Skills for Life: Building Water Safety Awareness in Years 5 and 6
At Radnor House Sevenoaks, we believe that learning to swim is just the beginning and knowing how to stay safe in open water is a life skill that can truly make a difference. Over the past few weeks, our Year 5 and Year 6 pupils have been taking their swimming lessons to the next level by focusing on essential open water safety and personal survival skills - lessons that could one day save lives.
While swimming pools offer a controlled environment, open water spaces such as rivers, lakes, and the sea present unpredictable challenges. Through these practical, hands-on sessions, our pupils not only improved their swimming abilities but also built crucial awareness of how to stay calm and make smart decisions in, potentially dangerous situations.
Throughout the course, the children practised real-life survival techniques including:
- Treading Water: Staying afloat with coordinated arm and leg movements, conserving energy while awaiting rescue.
- The H.E.L.P. Position (Heat Escape Lessening Position): Learning how to minimise heat loss in cold water, especially when wearing a life jacket, to increase survival time.
- Back Floating: A life-saving technique that allows individuals to rest, breathe, and stay visible even when tired or injured.
- Signalling for Help: Practising how to call for assistance effectively while remaining safe and stable in the water.
- Group Survival: Understanding the importance of staying close together or holding on to a floating object to improve chances of rescue.
These sessions weren’t just about technique - they were about building confidence, resilience, and life-long awareness. The children’s enthusiasm, focus, and maturity throughout the programme have been exceptional, and we are very proud of their progress. Mr Waite, Director of Swimming, shared "It’s been fantastic to watch the pupils grow in confidence as they’ve learned these essential skills. They’ve really embraced the challenge and it’s been great seeing them enjoy the process while developing knowledge that could one day make all the difference."
This vital learning is part of our school’s wider commitment to empowering students with practical life skills beyond the classroom. These sessions are a valuable part of our commitment to ensuring every child gains confidence in and around water, and we encourage families to talk to their children about what they’ve learned. Together, we can help ensure that every child feels safer and more capable in and around open water.
