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COSLA submission of 9 December 2021

PE1891/E - Make swimming lessons a statutory requirement in the primary school curriculum

We are writing to respond to the Committee with requested information on curricular and extra-curricular swimming lessons across Scotland.

The timing of the Committee’s letter to COSLA has meant that the Children and Young People Board have not had the opportunity to discuss and agree a view on the actions called for within the position. The Board next meet on 18th February 2022.

However, COSLA officers have engaged with colleagues at SOLACE, ADES, Scottish Swimming and sportscotland to understand what is known at present regarding curricular and extra-curricular swimming lessons.

There are no local or national mechanisms in place across Scotland to collect data regarding school swimming lessons. Delivery is varied across the country and within local authorities, notable factors include:

• Access to facilities
• Cost of facilities and / or lesson providers
• Variety of delivery models which range between leisure trusts, PE specialists and class teachers
• Cost and access to transport.

Scottish Swimming’s intelligence, pre-pandemic, suggested that around two thirds of Local Authorities were delivering some provision of curricular swimming lessons. As previously specified, there is no data collected presently on the delivery of lessons.

The committee will be aware that sportscotland invest in and support the Active Schools Network; the aims of Active Schools are to provide more and higher quality opportunities for children and young people to take part in sport and physical activity before school, during lunchtime and after school.

As such there are no curricular swimming lessons being delivered through the Active Schools programme; however, based on the 2018-19 Active Schools data (full years’ data prior to the pandemic), 21 Local Authorities were offering swimming activity through the Active Schools Network.

COSLA is aware that Scottish Swimming and sportscotland are working together to gather data and insight on curricular and extra-curricular provision of swimming lessons and have offered to support this important work.

Should the Committee wish further information please let us know.