Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will request Ofsted to record how many children leave primary school able to swim.

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.