Why Safety Week is the Most Important Week in Swim Lessons

Let’s be honest: most parents enrol their children in swimming lessons so they can have fun and learn to swim well. But there’s something even more important than perfect strokes – keeping kids safe around water. That’s where Safety Week comes in. It’s not just another themed week. It’s the week that teaches skills that could save a life.

The reality is that many children aren’t as prepared as we think. A recent SWIMSAFER Week Report found that 44% of parents aren’t confident their child could handle a water emergency. Almost half of parents say their child’s floating ability is poor or average, even though floating is one of the most critical survival skills. And here’s the big concern: fewer than 10% of parents feel completely confident their child could cope if something went wrong in the water.

So what makes Safety Week so important? It focuses on real-world skills. Children learn how to float and tread water for longer periods. They practise swimming in clothes so they understand what it feels like if they fall into water unexpectedly. They learn how to stay calm and signal for help. These lessons go beyond the pool – they prepare children for real-life situations, not just controlled environments.

Here’s the problem: Safety Week often has the highest number of absences. Some families think it’s less fun than regular lessons. Others feel nervous about activities like swimming in clothes. And some simply don’t realise how vital these skills are. But skipping Safety Week means missing lessons that could make all the difference in an emergency.

Drowning is one of the leading causes of accidental death in children. Formal swimming lessons can reduce that risk by up to 88%, and survival skills like floating play a huge role in that. Safety Week helps children build confidence, muscle memory, and calm responses when things don’t go to plan. These are skills that save lives.

As a parent, your role is simple: make Safety Week a priority. Talk to your child about why it matters. Encourage them to take on the challenge. And most importantly, don’t skip it – because when it comes to water safety, one missed lesson really can make all the difference.