Optional: remind the children of the PSHE agreement created in the Introductory lesson: Setting rules for RSE & PSHE lessons and recap the agreed rules. If needed, upload an image of the agreement to the Presentation: PSHE agreement.
Before you continue
This is preview content for the 2026-27 academic year. Your feedback will help us improve these units.
Learning objective
- To explain how to stay safe in, on and around water.
Success criteria
- I can identify hazards in different water settings.
- I can explain why these water hazards are dangerous.
- I can recognise common water safety signs.
- I can describe safe actions to take if I feel unsafe or if someone is in danger in water.
National curriculum
RSE and Health Education
Being safe
Curriculum content:
- How to ask for advice or help for themselves or others, and to keep trying until they are heard. Where to get advice e.g. family, school and/or other sources.
Personal safety
Curriculum content:
- How to recognise risk and keep safe around roads, railways, including level crossings, and water, including the water safety code.
Basic first aid
Curriculum content:
- How to make a clear and efficient call to emergency services if necessary, including the importance of reporting incidents rather than filming them
See RSE Statutory guidance– contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Cross-curricular links
Pupils should be taught to:
- Describe and understand key aspects of: physical geography, including: climate zones, biomes and vegetation belts, rivers, mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes, and the water cycle.
Before the lesson
This lesson includes the option to upload an image of the class’s PSHE agreement to the Presentation: PSHE agreement (see Teacher knowledge).
Watch
Watch
Check all images, videos, links and presentation slides are suitable for your class.
- Presentation: PSHE agreement (optional – see Teacher knowledge).
- Presentation: Anagrams.
- Presentation: Water safety.
- Presentation: Water safety rules.
- Whiteboards and pens.
- Photographs of open water in the local area (Optional – see Teacher knowledge).
- Wonder box (see Wrapping up).
Prepare this lesson in presentation mode
Choose what to show your class.
Print in advance of the lesson.
Activity: Hazard, danger, action cards (one between two, pre-cut).
Resource: Hazard or not (one teacher copy).
Subject knowledge
- This lesson introduces aspects of the Water Safety Code but does not cover it in detail. The full guidance is taught in Upper Key Stage 2.
- Water hazards are dangers in and around water that can increase the chance of harm. For example, steep or slippery banks, low temperature, hidden obstacles, reeds and weeds, dirty water, currents and the tide.
- Different water settings carry different risks. Open water, such as rivers, lakes, canals and the sea, is not controlled like a swimming pool, so conditions can change and there may not be a lifeguard present. Water safety signs give warnings or instructions to help people avoid danger.
- In an emergency near water, children should get help from a trusted adult or lifeguard straight away. If no adult is available, they should call 999 and explain what has happened, where it is and which emergency service is needed.
- Explain that children should not enter the water to rescue someone. They should also not throw anything attached to a rope or pole into the water. They can help by throwing something that floats and is not attached to anything else, such as a ball, a large bottle or a branch.
Misconceptions
The children may think that:
- ‘If water looks calm, it is safe’ — hazards such as depth, cold temperature, current and tide can make water dangerous even when it looks calm.
- ‘Drowning always looks loud and obvious’ — drowning can be quick and quiet, so it may not look like shouting or splashing.
- ‘If someone is in trouble, I should jump in to help’ — children should not enter the water. They should get an adult or a lifeguard, call 999 and throw something that floats.
- ‘Water safety signs are only suggestions’ — signs give important warnings and instructions that help prevent accidents.
- ‘A lifeguard will always be there at the seaside or near water’ — lifeguards are not present at all locations or at all times, so pupils should always choose safe actions and get help quickly.
Lesson organisation
Uploading images to a presentation
This lesson has the option to upload an image of the class’s PSHE agreement to the Presentation: PSHE agreement.
- Open Presentation mode.
- Prepare the lesson with the chosen resources.
- Select the cloud icon.
- Select the ‘Upload image’ button and choose the saved image.
The image will appear in the Presentation: PSHE agreement to display within the lesson.
