Swimming Lessons with the School

[charliecat]

How do feel about them? I have sent dd to swimming lessons since she was 4 to make sure she has a fair grasp of swimming /water for when this did arise.
Shes now 8 and lessons with the school start after Easter.
Am I being irrational and paranoid thinking some other little bugger might drown her...I think I am...but I cant help it.
How do/did you feel?

[GDG]

As soon as I saw this title it made me think - I'm glad ds1 can swim already so if he did go to school ones he'd be able to hold his own.

For some reason I'd feel uncomfortable about him going to learn to swim with school if he couldn't already iyswim - how could they deal with that many kids?

I'd be neurotic too but I am generally neurotic about most things!

[starlover]

i'd be fine, not that ds is school age yet... but I learned to swim with my school and was fine! afaik no-one drowned!
it wasn't just teachers, we had actual swimming instructors... so its' no different to swimming lessons out of school

[Sparklemagic]

I remember it as being a really lovely little interlude - I think it was weekly for about a half term or maybe even a term. Great fun, no problems - but I think only fun because I could already swim! So it was about having fun, rather than learning to swim and feeling a bit 'vulnerable' in the pool.........

If it were me I would definitely check that there would be lifeguards as well as the teachers - then relax and don't worry!

[foxinsocks]

do you know which pool they will be swimming in? If you have any time during the week, pop in and see what the staff are like with the school kids (if you're in a large city/town, there will probably be lessons on at most times during the school day).

I have seen whole classes go to lessons at our pool and actually, I was surprised at how well they manage all the children. They split them up into 2 groups - basically those who can swim, those who can't. Those who can't get a separate teacher. Those who can go into the bigger pool and do stroke lessons etc. The teaching staff keep a close eye on them, there are lifeguards and normally a helper/helpers from school so the lessons I have seen, they are VERY quick to come down on ANY silly behaviour!

[Hadalifeonce]

I helped out with ds school swimming lessons last year (key stage 1) They were split into 3 groups, total beginners, with 2 teachers in the pool and 1 on the side, non-swimmers, I was in the water and 1 teacher on the side, and swimmers, with an instructor on the side. there was a lifeguard in attendance at all times. All the children wore arm bands at the beginning until they prooved to be competant or confident without. The total beginners never took them off, but it was fantastic to watch children who were afraid to let go of the side at the start of the term, start to enjoy playing around in the water. Safety is every schools prority these days.

[RTKangaMummy]

At DS school they swim in the school pool 3 times a week

Parents can volunteer to help either in the pool or on the side - helping with swimming hats - which is actually a nightmare if they have long hair - and the parents haven't put any talcum powder in

I don't go in the water but help on the side

DS is in class 6 now and so they don't have parents in the water

[snailspace]

They will almost certainly give the top group the least experienced swimming teacher, but they will be well used to school groups and there is usually a higher concentration of challenging kids likely to attempt drownings in the lower groups. I think she'll be safe enough, but may not learn all that much - all they are often interested in is ensuring that everyone can swim 25m (which is the key stage 2 target).

[charliecat]

Really, well dd can swim 25 m on her back but not on her front. She stops half width way for a breather!!!!!!!
Glad im not the only neurotic and pleased top hear the positive safety storys, feeling less nervous about it now :)

[happilyconfused]

As far as I am concerned this should be an option for competent. DD has to go once a week but can already swim over 2000 metres and has her swimming grade 7. Really annoys me that I have to pay for extra school swimming lessons when they are of no benefit to her other than to act as a demo model for other kids. DD could spend her time at school doing something else other wasting her time and my money achieve a 25 metre swimming tick for KS2. With the more able kids out of the way then the less confident swimmers would be able to blossom I am sure.

Sorry just a bit p**d that I have to write yet another cheque to the school!!

....and before you all start - yes I know it is a ruse to cover teacher PPA time on the cheap and for the school to stay within budget.

[joelalie]

I'm a bit confused as to why you seem to think that they'll just chuck the kids in and leave them !!! DS's class had 4 groups of different competences - each had their own instructor. The lessons were in the local pool so there were several lifeguards present.

DS was able to swim more or less - but only thanks to us teaching him - we would have been delighted to pay for lessons for him but there were massive waiting lists for all the lessons locally, so we were extremely pleased to be offered lessons at school.

[swedishmum]

It's not very popular round here but not for the safety aspect. Same as HC - mine are good but not amazing swimmers but there are some real stars of local swimming clubs at the school. Not only do we pay hugely as we are very rural so coach costs loads, they are also missing 10% of curriculum time a week to be in the water between 25 and 35 mins depending on traffic. I'd say 95% of the class could do 25m before even starting school.

[ma2cra]

Which areas have to pay for swimming lessons?

Ours are free, and until a family moved from another county I'd never heard of parents having to pay for swimming sessions at school.

[swedishmum]

Kent, though it's mainly or all transport I think. Rural schools suffer on all trips this way.

[ma2cra]

The family that have moved here came from Kent.

Wonder if any other areas charge for swimming lessons?

[charliecat]

Kent 19.50 a term

[charliecat]

tunbridge wells, you in kent too?

[rickman]

Kent - £35 for 10 weeks!!!! Dd starts after easter, she can't swim at all and I hadn't even thought to worry about it. Now I am of course!

[charliecat]

Is there, if you cant afford it come and talk to the headteacher clause on your form rickman, theres not on mine, usually there is on 7.50 school trips. I wondered whether I would be the only dumbass to pay while everyone else says well it didnt say you HAD to.

[nutcracker]

My kids started going swimming when they were at nursery and neither could swim then and they were absolutly fine.

[swedishmum]

Ours is about £35 now too - not sure as ds's class not swimming this term. That's outside Ashford.