Over the 2026 May Bank Holiday weekend, tragic water-related incidents were reported across the UK, with seven children and two adults losing their lives amid record-breaking temperatures.
These were not isolated to one location or circumstance. They happened across rivers, lakes, and coastal areas and, while each incident is different, together they highlight a consistent and deeply concerning reality.
As the weather warms, more people are drawn to the water. But despite the sunshine, open water remains cold, unpredictable, and dangerous. For many, the risks are not fully understood until it is too late.
It’s a difficult topic, but an important one.
Because at the heart of this is a simple truth:
Every child should have the opportunity to learn how to be safe in and around water.
The School Swimming Gap
Swimming is a National Curriculum requirement, but the reality is falling short.
The Department for Education states that children should leave primary school able to:
- Swim 25 metres
- Use a range of strokes
- Perform a safe self-rescue
However:
- There is no legal requirement for minimum delivery hours
- The recommended guideline is around 22 hours of lessons
- Many pupils receive closer to 8 hours
As a result:
- Around 28% of children do not meet expected standards
- This rises to 39% in more deprived areas
Swim England also reports that up to 70% of children are not meeting expected levels of water competence, with contributing factors including:
- Rising costs
- Competing activities
- Underestimation of water safety as a priority
This points to a clear issue:
Our school swimming curriculum is inconsistent, under-resourced, and falling short.
Alongside access, there is another fundamental challenge within the industry: inconsistent data and reporting.
Across school swimming programmes:
- Data is often captured in different formats
- Progress tracking is inconsistent between providers
- Long-term outcomes are difficult to measure or compare
- National visibility of what “good” looks like is limited
This makes it harder for:
- Schools to track true pupil progress
- Operators to measure impact
- The industry to evidence where improvements are needed
At CoursePro, we see this first-hand.
That’s why, alongside improving access, we are focused on supporting better, more consistent data collection and reporting through our platform.
By enabling:
- Structured tracking of pupil progress
- Consistent recording of assessments and outcomes
- Clear reporting across programmes and providers
we can help create a more joined-up picture of school swimming delivery, supporting better decision-making across schools, operators, and governing bodies.
Because improving access is critical, but understanding impact is just as important.
A Responsibility Within the Industry
At CoursePro, we work closely with swim schools, leisure operators, and partners across the industry every day. We see first-hand the incredible work that teachers and operators deliver, creating safe, structured environments for thousands of swimmers.
But we also recognise something bigger.
We don’t just want to be the software that supports the industry.
We want to play a role in improving it.
That means:
- Supporting access to lessons
- Helping remove financial barriers
- Enabling better data and insights
- Contributing to long-term, meaningful change
That’s why we’ve launched the CoursePro Learn to Swim Fund, in partnership with the Swimming Teachers’ Association.
The aim is simple:
To remove financial barriers and give more children access to swimming lessons and water safety education.
Through this initiative:
- Funds are used to subsidise or fully fund lessons
- Delivery is through existing swim school programmes
- Focus is on school swimming and early-stage learners, where impact is greatest
By working alongside STA and our network of operators, we can ensure support reaches the communities that need it most.
This isn’t something any one organisation can solve alone.
It requires collaboration across:
- Swim schools and operators
- National governing bodies
- Industry partners
- Communities and families
The CoursePro Learn to Swim Fund is one step towards bringing that collaboration together and making a tangible difference.
Work With Us
If you’re a swim school, leisure operator, or partner organisation interested in working with us to deliver lessons to those who need them most, we’d love to hear from you.
By working together, we can extend the reach of this fund, support more communities, and ensure that opportunities to learn essential water safety skills are accessible to all.
How You Can Help
If this resonates with you, whether you’re in the industry or simply recognise the importance of water safety, there are ways to support:
- Donate to help fund lessons
- Share the initiative to increase awareness
- Champion the importance of water safety
👉 Donate here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/cplearntoswimfund
Every contribution creates an opportunity for a child to learn a vital life skill.
This initiative isn’t just about learning strokes or passing levels.
It’s about:
- Access
- Education
- Opportunity
And for us, it’s about being more than just a software provider.
It’s about supporting real change in an industry that has the power to save lives, through both access to lessons and better understanding of outcomes.
Because every child deserves the chance to be safe in and around water.