The Government is fully committed to ensuring young people learn to swim and stay safe in water. In reforming the national curriculum, the new physical education (PE) programme of study, including the specifications for swimming and water safety, were developed through consultation with subject experts and teachers. The draft programme of study was subject to statutory consultation from 7 February to 16 April 2013.

Swimming and water safety is compulsory for primary-aged children in maintained schools; the national curriculum specifically states that pupils should be taught to perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations. The programme of study for PE is available online here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-physical-education-programmes-of-study.

The Government is fully committed to ensuring young people learn to swim and stay safe in water. In reforming the national curriculum, the new physical education (PE) programme of study, including the specifications for swimming and water safety, were developed through consultation with subject experts and teachers. The draft programme of study was subject to statutory consultation from 7 February to 16 April 2013.

Swimming and water safety is compulsory for primary-aged children in maintained schools; the national curriculum specifically states that pupils should be taught to perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations. The programme of study for PE is available online here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-physical-education-programmes-of-study.

The Government is committed to ensuring that swimming and teaching water safety takes place in schools. Swimming is compulsory for maintained schools in the national curriculum. All pupils must be taught to swim at least 25 metres unaided and be able to use recognised swimming strokes by the end of key stage 2 (age 11). It also requires that a child can demonstrate an understanding of water safety.

The Government has committed over £450 million of ring-fenced funding up to and including 2015/16 for primary schools to improve their provision of PE and sport. Head teachers are best placed to decide how the funding should be used. They can choose to provide additional training and instruction in swimming and water safety but this must be over and above the requirements of the national curriculum.

There are a range of resources to help schools provide high quality teaching, including from organisations such as the Amateur Swimming Association and from the Royal Lifesaving Society.

There are no plans to ask Ofsted to collect this information. Ofsted inspections report on the effectiveness of teaching and the quality of schools’ leadership and management.

Swimming is part of the national curriculum, and all pupils must be taught to swim at least 25 metres unaided and be able to use recognised swimming strokes by the end of key stage 2 (age 11). It remains compulsory in the national curriculum following the curriculum review.

The Government has committed over £450 million of ring-fenced funding up to and including 2015/16 for primary schools to improve their provision of Physical Education and sport. Schools have the freedom to use the funding for additional provision for swimming but this must be for activity over and above the national curriculum requirements.

In the new national curriculum, which comes into force from September 2014, swimming and water safety remain compulsory in the programme of study for physical education (PE) at primary level. We are sending a clear message to schools that swimming and water safety are essential: no other activities are specified requirements in the PE curriculum. The programme of study for PE is available online here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-physical-education-programmes-of-study

The Department for Education is providing over £450 million of ring-fenced funding across the academic years 2013/14, 2014/15 and 2015/16 to go directly to primary schools, to be spent on the improvement of PE and sport. Headteachers are best placed to decide how the funding should be used and, using the funding, they can provide additional training and instruction in swimming and water safety (over and above the requirements of the national curriculum) if they choose.

There are a range of resources to help schools provide high-quality teaching, including from organisations such as the Amateur Swimming Association and from the Royal Lifesaving Society.

Swimming is part of the national curriculum, and all pupils must be taught to swim at least 25 metres unaided and be able to use recognised swimming strokes by the end of key stage 2 (age 11). It remains compulsory in the national curriculum following the curriculum review.

The Government has committed over £450 million of ring-fenced funding up to and including 2015/16 for primary schools to improve their provision of physical education and sport. Schools have the freedom to use the funding for additional provision for swimming but this must be for activity over and above the national curriculum requirements.

The Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) is the national governing body for swimming in England. Their ‘Learn to Swim’ programme and award scheme has helped millions of children to swim and they provide a range of resources for schools to support high quality swimming instruction.

The Government is committed to ensuring that swimming and teaching water safety takes place in schools. Swimming is an important part of the National Curriculum, which requires that all pupils must be taught to swim at least 25 metres unaided, and be able to use recognised swimming strokes by the end of Key Stage 2 (age 11). It also requires that a child can demonstrate an understanding of water safety. Swimming and water safety remain compulsory in the National Curriculum following the recent curriculum review.

