Not all Harrogate area primary schools are hitting mandated swimming targets, new Freedom of Information (FOI) data from the BBC reveals.

Even more concerning, the worst performing primary schools – where as many as two in every five pupils cannot swim to the required standard – are those with some of the highest proportions of deprived pupils.

This appears to fit the national trend, which shows a correlation between a higher number of pupils eligible for free school meals, and a lower percentage of year six pupils who can swim.

The Stray Ferret compiled all the available the data for primary schools across the Harrogate district. You can view the BBC's data for your local school here.

Schools not meeting national standard

Government regulations demand that councils provide sufficient teaching to ensure year six pupils can use a range of strokes, perform a self-rescue (including being able to tread water for one minute), and swim 25 metres.

We found that, against this metric, four of the six worst-performing schools in the district are also those with some of the highest number of students eligible for free school meals.

These are: 

• Saltergate Junior School (60% swimming ability)
• Grove Road Community Primary School (60%)
• Willow Tree Community Primary School (66%)
• New Park Primary Academy (68%)

All four of these schools are in Harrogate.

Only two schools in the bottom six for swimming proficiency were not among the schools with the highest take-up of free school meals. They were St Peter's CE Primary School in Harrogate (65%), and Ripon Cathedral CE Primary School (63%).

Swimming is 'not just a hobby'

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Tom Gordon said the gap in swimming ability posed a water-safety concern.

He suggested that not enough was currently being done to support disadvantaged children in learning to swim. He said: