Introduction.
This study investigated the value that students
(n=28), teachers (n=19) and parents (n=122)
placed on school-delivered swimming lessons,
with the aim of considering the child’s perspective.
It explores four ‘emergent’ themes: swimming as
a life skill, water safety and drowning prevention,
building confidence in swimming, and swimming
as exercise and fitness. The lead author has a
personal interest in swimming due to competing in
national and international swimming competitions.
This interest reinforced her inquisitiveness of those
who are not so heavily involved in swimming and
what value they give it. Swimming and water safety
have been statutory requirements in the National
Curriculum since 1994 (Department for Education,
2013; Swim England, 2018). This suggests,
therefore, that swimming is valued by governments.
The author was interested to establish if parents,
teachers and primary school children hold the
same opinion.