Open water images
During the Attention grabber and Main event ‘Hazard, risk, action!’ game, photographs of open water in the local area could be used in addition to the examples provided. For the Attention grabber, they could be uploaded as additional slides when preparing Presentation mode. For the ‘Hazard, risk, action!’ game, these would need to be printed and added to the Activity: Hazard, risk, action cards.
Examples could include:
- Canals, rivers and streams.
- Beach and coastal areas.
- Lakes and reservoirs.
The information within this section provides basic generic guidance only and is not tailored to the circumstances of your school or class. You must ensure you refer to and follow your own school’s health & safety policy and complete any necessary risk assessments. It is the teacher’s responsibility to check all resources and lesson content to ensure it is suitable for their class setting.
If you know a child has specific issues, consider discussing the lesson with them in advance and adapting it as needed. They might benefit from adult support. If problems emerge during the lesson, consult your Senior Leadership Team. It is the teacher’s responsibility to check all resources and lesson content to ensure it is suitable for their class setting.
Sensitivities
Water safety
- Some children may feel anxious when discussing drowning, water rescues or calling 999. Reassure pupils that the purpose is to help them stay safe. Most risks can be reduced by spotting hazards and following rules and, if an accident does happen, they should get adult help quickly rather than attempting a rescue themselves.
- Some children may have personal experience of water-related accidents, loss or traumatic events. Remind children they can use the wonder box or speak to a trusted adult privately if the content worries them.
- Some children may have limited experience of different water settings or may not be able to swim. Use clear images and avoid assuming prior knowledge or confidence around water.
Hazard perception
- Some pupils may have additional needs that affect hazard perception, attention or processing speed. Provide extra thinking time, minimise sensory overload and offer structured prompts or a simplified role in group tasks.
Lesson plan
1: Recap and recall
Explain that the children will work with a partner to recall and expand on key facts from the last lesson. Display the Presentation: Tell me more and read the two facts aloud. Allow time for a paired discussion. Encourage the children to turn each statement into a longer sentence by adding a reason, example and key vocabulary.
Presentation: Tell me more
Take feedback. The children may suggest:
- “At a zebra crossing, you should stop at the kerb, look both ways and wait for the cars to stop before you cross.”
- “A pelican crossing has lights. You press the button and wait for the green man, then cross safely.”
- “One risk is cars not seeing you, especially if your visibility is low when it is dark.”
- “Another risk is being distracted, like using a phone or listening to music when crossing the road.”
- “You should always stop at the kerb, look and listen before crossing, even if there is a crossing.”
- “If there is an emergency, you can call 999 and speak to the operator to get help from the emergency services.”
- “Cyclists and people on scooters also need to watch for cars and pedestrians because they can cause a risk if they go too fast.”
2: Attention grabber
Review the three key steps to take when making sure we are safe:
- Spot the hazard.
- Understand the danger.
- Choose a safe action.
Pair the children and hand out a whiteboard and a pen to each pair. Show the Presentation: Water safety.
Presentation: Water safety
Show slides 1–6. Ask each pair to write the hazards and warning signs they spot on each slide on their whiteboards. After each slide, take feedback and discuss the hazards and risks that are linked to them, ensuring that a mixture of both visible hazards such as slippery rocks or warning signs and hidden hazards such as the depth (how deep the water is) and temperature (how hot or cold the water is) are explored.
Explain that all of the examples we have seen are open water, meaning water where people might swim, which is not a swimming pool. Share that at the seaside, the tide (rising and falling of the sea level across the day) can change the water level.
Optional: Show some images of open water in the local area and ask the children what hazards they can spot (see Teacher knowledge).
Point out that every water source holds different risks, even if we think it looks the same as somewhere else or is somewhere we have visited before.
Show slide 7.
Ask:
- What hazards or risks would you find at this swimming pool that are similar to those in the water sources we have already looked at? ( Answers may include: slippery surfaces, meaning you could fall into the water or hurt yourself on the hard floor; deep water where you may not be able to touch the bottom; you cannot tell the temperature until you get in and it may be colder than you expect, which could be a shock. )
- Do all swimming pools have the same hazards and risks? ( No, some pools are not very deep, so you can always touch the bottom; some pools have lifeguards, but others do not. )
Click to reveal Daniel’s top two tips for staying safe around water.
