. This shows how a rescue can be done without getting wet or going in the water.
Know how to call 999. Without actually dialling, rehearse what to say: ask for the coastguard at the coast or the fire service inland, then say that someone is in the water, where you are, and your name. Children can learn to describe a place using a landmark, such as a bridge or a café. Stay on the line until the operator says it’s fine to hang up.
Spot the dangers from a safe distance. When walking near a river, canal or beach with an adult, stay well back from the edge and ask your child to spot dangers, such as steep banks, fast flow or cold water. Noticing them makes a child more careful.