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EnglishWhat Water Safety Education Covers and How to Use RLSS UK Resources
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Water safety education teaches the knowledge and behaviours that help people stay safe in, on and around water, with drowning prevention as its core goal. In the UK, the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) frames this around the Water Safety Code and provides free resources for different audiences: Splash Safely at Home for families with young children, Water Smart Schools for primary, secondary and specialist schools, and Rookie Lifeguard for children who want to build lifesaving skills. These sit separately from formal lifesaving qualifications and awards, which are delivered through courses.
What Water Safety Education Is For
RLSS UK describes its vision as "nations without drowning where everyone can safely enjoy being in, on or near water," and says it has shared expertise in water safety, lifesaving and lifeguarding since 1891. Water safety education is the public-facing part of that work: it builds everyday awareness and practical habits rather than certifying professional lifeguards.
The distinction matters when choosing a resource:
| Purpose | Use | Not the same as |
|---|---|---|
| Learning how to stay safe around water | Water Safety Code, Splash Safely at Home, Water Smart Schools | A qualification |
| Building children's rescue and self-rescue skills | Rookie Lifeguard | Professional lifeguard certification |
| Qualifying to work as a lifeguard or instructor | RLSS UK courses and qualifications | General water safety education |
Start With the Water Safety Code
The Water Safety Code is RLSS UK's core teaching tool, described on its site as the way to "keep yourself and others safe in, on and around water." It is the natural first step for any audience because it applies to everyday situations: a family walk beside a river, a school trip near a canal, or a child playing in the bath.
How to use it: read the code, then talk through each point with the people you are responsible for, matching it to places you actually visit. For example, if your family regularly walks a towpath, discuss what to do if someone falls in and where the nearest exit points are. The code gives you the structure; local detail makes it stick.
Match the Resource to the Audience
Families with young children: Splash Safely at Home
This resource shares "simple steps that can help make bath time safer." Bath time is where many young children first meet water, so it is a sensible entry point for parents and carers. Use it to review your own bath routine and to brief anyone else who bathes your child.
Schools: Water Smart Schools
Water Smart Schools is a free accreditation programme for primary, secondary and specialist schools, helping students "gain essential skills for life." Because it is an accreditation programme rather than a one-off lesson, expect a structured process: your school works through the programme's requirements and, on completion, gains accredited status. Check the programme page for current criteria and how to register, since these details can change.
Children who want more: Rookie Lifeguard
Rookie Lifeguard is described as "a fun way for children to expand their water activities and learn valuable lifesaving skills." It suits children who are already comfortable in water and want to go beyond general safety messages. It is a skills-building activity for young people, not a route to professional lifeguarding on its own.
How to Access and Use the Resources
- Go to rlss.org.uk and open the Water Safety or Education Resources sections of the menu.
- Choose by audience: families start with Splash Safely at Home and the Water Safety Code; teachers start with Water Smart Schools; parents of confident swimmers look at Rookie Lifeguard.
- Read the resource page fully before committing, particularly for Water Smart Schools, where accreditation steps and any requirements are set out.
- Put it into practice: run a short family or classroom session using the code, then revisit it before holidays or trips near water.
- Verify current details on the site. The homepage shows a basket and log-in option, which indicates some transactions or member areas exist, but the pages reviewed here do not state prices or access conditions for these education resources. Confirm on each page rather than assuming anything is free or open without registration.
Common Pitfalls
- Treating education as a substitute for supervision. The Water Safety Code builds awareness; it does not replace active adult supervision of children near water.
- Confusing Rookie Lifeguard with a qualification. It builds skills for children; formal lifesaving qualifications and awards are delivered through RLSS UK courses.
- Skipping the local context. Generic messages are weaker than applying the code to the specific beaches, rivers or pools your family or pupils actually visit.
Where This Fits in RLSS UK's Wider Work
RLSS UK reports 18,000+ members and 177,000+ lifesaving qualifications and awards delivered in 2025, alongside campaigns such as Don't Drink and Drown, Winter Water Safety and Summer Water Safety. Water safety education is the entry layer of that system: it reaches everyone, while qualifications and awards train people to act professionally. If your goal is personal or family awareness, start with the Water Safety Code; if it is teaching a class, look at Water Smart Schools; if a child wants practical rescue skills, Rookie Lifeguard is the next step.