London worst region for primary school swimming

London has the highest percentage of children in England who are unable to swim proficiently when they leave state primary schools, it has been revealed.

Only 63% of the capital's Year 6 children could swim 25m (82ft) in 2024-2025 compared with an average of 72% of pupils in England, according to data gathered by the BBC through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request.

London as a region also had the lowest percentage of children who could perform a range of swimming strokes and a self-rescue.

A spokesperson for the mayor of London called the figures "concerning" and added that recent drownings in London's waterways were a reminder that learning to swim must incorporate water safety.

All state schools must provide swimming instruction in either Key Stage 1 or 2 and pupils should be taught to:

• Swim competently, confidently, and proficiently over a distance of at least 25m
• Use a range of strokes effectively (for example: front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke)
• Perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations

Newham, Tower Hamlets and Redbridge in east London had the lowest average proportion of Year 6 pupils in the capital who could swim 25m confidently, at 48%.

In the three boroughs, 48%, 47% and 43% respectively could perform a range of strokes and 47%, 46% and 33% could perform a self-rescue.

Across England, the South West has highest percentage of Year 6 pupils able to swim 25m, at 77%, closely followed by the North West at 75%, the figures showed.

The data comes from an FOI submitted by the BBC to the Department for Education (DfE) and reflects swimming capabilities for pupils at more than 15,000 state schools in England.

It includes academies and free schools as well as schools run by local authorities.

Mayor of Newham Forhad Hussain said all council-run schools in the borough offered swimming lessons and ran water safety classes.

"It is vital local children learn to swim, and to take water safety seriously," he said.

"All Newham residents under 16 can swim for free at certain times at our three local leisure centres."

A spokesperson for Tower Hamlets Council said there were a "range of barriers" to swimming proficiency, including "the cost of lessons, transport, limited access to pools and lower levels of confidence around water within some communities".

They added: "We are strengthening partnerships with schools to increase participation in curriculum swimming and looking at how council transport services can support them."

Redbridge Council has been contacted for comment.

At Newham's London Aquatics Centre, Louise Wray, contract aquatics manager, said they were trying to encourage more regular swimming lessons.

"A lot of them will come for a 12-week block, but if you're trying to get a beginner to swim 25m in 12 weeks, it's not enough," she said.

"It's educating schools to do at least a whole year, coming every week and repeating those skills."

Jeremiah, 17, from Newham and University of East London Swimming Club, pitched the idea for free swimming lessons for local children this summer, and his club organised a fortnight of sessions at the London Aquatics Centre.

"I imagine this is helping 100 people each week, but we had over 750 sign-ups for the two weeks," he said.

"It just shows that we need more of this."

Analysis from across England showed that swimming abilities were lower among the most deprived pupils.

At schools with the highest proportion of pupils receiving free school meals, on average only 55% of Year 6 pupils could swim 25m.

Meanwhile in schools with the lowest proportion of pupils receiving free school meals, on average 87% of Year 6 pupils could confidently swim the distance.

Steve Chalke, founder of Oasis academies, which has sites in Enfield and Lambeth, said they were bucking the national trend, with more than 41% of pupils on free school meals and more than 80% of Year 6 pupils able to swim 25m.

He said at the Oasis Academy South Bank Primary, near Waterloo Station, the school took pupils on the bus to Brixton to get them to a suitable swimming pool.

"The logistics of doing this are time-consuming and expensive," he said.

"But we know that working in underserved communities, parents are working three jobs to keep food on the table and they just don't have time to invest in these things.

"Parents feel relieved to know their children can swim - it's a skill for life."

Swim England said all children leaving primary school should have the chance to swim and be safe in and around water.

"However, schools have faced significant pressures in recent years, particularly those serving disadvantaged communities, including competing curriculum demands, increasing transport costs and access to suitable swimming pools," a spokesperson said.

"These challenges are real, so it is more important than ever that there is a collective approach to helping children gain a skill that could one day save their life."

A spokesperson for the mayor of London said Sir Sadiq Khan was funding free swim safety sessions for young Londoners this summer as part of his Clean Rivers and Healthy Waterways Plan.

The DfE said swimming proficiency among primary school children needed to change, and a new PE Partnerships Network would bring "targeted support for the areas and pupils who need it most".

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