School makes strong statement about water safety
Students at William Brookes School in Much Wenlock were awarded with RLSS (Royal Life Saving Society UK) accreditation: national Water Smart Schools Gold Award. This certification recognises the commitment the school shows to water safety.
The Water Smart Schools Award allows students to learn how to stay safe in and around water. Due to the geographic location of William Brookes School, a stone’s throw from the River Seven, it is particularly important that students are educated in keeping themselves safe around water. Many William Brookes School students live in Ironbridge, Buildwas, Leighton, Coalbrookdale, Coalport, Horsehay and Broseley which all have close proximity to large expanses of open water.
Acting Headteacher, Ruth Shaw, said ‘We regularly remind students of the need to be safe around water and share relevant safety information with parents via social media, however this RLSS accreditation is a genuine statement about our commitment to water safety. We want our children to make the most of our river-side location, but also understand the very real dangers that can exist without the right education’
Students said: "The water safety was a lot of fun and very important"; "lifesaving skills was great fun as we paired up with another person and took turns saving each other" and "Water safety is important because people die every year from not knowing the basics to water safety; not knowing how to swim, not knowing how unsafe the water can be."
According to the Royal Life Saving Society UK, in 2022, there was a 46 per cent increase in the number of child accidental drownings, compared to the 5-year average. This tragically equates to 35 accidental child fatalities. William Brookes School are committed to ensuring that students can enjoy being in and around water safely - be that in the school swimming pool or when walking by the River Seven.
The Water Smart Schools Award programme provides an accessible framework for schools to help them facilitate essential water safety knowledge and skills in their students.
The initiative provides schools with all the necessary materials to deliver water safety education. This approach allows whole school and community involvement and encourages greater understanding of water safety issues.
Year 9 students benefited from a field trip to Alderford Lake, additional first aid education, the delivery of practical swimming and water safety in a water environment, bespoke school assemblies and a revised Personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) programme.
By Ruth Shaw - Contributor