Remind the children that, like every other situation we look at in this unit, we do not need to be afraid of it; we just need to be prepared and follow the steps:
- Spot the hazard.
- Understand the danger.
- Choose a safe action.
3: Main event
1. Explain that there are ways to stay safe in, on and around water that follow the Water Safety Code. Show the Presentation: Water safety rules.
Presentation: Water safety rules
Use slides 1–6 to share the key rules for how to stay safe in water. Define the following terms as they are mentioned:
- Drowning: not being able to breathe in water.
- Lifeguard: a trained adult who keeps people safe in the water.
2. Pair the children and tell them they will play a game called ‘Hazard, danger, action!’
3. Hand out the Activity: Hazard, danger, action cards. Show slide 6 and explain the rules of the game modelling each one with a child as you read it out loud.
4. Circulate around the class as they play and support as needed.
Optional: Add some photographs of open water in the local area to the Activity: Hazard, danger, action cards (see Teacher knowledge).
4: Wrapping up
Ask the children to stand up. Read aloud a scenario from the Resource: Hazard or not. Ask the children to wiggle their bodies if they think the situation is hazardous or sit back down if it is safe. Between each scenario, allow time for the children to explain the hazards to their partner.
Remind the children that, although they know how to stay safe in water, they should never enter the water without an adult nearby.
Give the children time to reflect on the enquiry question: Why can water be dangerous?
Wonder box
Remind the children to use the wonder box if they have any comments or questions. Explain that if they need an adult to help them, they should write their name or initials on their note.
Extended-mode explainer videos
How to extend your display to view the lesson page and presentation mode simultaneously. Choose your operating system below to watch the video
If you need further support with extending your display,
please contact [email protected].
Extended-mode explainer video: For Mac
Extended-mode explainer video: For Windows
Adaptive teaching
Children who need support:
- Could find one hazard only from the cards in the Activity: Hazard, danger, action cards and then move to the next card.
- Could use the three-step safety structure to explain risks clearly by repeating the sentence starters, ‘I spotted… This is dangerous because… A safe action is…’
Children working at greater depth:
- Should compare two water settings in the cards shown in the Activity: Hazard, danger, action cards by explaining one similarity and one difference in hazards using the sentence starters, ‘Both… but…’
- Should include at least one hidden hazard (for example, cold water, depth changes or poor visibility) and explain why it increases risk using, ‘This is risky because…’.
Assessing progress and understanding
Pupils with secure understanding can:
- Identify hazards in different water settings, including less visible risks such as depth, current, tide and temperature.
- Explain why water hazards are dangerous, for example how deep water, strong currents or cold temperatures can cause harm.
- Recognise common water safety signs and explain what they are warning people about.
- Describe safe actions to take if someone is in danger in water, including getting help straight away, using something that floats, such as a ball or branch, not entering the water, calling 999 and speaking clearly to the operator.
Pupils working at greater depth can:
- Explain how the same hazard can be more or less dangerous in one water setting than another, for example, how current and depth in a river or tide at the coast can change what a safe action looks like.
- Justify the safest action by comparing more than one possible response for the same scenario, including explaining why some actions are unsafe even if they seem helpful.
Vocabulary definitions
-
bank
The sloping edge of a river, lake or canal.
-
current
Water flowing in one direction.
-
depth
How deep something is.
-
drowning
Not being able to breathe in water.
-
lifeguard
A trained adult who keeps people safe in the water.
-
open water
Water where people swim, that is not a swimming pool.
-
temperature
How hot or cold something is.
-
tide
The rising and falling of the sea level across the day.
In this unit
Assessment - RSE & PHSE Y4: What signs help me recognise what is safe or unsafe?
Lesson 1: How can I tell if a situation is unsafe?
Lesson 2: What do I do if a situation feels unsafe?
Lesson 3: How can I stay safe around traffic?
Lesson 4: Why can water be dangerous?
Lesson 5: What drugs are safe or unsafe?
Lesson 6: How can I prevent accidents?
Maintained by: Kapow Primary team
Last update: 3rd June, 2026
Contributors
