Children are still drowning. Why? It’s time we faced the truth.

Drowning is a difficult and sensitive subject. It is also a reality we can no longer ignore.

The latest data from the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS) should stop us all in our tracks. The number of drowning deaths in the UK has doubled over the past four years (covering year 2019-2020 to 2022-2023)

At the same time, Swim England reports that 1.4 million children are currently participating in swimming lessons through their programmes alone — and that figure does not even include the many thousands more learning through private swim schools, council facilities, independent teachers, and school programmes.

We are delivering millions of lessons. We are exposing children to water in ever greater numbers. We are telling parents that swimming lessons reduce the risk of drowning.

So why are the drowning statistics not reflecting this? Why, in fact, are they worsening?

This is a deeply uncomfortable question — but one we must have the courage to ask.

The uncomfortable truth: no single age group is safe

One dangerous misconception is that drowning risk applies only to toddlers. The statistics tell a very different story:

• 43% of drowning deaths were among children under 5 years old

• 41% of drowning deaths were among teenagers aged 13–17

• 16% of drowning deaths were among children aged 5–12 — and even here, the numbers are rising: from 3 deaths in 2021–22 to 10 deaths in 2022–23

  
  
  

  

  

  

And it is boys who are at particular risk — there were twice as many drowning deaths among males.

We must stop thinking of swimming lessons as something "young children do and then finish."

Drowning is a lifelong risk. Water safety is a lifelong skill. We must adapt our approaches to reflect this reality — from early years lessons through to keeping teenagers engaged and involved.

More lessons alone are not the answer

It is not enough to simply increase the number of lessons. We must take a hard look at what we are teaching, how we are teaching it, and who we are reaching.

Too often, swimming lessons are focused on stroke technique and badge progression. Many children leave swimming lessons having passed a 25m badge, yet lacking the ability to cope with an unexpected situation in open water. And many stop lessons far too early, often just when the real risks are about to emerge — particularly for boys, whose risk profile sharply increases in the teenage years.

Equally, we must not swing too far the other way — focusing purely on isolated water safety drills without developing movement competence and water confidence.

We need an integrated approach that develops:

👉 Functional swimming skills (basic strokes and movement competence)

👉 Movement & motor tools (body control, breath control, adaptability, calm thinking)

👉 Water safety awareness & knowledge (practical understanding, risk perception, readiness for the unexpected)

This is what I call Water Wisdom — and it must be the foundation of all swim programmes, for all ages.

The Circle of Success — involving parents at every stage

One of the greatest gaps in current provision is the role of parents.

In too many cases, swimming lessons have become "drop and go." Parents wait in the car park or on the pool balcony, detached from what their child is learning. This model is not working.

Parents must be active participants. They are the ones taking children to beaches, rivers, lakes, holidays, hotel pools, and paddling pools. They must understand the risks and know what their children can — and cannot — do in real-world water environments.

I call this the Circle of Success — a joined-up system where:

🌊 The environment supports effective learning

🌊 The teacher delivers Water Wisdom, not just technique

🌊 The child develops practical, adaptable skills and awareness

🌊 The parent is actively involved, informed, and empowered

When this circle is complete, children become not just swimmers, but SMART Swimmers:

👉 Self-aware

👉 Mastery of movement

👉 Anticipation skills

👉 Respect for water

👉 Trust in their abilities

Schools must step up

We must also address the glaring weaknesses in current school swimming provision:

• Programmes that are too short and underfunded

• An over-reliance on achieving a basic distance (25m)

• Insufficient focus on water safety, risk awareness, and practical readiness

• No follow-through or progression for older children

  
  

Every school swimming programme should aim to create SMART Swimmers — not just badge-winners. And schools should not assume that a child completing Key Stage 2 swimming means their risk has been "solved."

Risk increases dramatically in teenage years. We need ongoing engagement with young people through age-appropriate aquatic programmes — especially for boys.

A call to the entire sector

If 1.4 million children are attending swimming lessons and drowning deaths are still rising, we must face this reality. We need to change — not defend — our current approaches:

✅ We need integrated Water Wisdom in all swim programmes

✅ We need parents actively involved in the Circle of Success

✅ We need school swimming to be reformed and prioritised

✅ We need to keep children learning, not let them "graduate" too early

✅ We need targeted programmes for at-risk groups — particularly teenage boys

✅ We need to create SMART Swimmers — adaptable, aware, and prepared

The entire sector must step up. The stakes could not be higher. Children’s lives depend on it.

What are your thoughts on this topic? Please write in the comments.