In March 2013 the Prime Minister announced additional ring-fenced funding of £150 million per year for each of 2013-14 and 2014-15 to support the provision of PE and sport in primary schools. This funding was extended in the autumn statement 5 December 2013, Official Report, columns 1101-1113, to include 2015-16. Qualifying schools would be free to use this to extend their pupils' access to swimming lessons and water safety awareness.

Swimming will remain a compulsory part of the new national curriculum. All pupils must be taught to swim at least 25 metres unaided and be able to use recognised swimming strokes by the end of key stage 2. It is also required that a child can demonstrate an understanding of water safety.

The Department's website includes links to the website of the Amateur Swimming Association (the national governing body of swimming in England) which includes detailed advice for teachers about measures to ensure children's safety when swimming.

There is no separate element of school funding that relates specifically to the promotion of safe swimming. In March we committed cross-government funding of £150 million per year across the academic years 2013/14 and 2014/15 to improve the provision of PE and sport in primary schools. This funding can be used to improve a school's provision of swimming.

Swimming will remain a compulsory part of the new national curriculum. All pupils must be taught to swim at least 25 metres unaided and be able to use recognised swimming strokes by the end of key stage 2. It is also required that a child can demonstrate an understanding of water safety.

The Department's website includes links to the website of the Amateur Swimming Association (the national governing body of swimming in England) which includes detailed advice for teachers about measures to ensure children's safety when swimming.

There is no separate element of school funding that relates specifically to the promotion of safe swimming. In March we committed cross-government funding of £150 million per year across the academic years 2013/14 and 2014/15 to improve the provision of PE and sport in primary schools. This funding can be used to improve a school's provision of swimming.

The Department for Education does not hold data concerning the number of schools offering swimming lessons either nationally or in Hampshire.

Under the national curriculum for physical education, it is a requirement that all primary school pupils should be taught to swim at least 25 metres unaided by the time they complete key stage 2.

In March 2013 the Prime Minister announced additional ring-fenced funding of £150 million a year for academic years 2013/14 and 2014/15 to support provision of PE and sport in primary schools. This funding can be used to improve the provision of swimming.

The Secretary of State was recently advised by the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) of the imminent publication of its 2013 state of the nation report on school swimming, “Learning the Lesson”. I expect to meet the chief executive of the association shortly.

ASA was one of a wide number of bodies consulted by the Department prior to the Prime Minister's announcement of new funding for sport and physical education in primary schools in March. In the last month the Secretary of State has also received correspondence from two MPs, both drawing his attention to the ASA report, and from a primary school pupil who asked him if her primary academy could have more swimming lessons.

Swimming has been a compulsory part of the primary national curriculum since 1992, and as such schools should plan to fund its provision from their core budgets.

In March 2013 the Prime Minister announced additional ring-fenced funding of £150 million per year for each of 2013-14 and 2014-15 to support the provision of PE and sport in primary schools. Qualifying schools would be free to use this to extend their pupils' access to swimming lessons.

The Government is committed to ensuring that swimming takes place in schools. Swimming is an important part of the national curriculum, which requires that all pupils must be taught to swim at least 25 metres unaided, and be able to use recognised swimming strokes by the end of key stage 2 (age 11). It also requires that a child can demonstrate an understanding of water safety.

The Secretary of State for Education has said that following the current review swimming will remain compulsory in the national curriculum.

We do not prescribe how teachers should teach swimming, or any other subject, as we believe that individual schools and teachers are best placed to decide how to address the particular needs of their pupils.

The Government is committed to ensuring that swimming takes place in schools. Swimming is an important part of the national curriculum, which sets out that all pupils must be taught to swim at least 25 metres unaided, and be able to use recognised swimming strokes by the end of Key Stage 2 (age 11). It also requires that a child can demonstrate an understanding of water safety. The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), has said that swimming will remain compulsory in the national curriculum following the current review.