Great Lengths

Without access to adequate facilities and lessons Britain is on course to become a nation of non-swimmers. UEA researchers are determined not to let this happen; they’ve designed an innovative model that equips trainee teachers with the skills to teach children to swim.

Britain could become a nation of non-swimmers if drastic changes aren’t made to ensure all young people have access to adequate lessons and facilities.

Lack of funding, cost of transport and limited access to a pool are some of the reasons for a decline in swimming provision for primary school students.

Researchers from the School of Education and Lifelong Learning at UEA have come up with an innovative model to help teach children this important life skill.

Dr Craig Avieson and Dr Penny Lamb’s model uses the Amateur Swimming Association’s National Curriculum Training Programme to prepare trainee teachers to teach swimming.

The model provides trainee teachers with the confidence to teach swimming and an increased awareness of ways to support lower-ability children.

“Ensuring children have basic swimming skills is the responsibility of both primary and secondary schools and this is a chance to do something about it,” said Dr Avieson. “Teaching children such an important life skill should be a priority and there should be joined-up thinking between primary and secondary schools to address this issue.” 

‘Preparing trainee teachers for teaching swimming: an innovative model of delivery’, Dr Craig Avieson and Dr Penny Lamb, is published in Physical Education Matters, (2014) Vol.9, No 1, 75-78 May 6, 2014.