Water safety training 'should be compulsory' says Bilston school
They teach life-saving skills alongside weekly swimming lessons
A headteacher in Bilston is calling for water safety training to be compulsory in schools, as the weather starts to warm up.
In the Black Country and Shropshire, temperatures will reach above 20 degrees Celsius by the end of the week, according to the Met Office.
How are children being taught water safety at school?
Headteacher at Bilston Church of England Primary School, Gary Gentle, said the warmer weather brings with it the risk children may try and swim in open water.
"I think in the Black Country we have more canals than Venice. It is concerning that there are many youngsters that could not perform safe rescue techniques, if they fell into deep water," he said.
"It can one day save a life"
Bilston Church of England Primary School have been teaching water safety alongside swimming lessons, which have to be done as part of the school curriculum, since Autumn 2024.
Gary told us he believes the curriculum should be changed, to make water safety training mandatory for all children:
"It can one day save a life. That is why I think all children, from as young as 5, should be taught the lifesaving skills," he said.
"There are some children that come to us who have never had a swimming lesson"
Lewis Franks works at the Primary School, he teaches the training alongside local swimming instructors.
"There are some children that come to us who have never had a swimming lesson. We help them to get used to putting their face in the water and going underneath," he said.
That is part of the reason why Headteacher Gary wants the curriculum to be changed, so that the school can teach what parents have not.
"We know we have a duty in school to teach children. That is why our Key Stage 2 children go swimming every single week.
"Being able to swim and knowing how to stay safe in the water is a life-saving skill," he said.