At Ribchester St Wilfrid’s CE Primary School, we place a strong emphasis on water safety because it is an essential life skill that can help protect our children now and in the future.

Water is a wonderful part of childhood—whether at the beach, swimming pool, river or on holiday—but it can also present significant risks. Tragically, drowning remains a leading cause of accidental death in children, and recent reports highlight a concerning rise in incidents across England. This makes it more important than ever that children are equipped with the knowledge, skills and confidence to stay safe in and around water.

🌊 How we teach water safety

We take a comprehensive and ongoing approach to water safety within our curriculum:

• PSHE education
  Through our PSHE scheme, pupils learn how to recognise risks, make sensible decisions and understand how to keep themselves safe near water. This includes learning about hazards, peer influence, and how to respond in an emergency.
• Swimming and water safety lessons
  Pupils in KS2 also take part in swimming lessons where they are taught practical skills such as water confidence, swimming ability and safe self-rescue techniques. These are vital life skills, recognised nationally as a key part of primary education.
• Regular enrichment and revisiting learning
  To ensure learning is embedded, we dedicate a focused week at the start of each half term to revisit and extend pupils’ understanding of water safety. This allows children to build on prior knowledge, deepen their understanding and apply what they have learned in different contexts.

🌟 Why this matters

By combining knowledge, discussion and practical experience, we aim to develop children who are:

• Aware of risks in real-life situations
• Confident in and around water
• Resilient when faced with unfamiliar environments
• Responsible for their own safety and the safety of others

We believe that all children deserve the opportunity to learn these important skills. For some, school may be the only place where they access swimming and water safety education, making our provision even more vital.

Ultimately, our goal is simple: to give every child the tools they need to enjoy water safely, both now and throughout their lives.