Swimming and water safety education

​Information to help schools to deliver swimming and water safety education programs.

The Victorian Curriculum F-10 requires schools to deliver swimming and water safety education as part of the Health and Physical Education curriculum.

Teach swimming and water safety

Resources offering support for schools, families and swimming providers, as well as professional development training opportunities for school and swimming providers are available from:

Professional development workshops

As part of the Public Water Safety Initiative with the Department of Education and Training, Life Saving Victoria has developed a suite of professional development workshops to directly support staff teaching swimming and water safety education.  

For more information on upcoming workshops, and to access past workshop recordings and Swimming and Water Safety Education resources, visit Victorian Life Saving or call (03) 9676 6940.

Policy information for principals

Principals, administrators and school leaders are reminded that all requests for parent payments relating to swimming programs must be in accordance with the Department’s Parent Payment Policy.

Read the full Swimming instruction and water safety policy
Available in the Policy and Advisory Library
Read the full Parent Payments policy
Available in the Policy and Advisory Library

Funding information

For information on funding provided to Government schools, read:  Swimming in Schools (Reference 115)

Catholic primary schools will receive funding directly from the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria.

Additional funding

Students and schools may be eligible for additional funding to assist with swimming and water safety programs through:

Contact us

For questions relating to the Parent Payment policy, email: parent.payments@education.vic.gov.au

For questions relating directly to swimming and water safety education, email: school.swimming@education.vic.gov.au