With half of primary school children unable to swim 25 meters and many schools sidelining lessons, STA has produced a free health and wellbeing activity booklet designed to teach children – and their families – about water safety outside of a pool environment and in the classroom.

The educational charity, the world’s largest independent swim teaching and lifesaving association, has published the bright and colourful 40-page booklet for teachers to use in lessons and for club leaders, such as the Scouts and Brownies, who want to help youngsters learn how to be safe in and around water.

Aimed at children aged eight and over, it looks at how to stay safe in the pool and in the sea, as well as general water safety awareness in different environments and potential hazards.

Theo Millward, STA’s Operations Director, said although swimming lessons provide the best way to learn about water safety, dryside lessons are now vital too – particularly because many children do not have access to regular pool classes.

This is borne out by the fact that fewer than half of England’s 11-year-olds can swim 25 metres by the time they leave primary school – despite the fact it is a requirement of the national curriculum – with one in 20 primary schools offering no swimming at all in the last four years.

“Teaching children of all ages swimming and water safety is absolutely essential but when we have so few leaving primary school unable to swim properly and not having access to regular school swimming lessons, coupled with accidental drowning being the third highest cause of death in youngsters, we knew as a charity we had to do something more practical to educate children and families about water safety,” he said.

“This free booklet has been produced as part of our new Junior Lifeguard Academy programme and is a brilliant tool for teaching children about water safety outside of a pool environment. It can also be used by swim schools as an additional aid to their swimming programmes.”

“We’ve made sure the activities are fun to do and there are plenty that can be completed at home, with parents, too.”

Theo said getting the whole family involved in the water safety activities was also important.

“One of our surveys last year showed that although four in five adults say they can swim, two thirds cannot perform the five critical water skills that are needed to save their lives in water,” he added.

“This is another really big problem; teenagers and adults who have convinced themselves that because they can ‘swim’ they can do more in the water than they are capable of, run the risk of endangering themselves or others.”

“Working together as a family in a safe and fun way is therefore a great way for everyone to learn about water safety,” added Theo.

To find out how to get your free copies of the STA Health & Wellbeing booklet, click here. Please note that the free offer is for a limited time only and does not include postage and packaging.