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Water safety and swimming education

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​​​​​​​​​​​The Queensland Government is committed to providing a high quality water safety and swimming education program and developed the:

Water safety and swimming a​​udit

On 7 February 2023, the Department of Education sent a data c​ollection survey to state school principals with a Prep to Year 6 cohort, special schools and schools of distance education to gain an understanding of how water safety and swimming was delivered across Queensland.​

View a copy of the water safety and swimming education programs in Queensland state schools audit report.​

School requirements

In line with the department’s P–12 Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Framework, Queensland state schools are required to provide a water safety and swimming education program in Prep to Year 6. They are encouraged to implement the program as part of the delivery of the Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education.

Individual state schools determine how they provide their water safety and swimming education program in line with the statement of expectations: water safety and learn to swim programs. This statement provides additional information about targeted programs, training, qualifications and competencies.

Schools must complete a Curriculum Activity Risk Assessment (CARA) ​that complies with the requirements outlined in the specific water location guidelines. Additional risks, hazards and control measures supplied by an external provider must be included with this risk assessment.

Funding​

The Queensland Government has made a commitment of an additional $500,000 to support water safety and swimming education in Queensland state schools.

The funding will be available to state primary and special schools without a pool who have unique circumstances that present a barrier to implementation and are not able to fund the program from the school budget.

​Information regarding the new process for this funding will be communicated to schools later in Term 3.

​Water Safety and Swimming Education program

To support schools to implement water safety and learn to swim programs, the Department of Education has developed the water safety and swimming education program. All resources are based on current water safety and learn to swim best practice and are aligned to the:

  • national swimming and water safety framework
  • Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education (HPE) achievement standards and content descriptions.

The program provides 8 lessons for each band of years (Prep, Years 1 and 2, Years 3 and 4, Years 5 and 6, Years 7 and 8, and Years 9 and 10). Supporting materials for implementing the program include guidelines, sequence of competency, competency checklists, glossary and curriculum alignment resources. The program is available to all Queensland state and non-state schools and can also accessible via Scootle.​

​For further information, enquiries can be sent to water.safety@qed.qld.gov.au.​

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Last updated 01 August 2023