Yesterday, we were delighted to welcome members of our local Coastguard team into school to deliver a Water Safety Assembly. Living so close to the sea, we know how lucky we are to enjoy coastal life – especially as the weather gets warmer and holidays by the water become more common. With this in mind, we wanted to ensure our children were reminded of key safety messages to help them stay safe near the water.

The children were enthusiastic and shared lots of their existing knowledge, but we were all grateful for a timely refresher. A particularly important takeaway was the message: ‘Float to Live‘. This means:

• Lie on your back in a star shape
• Keep your head tilted back with ears in the water
• Use your hands gently to move the water
• Stay calm and float until help arrives or you feel ready to move to safety

We also learned that the Solent—the stretch of water between the Isle of Wight and the mainland—is one of the busiest waterways in the UK, used daily by ferries, yachts, and cargo ships. This makes understanding water safety even more important for our community.