SWIM TO THE TOP OF THE CLASS

New research shows swimming lessons have positive impact on achievement for primary school pupils

Findings released today, ahead of the start of the new school term, by registered charity and leisure provider Fusion Lifestyle, suggest swimming lessons could be the key to giving children a head start as they start school.  The findings reveal that children who have taken swimming lessons are significantly more likely to perform above average in maths, English, literacy and sport, than non-swimming children.

The survey further strengthens the link between swimming and the positive mental and physical development in young children and shows how incredibly important it is.

1,000 parents of children aged 4 – 8 revealed the following:

•       45% of children at Reception level who have had swimming lessons have achieved reading age 5 or above, with only 27% of those who haven’t had lessons in this range

•       Children who have taken swimming lessons are more likely to enjoy reading (54%) than non-swimming children (47%) and are more likely to read daily outside of school (45%) than those who haven’t had lessons (36%)

•       Children are also more able to recite their times tables, than those that haven’t taken swimming lessons, with 39% of swimmers able to recite their 5 times table v only 28% of non swimmers

•       37% of these children are also more likely to enjoy maths “very much”, vs only 29% of those who haven’t had lessons

•       Swimming also appears to help overall sporting performance with 37% of those who have taken lessons performing above average in sport and PE, compared to 28% of those who haven’t taken lessons

Jon Glenn, Head of Learn to Swim at the Amateur Swimming Association, commented: “Swimming is a great way for children and young people to stay fit and active. Learning about water confidence at a young age is also important to help children to stay safe in and around water.  For some time now, swimming and physical activity has been recognised as having additional positive impacts on development and social skills. We would recommend all children take part in swimming at the earliest possible opportunity, whether that is by having fun in the pool with families or receiving formal swimming instruction.” 

Chris Jones, Group Sports and Development Manager of Fusion Lifestyle added, “The new school term is the perfect time to start thinking about swimming lessons and we hope these findings will give parents and guardians even more of an incentive to help their children get active and get in the pool. We passionately believe that children should learn to swim.  It’s the only sport that can save your life, it’s a great way to exercise and now our research suggests it can help children do better at school too.  We facilitated 3.5 million lessons in 2015 and are committed to increasing that in 2016 and beyond”

With 80 Fusion-run pools across the UK, their dedicated ‘Swim School’ programme offers ASA approved lessons that, under the Learn to Swim Framework, help children achieve confidence in the water. Over 46,000 children learn to swim with Fusion every week with their expert instructors in a friendly, safe and fun environment. Book your free assessment today at www.fusionswimschool.com to find out more.