The National Swimming and Water Safety Framework's ultimate goal is to increase the swimming and water safety skills of all Australians for lifelong safe and active participation in physical aquatic activities and recreation.

It sets out a core structure to enable people to develop the skills, knowledge, understanding, attitudes and behaviours they need to enjoy a range of aquatic environments safely. The Framework is intended for those that influence the learning opportunities and experiences for swimming and water safety education and guides those responsible for developing, providing or selecting a swimming and water safety program.

Research Underpinning the framework

Research into how swimming and water safety skills are attained has informed the development of the Framework.

Listen to the video to learn more about some of the key findings from the research that underpins the Framework and what it aims to achieve.

The framework at a glance

The Framework provides three benchmarks for children at age 6, 12 and 17 years. It aims to inform Government policy makers and swim schools, but is an important resource for parents to understand the lifelong benefits that learning to swim provides.

National Benchmarks

The Australian Water Safety Council has established three National Benchmarks for Swimming and Water Safety Education as the desired competency standards every Australian should have the opportunity to acquire and maintain. The National Benchmarks provide a clear description of student learning and are therefore, a useful starting point or driver for the development of teaching and learning programs. The benchmarks allow teachers to monitor student learning and to make judgements about student progress and achievement. These National Benchmarks for Swimming and Water Safety Education can be achieved by progressing through the development milestones of the National Swimming and Water Safety Framework.