globally, the highest drowning rates are among children 1–4 years, followed by children 5–9 years.
It is commonly known that young children can drown in as little as an inch of water, but most accidents occur due to a lack of water confidence and/or swimming skills.
Despite a recent reduction in fatal accidents reported by the ‘UK water Accident and Incident database (UK WAID), drowning is still one of the most common causes of avoidable deaths in the UK, and worldwide.
We believe this terrifying situation is completely avoidable, and swimming should be an essential, and accessible life skill that every child in the UK should learn.
when should my child start to learn to swim?
The simple answer is- the sooner the better.
A little more detail- The earlier you can help your child experience being in the water and start their learn-to-swim journey, the more comfortable and competent they will be if they ever need to put their swimming skills into practice in a lifesaving situation. As a parent, knowing your child is safe and competent within the water gives you essential peace of mind.
It’s also worth noting that young children are fantastic at picking up new skills that will last them a lifetime if taught correctly.
currently in the uk, only one in four children are unable to swim by the time they go to secondary school!
what age is best to start lessons?
There are many advantages to starting swimming at an early age. As an essential life-saving skill, the sooner a child can learn the basic swimming skills to be safe within the water, the less chance there is of unthinkable accidents occurring.
Unlike other sports that also teach things like discipline, work ethic, and cooperation, learning how to swim can save a life, as well as being fantastic for health and fitness, and of course, loads of fun.
There are no rules about when a child can start their learn to swim journey, but we believe that continuous weekly swim lessons year-round is the best way to make steady progress in the water, helping your little one develop their skills while benefitting from a fantastic positive, healthy routine.
is swimming still an essential life skill?
With so many avoidable injuries and deaths each year associated with young children who are unable to swim, we believe that swimming remains an essential life skill that every child in the UK should have access to learn.
As access to local swimming facilities comes under increasing pressure from rising energy costs and rapidly declining facilities, it is our mission to ensure that more children learn the joy of swimming, no matter their age or ability level!
why choose swim! for your child’s swimming lessons?
swim! aims to be the best learn-to-swim experience in the country, with purpose-built facilities that deliver best-in-class teaching alongside an innovative family-first atmosphere.
Our swim! centres are the perfect learning environment for children of any age, from swim! baby session, through to our innovative swim! programme. With 8 skill levels, designed to take your child from splash to swim!, we prioritise quality teaching alongside parent feedback time with teachers, online advice for learning outside of lessons, and an awards scheme to celebrate each child’s success.
swim! programme
· a fun swim! warm up before lessons
· your child’s online swim! tracker will be reviewed and updated every 4 weeks by their swim! teacher, for you to keep up to date with their visual progress
swim! awards
· swim! certificate and badge for completing a swim! group
· swim! star of the week sticker awarded to one child every lesson
· swim! celebration to award your child’s success
swim! sign up
· a free swim! taster swimming lesson before you sign up to experience swim! in and out of the water.
· Your child will take part in a swim! assessment
· a simple online booking process to start your child’s swim! experience with no need to re-book every few weeks
come along to one of our free taster swimming lesson
No matter your child’s age, our swim! sessions are designed to be fun, welcoming environments where every child is given the opportunity to grow and develop their mental, social, and physical skills alongside new friends and family.
At swim! we offer every child aged 0-11 a FREE lesson to place them in the correct group for their ability so they enjoy their swim! experience from day one. They are the perfect way to experience the joy of swimming in one of our centres, allowing you and your child to see for yourself why thousands of parents trust us to deliver swimming lessons to their children every single week.