Swimmers with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND)
Last updated:The Equality Act ensures that disabled persons may not be treated less well than any other person. Policies and procedures or physical changes to the environment (reasonable adjustments) may need to be put into place to ensure pupils with disabilities are able to learn to swim. However, there remains the caveat that justifiable actions for the protection of an individual’s life or health and safety override the duty to include.
Adults in the water are only able to supervise the swimmer they are assisting and should not be counted in the supervision ratios, although they do count in the bather load (thus pool capacity). Lifeguarding/pool watching duties must be carried out by qualified staff on the side of the pool.
Physiotherapists should have completed a course in managing hydrotherapy activities.
A variety of skills are required stemming from an assessment of each pupil’s individual requirements. For schools with hydrotherapy pools, at least two members of staff poolside should have undertaken a minimum of Swim England Support Teacher of School Swimming Certificate.
Staff supporting pupils in the water should work with experienced staff. This induction can take place within or between schools.
Useful links
Download the AfPE Handbook which provides guidance for school staff on considerations and teaching advice for working with pupils with specific conditions within PE and School Swimming.
Visit the Swim England Inclusion Hub
Important Information
Adult: pupil ratio - This should not be determined in accordance with any swimming-specific written guidelines that may exist.
A safe ratio can only be determined by carefully examining individual pupils' abilities, medical profiles, and EHCP’s in conjunction with relevant medical staff. For example, specialist knowledge is required when planning for pupils who are nil-by-mouth or require thickened drinks. These pupils should never take any pool water into their mouths due to the risk of secondary drowning. These activity programmes usually involve multidisciplinary teaching by a group of professionals; for example swimming teacher; a class teacher; learning support/care assistants and a physiotherapist.
(Association for Physical Education, AfPE, ‘Safe Practice in Physical Education, School Sport and Physical Activity’2020)
As a guide, Swim England recommends a ratio of 8:1 for qualified swimming teachers for high-quality provision, with 1:1 support in the water where the RA requires. Ratios for Special schools will be much lower and individual Risk Assessments are key in determining these ratios. For school staff who have attended either the Support Teacher of School Swimming or ‘Supporting Pupils within SEND during their School Swimming courses, a ratio of 3:1 is recommended as a guide.