Swimming in schools
A Victorian Government initiative and funding for the delivery of quality swimming and water safety education for students.
On this page
The Swimming in Schools initiative provides funding to support the delivery of quality swimming and water safety education so Victorian Government primary, specialist and English Language Schools and Catholic primary school students have the opportunity to:
- learn how to swim
- develop lifelong skills in water safety to reduce their risk of drowning and injury.
By the end of primary school, it is anticipated that students should be able to demonstrate the knowledge and skills identified in the Swimming and water safety resources via HPE Victorian Curriculum F-10.
The Victorian Water Safety Certificate (VWSC) is a Government initiative which describes specific competencies students should be able to achieve by the time they leave primary school. The competencies of the VWSC are part of the achievement standards in the curriculum at level 6.
These are:
- Water Safety Knowledge – understanding safety and rules for a range of aquatic environments
- Swim continuously for 50 metres
- Surface dive, swim underwater and search to recover an object from deep water
- Lifesaving – Understanding how to respond to an emergency by demonstrating DRSAB and the recovery position
- Rescue Skills
- Rescue a person using non-swimming rescue techniques:
- Reach rescue using a non-rigid aid.
- Throw rescue using a weighted rope.
- Throw rescue using a buoyant object and unweighted rope.
- Demonstrating a Survival Sequence wearing light clothing
- Enter the water safely.
- Scull, float and tread water for 2 minutes; signalling for help intermittently.
- Swim survival strokes slowly for 3 minutes.
- Exit the water safely.
Funding for schools
The Swimming in Schools initiative provides funding to support schools to fulfil the swimming and water safety requirements of Health and Physical Education in the Victorian Curriculum F-10.
The Victorian Budget 2024/25 allocated $73.3 million over four years to swimming and water safety education in Victorian government primary, specialist, and English language schools as well as Catholic primary schools. This funding builds on the $131.6 million already invested in swimming and water safety education since 2017.
Included is funding to continue building the capacity within schools and the aquatic industry to assist all students to develop swimming and water safety skills and knowledge. The continuation of professional development for teachers, tools and resources for parents and the aquatics community is also included.
Government schools funding
Funding that contributes towards the cost of swimming and water safety programs for Victorian government primary schools and will be distributed through the Student Resource Package: Swimming in Schools (reference 115).
Catholic schools funding
Catholic primary schools will receive funding directly from the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria.
Additional funding
Schools may be eligible for additional funding through the following programs:
Contact us
Questions relating directly to Swimming in Schools or swimming and water safety programs can be emailed to: school.swimming@education.vic.gov.au
Questions relating to the Parent Payment Policy can be emailed to: parent.payments@education.vic.gov.au
Updated 26 March 2026
Related links
- Swimming Instruction and Water Safety Education
- Swimming Pools on School Grounds
- Physical And Sport Education — Safety
- Swimming and water safety education
About the VIC Government
- The Premier and ministers
- Find a Vic Gov department, agency or service
- Strategies and policies
- Inquiries and royal commissions
Grants and programs
Jobs and careers
Arts, culture and heritage
Business and the workplace
- Mentally Healthy Workplaces Framework
- Portable Long Service Authority
- Victoria’s racing industry
- Workforce Inspectorate Victoria
- Liquor licensing, sale and supply
Communities
- Children
- First Peoples - State Relations
- Finding records
- Gender equality & women’s leadership
- LGBTIQA+ equality
- Multicultural communities
- Seniors Online
- Veterans support and commemoration
- Volunteering in Victoria
- Youth Central
Education and training
- Victorian Early Childhood Regulatory Authority
- Early childhood education – information for professionals
- Kinder: Best Start, Best Life
- Education – information for parents
- Schools.Vic - information for schools
- Education grants, programs, awards and events
- PROTECT
- TAFE, training and universities sector
- TAFE Victoria
- Victorian Skills Authority
- Apprenticeships Victoria
- Learn Local
Environment, water and energy
Finance and economy
Health and social support
- Family violence reform
- NDIS Worker Screening Check
- NDIS and disability services and support in Victoria
- Patient Review Panel
- Transforming Trauma Victoria
Housing and property
Law and justice
- Adoption
- Births, deaths and marriages
- Honorary justices
- Machete ban
- Safeguarding Victorians against terrorism
- Stolen Generations Reparations Package
- Victims of Crime
- Victorian Racing Tribunal
Safety and emergencies
- Emergency Recovery Victoria
- Victorian Emergency Relief and Recovery Foundation
- Emergency Recovery Resource Portal
- How well do you know fire
- Fire Services Reform
- Water safety
- Marine Search and Rescue
Science and technology
- Data sharing and open data
- Data.vic - discover and access Vic Gov open data
- Developer.Vic - portal for API developers
- Go.vic URL shortener
- Vic Gov IT project dashboard
- Victoria’s free public wi-fi network
- Cyber security in the Victorian Government
Sport and recreation
Traffic and transport
- Cameras Save Lives
- Transport Fines
- Getting Around
- Transport Planning
- Transport Future
- Climate Change and transport
- Future Directions For Transport
- Transport projects
- Ports and Freight
Working in the Victorian Government
- Single Digital Presence home
- Accommodation and Library Services
- Executive employment in the Victorian public sector
- Budget, procurement and funding
- Careers in the Victorian Government
- Council and Regulator Toolkit
- Guidelines for working in government
- Join a government network
- Standards and guidelines
- VicFleet CarPool
- Victorian Government style guide