To want my money back for these expensive private swimming classes?

[NotMyPenguin]

Genuinely not sure if I'm being unreasonable.

DD (3) had some private swimming classes last year which she loved. It was just for a term, so she didn't learn to swim, but it got her confident going in to the water and excited about learning things like kicking, putting her face in the water etc. The classes are private but with one other child.

I just booked for another term -- 12 lessons at £30 each (just my DD's share). It was labelled as a non-swimmers class. And DD went off to her first class with my mum.

Apparently it was a disaster. The first thing I heard her say when I asked how it was was 'I didn't like it'. She told my mum she would rather have been at home. My mum says that the other little girl in the class was able to swim, which DD can't, but DD was asked to do all the same things as her, and valiantly tried but couldn't (for example, putting her head underwater and kicking at the same time). It's completely put her off swimming.

We've only had one class, but I've paid for the whole lot (£360!) and their cancellation policy says they'll only refund up to 50%. But I really don't think it was a non-swimmers class, and I also don't think the teacher can be very good if it's had this terrible effect - she always used to love her classes and get so excited about them.

AIBU to want a full refund? I know it's early days, but I don't want to persevere and have the experience put her off completely.

[CaulkheadNorth]

What did the teacher say when you spoke to her about it?

[ThePinkOcelot]

£360?! Wow, that's expensive! What's wrong with lessons at your local pool?

[Allthewaves]

I'd be asking why the girl she was paired with can swim for a start and see what they say.

[RedBugMug]

yabu speak to the teacher first. they should be able to adapt for your dc and make it fun --so they want to return.

[AnnieHallScotland]

Hmmm before you rush into cancelling, could you take her to the next lesson? Maybe if she is used to going with you she might feel more comfortable trying new things? Also you could have a chat with the teacher, see if she can tailor the class for your daughter as a non swimmer?

It does sound very expensive though, so well worth making sure you can get your money's worth!

[NotMyPenguin]

My DM took her, so I haven't had a chance to talk to anyone there yet.

Basically, apparently DD would try really hard to do everything but was struggling, but didn't either cry or say anything (she's kind of like that). So I think the teacher kept going using the same kind of approach, and my DM didn't say anything other than to point out that it was much more advanced that what DD was used to...

[NeverTwerkNaked]

£30 a lesson

[ThreeFish]

Speak to the instructor.
First class of a term could well have been assessing what each pupil could already do, and how confident they are.
Putting head in the water and kicking - you've said yourself she was practicing last term.
You weren't there and didn't see. The other little girl might be a bit better at that than your DD but still not be actually able to swim.
Asking for a refund already is a bit soon imo.

[LittleOwl153]

Try requesting a change in swim partner to someone of equivalent level? Was other child a full on swimmer or just more confident to do more. I ask as ds is in a class of 4 'non-swimmers' who vary from having to be strongly persuaded to wet face to spending lots of time being a submarine (ds)!

[NotMyPenguin]

PinkOcelot, the local pool doesn't do classes for non-swimmers. I've had real trouble finding anywhere else that we can get to.

RedBug, I guess I'm concerned that she was booked into a non-swimmer's class and the teacher didn't do this! I just feel like I shouldn't need to specify that it should be appropriate to her level and fun rather than scary.

Waves, that's a really good idea, I think I will ask them this tomorrow as it must have been hard for the teacher to have to accommodate two children who were at different levels.

[PumpkinPie2016]

I would have a chat with the teacher first as it could be easily solved - with only two children it should be fairly straight forward to do something different with your daughter.

£360 is a heck of a lot though - can you investigate your local pool for future lessons? Ours charges £50 a term for small groups.

[NeverTwerkNaked]

Agree with owl Dd is same age and would be put in a "non swimmer" class as she has no technique etc but she has a ridiculous amount of water confidence and "swims" several metres at a go in this crazy wiggling motion
Before doing anything rash i would talk to the teacher, but that is an astonishing amount to pay for lessons!

[Notcontent]

That's expensive even for private lessons! My DD had private one to one lessons a few years ago and it was £20 for 30 minutes (in London).

[ChrissieS79]

I read "12 lessons for £30" and thought wow, that's good.... Then read it again. :-o I'm in the wrong line of work!

[NotMyPenguin]

I know it's really expensive, I think that's partly why I'm so disappointed.

To be fair, when we did the classes for a term last year it was genuinely amazing and DD was so excited about it. It's just so different this time.

[Crumbs1]

I'd get a refund and take her swimming myself.

[catkind]

For 1:2 the price doesn't surprise me - private lessons are usually more than £10 for 1:6 around here.

I wouldn't give up straight away, but speak to the teacher (or email) to say what happened, that DD was really upset, and what can they do to make it work for your DD.

FWIW I know a few sibling pairs who share a private lesson succesfully and are at far more different levels; even at 1:6 lessons DC do there are often wildly different levels in the class and their teacher makes it work for all of them without anyone feeling bad.

Is it the same teacher as last term or a different teacher at the same swim school? There is one teacher I won't send DD with any more at our swim school - DS liked the challenge, DD was just traumatised by the high expectations and shouting.

You've paid a lot of money and they need to make this work for your DD. Whether that means a different partner, a different teacher, or just a better lesson plan. I don't think you will get your money back if you give up without trying to fix the problem first though.

[NotMyPenguin]

I'm worried they won't want to give me a refund :-/

Didn't want to take her swimming myself in case I put her off! (I love swimming but totally out of my depth when it comes to teaching DD how). But since this is putting her off anyway, it's true... at least that would be free!

[arethereanyleftatall]

I'm a swimming teacher. The can't believe how expensive that is. £30 pp so £60 for 2? For 30 mins? You have every right to expect everything you want for that kind of money. To be fair to the teacher, as your dd didn't say anything, she wouldn't have known she was doing things out of her comfort zone.
I wouldn't say kicking and submersion simultaneously classifies someone as a swimmer, that's one of the first basic things to teach.

[NotMyPenguin]

Thanks catkind, that's really good advice.

It's a different teacher from the same swim school. I don't know if the problem is more about the two children being at different levels, or her style (which is, like you say, high expectations and -- not shouting, but being quite stern, apparently).

[RandomMess]

Depending on how the discussion goes with the teacher an option would be to postpone the classes if the teacher can't cope with 2 DC of such differing abilities!

[ThouShallNotPass]

Wow they're expensive. Our 1:10 lessons are £4.40 a session (10 week block) and £8.80 a session for 1:1. At £30 for half an hour you can hire a professional swimmer to take DD and teach her alone!

Speak to the pool and request that they transfer your paid sessions to a genuine non-swimmer's class.

[melj1213]

TBH considering you have 3rd party information from your DM/DD and nothing from the actual teacher I would want to speak to them first before doing anything drastic like demanding a refund or refusing to go back.

[confuugled1]

Did you know that you were going to get a different teacher?

if the different teacher is having such a big effect on your dd's attitude and you're not finding the teacher to be of the same standard as the previous one, then it's definitely worth talking to them about it and seeing if you could swap to be with the other teacher...

[Blossomdeary]

I paid for lessons at an LA pool for one of my DDs, who was blind as a bat without her glasses. The teacher put her right off by splashing water in her face to "get her used to the water" - poor lass couldn't see what was happening and prepare for a face full of water. I got my money back.