To think I'm being ripped off?

They're 100% ripping you off after a year he should be confidently swimming unaided my kids learnt within a few days on holiday I wouldn't of let it go on this long tbh

I would ring/go and talk to some other swimming providers near you and asertain if how you’re feeling is correct. I’d feel similar to you-my little one is 3 and has just started swimming lessons and they are already encouraging swimming unaided and he’s only been going around 6 weeks. He’s no where near close but is at least being taught it.

When my kids were little we lived in a country where we didn't have regular access to a swimming pool.

We came back to the UK for a holiday and got them 3 lessons each. They learned to swim.

A year seems long.

This is nuts. My kids were all swimming by six without private lessons and none of them are particularly skilled physically. We just taught them on family swims and holidays.

This and the previous post. Children can learn to swim in a couple of weeks. I taught all three of mine. No holding them up, though. Never out of their depth the first time. They needed to feel confident they could touch down if they wanted to. If they did go a bit deeper, they learned to push off the floor back up again. It’s all about confidence. Like riding a bike is. They were swimming underwater more than on the surface in no time. I had forgotten we used to get them to lunge after an armband. Make games. Have fun.

Seems to me it profits official teachers to draw it out.
I never had a lesson from parent or ‘teacher’.
When we went to the baths, my mother would go off for her swim and leave me at the shallow end. I taught myself. Simply in shoulder deep water, leaning forward with a push of my feet to try to lie flat on top of the water and trying to move my arms like my mother was doing. Got there after a few tries. Only 2 or 3 strokes at first . Built up to moving distances over a couple of weeks. I went 2 times a day as an adult for some years. I swam at least a mile each time.

They shouldn’t be taught to swim with aids at all! If I were you I’d look elsewhere, by 6 they should be somewhat competent in the water.
can you find an intensive swim class? Some places do a week or two of daily lessons in school holidays, this might be a good option if it’s available?

My dc couldn't swim I couldn't see progress so we moved lessons and within a few months he was confidently swimming lengths of the pool unaided

As a (long time).ex-swim teacher - accepting things have changed. You should be able to get your kids swimming the basics on holiday provided you are confident in the water yourself.

Get them out of their depth - but stay within yours. Have them on their tummies hold their hands - kicking their feet head into the water out to breath. Do the same.on their backs - you can put your arm under the arch of the back to supprt rather than holding hands..on the back is then the easiest way to 'set them free' independently.once they have the floating/ balance and legs then add the arms....

But I do absolutely.agree with those saying swimming is a necessity and a life skill - whilst appreciating it's isn't cheap these days.

My son was with one swimming school for a year and was still in the same group as when he started, and he was still being held up in the water by the instructors. We moved him in June and the difference in just that time has been amazing. He can now swim independently!

The old swimming school obviously worked well for loads of kids but it just wasn't right for my son.

My daughter is about to turn 3 and is currently using the float discs for swimming, and usually the poolmnoodles for if they are practising floatind or swimming on their backs. I know all children are different and learn at different paces, but at a ratio of 1:2, with child who isn’t very nervous of the water, I would definitely have expected them to have moved your son on to swimming unaided. Even if he wasn’t yet confident to do that, you should be seeing them attempting/being taught it in the lessons even if there is still some use of flotation aids at other points!

I am a swimming teacher.
What scheme of work is the swim school using?
STA or swim England?
The teachers should be qualified in either, and then perhaps companies write up their own scheme, but it's usually a similar format to STA or SE.

It's not always easy teaching swimming, and it's always hurtful to read about people having such a low opinion of swimming teachers.
Many teachers have little experience and are low paid. I work for a company that charges £60 121 for 30 mins. That's a lot, and I can tell you we don't get anywhere near that amount.
I have many, many years of experience, and I know that we all have something different to offer.

Your child should be further on, so speak with the company. Ask what scheme they follow and why isn't he swimming unaided. It is possible an inexperienced teacher doesn't know how he should be progressing and that the manager has also missed it. It can happen.
Swimming isn't a luxury. It's a life skill, and is non negotiable IMO.
In order to move forward you need to practice. Same goes with reading and practicing times tables.

Good luck 👍.

This

My parents taught all 4 of my dcs to swim and they were all competent swimmers by the end of a 2 week holiday.

My son’s school did a term of swimming once a week in the summer term. DS couldn’t swim at the start and got his 25m badge unaided at the end. I wouldn’t be happy with a year of paid lessons to not be working towards unaided swimming

My granddaughter is 6 and goes to swimming lessons at the local council pool. She can confidently swim 25 metres unaided on her front and her back. . They follow the Swim England approach.
It sounds as though the private lessons are more about money making

At 6 after a year of lessons I agree should be able to swim. Harder when kids start lessons at 4, and can’t hold head up. However, we always went an extra time in the week to practise what we’d learned. I felt the lessons were expensive and it made a difference my kids progressed up the levels quicker than those who didn’t go an extra time. During school holiday (no lessons) but we maintained the twice per week. I think just one half an hour a week maybe it’s not so surprising he can’t swim. But if they don’t anticipate he will be swimming soon I’d look around.

My 6 year old started swimming lessons at the start of the summer holidays (scared of water till a couple months before that), we also joined the pool for 2 months and went swimming 4 times a week during the holidays. He's now very confident with noodle/armbands and has several times discarded his floats in the shallow end and attempted doggy paddle by himself, he makes it a metre or so.
I would expect him to be swimming little unaided by now, but extra swimming at the start really helps as it's all different muscles to what we usually use and 30 minutes a week isn't really long enough to build up.

A huge luxury isn’t swimming weekly with your DCs. It’s essential especially if they’re ever in difficulties in water without DPs.

Definitely this. You should take your child swimming at weekends and in school holidays in a pool or sea.

We were always swimming at every chance and anywhere we went on holiday. On one holiday a girl about 1-2 years older than me who was 9 then took me and DB who was 7 and her younger brother who was also 7 to the local pool without our parents. We were absolutely fine.

I don’t think floats are great either, the shark fin sounds good, we never had that but played pretend sharks with our hands. Fun in the water is key to gaining confidence there.

The only thing I’d change is stroke. I only did front crawl, doggy and backstroke and when I was an adult paid for lessons to improve my stroke overall.

It might be better if during a school holiday they had a lesson every day rather than only once a week. I did this with my 4dc and they are all good swimmers.

My brother and I aged 6 and 7 both learned to swim at a one week free government learn to swim course in the 1970s. He was much better than me even though he was younger but even I learned to swim. We both then went to school swimming club and did our silver personal survival.

I’m a swim instructor and I would definitely say this isn’t lessons.
At 6 a child has a full knowledge of being able to take their own breath and breathe out their bubbles (breath) in water (helping with breathing when freestyle).
I would recommend moving to a different class and maybe check what they are doing.
before any swim lesson programme you check the child’s ability and confidence. If it’s zero then a non confidence class would be recommended to help gain confidence and build up their movement and buoyancy in the water. Eg getting their faces in, using a table to get them moving through the water, in a glide position and get them floating on their back, at first with assistance to eventually unaided.
also doing bits in between classes is a massive help. Depending on how long the lessons are and how much they are improving but also going swimming and being in the water also depends on them improving too. If they are only in the water 30 mins a week it’s not much but after a year there should be huge improvement, especially if not scared of the water and getting their face in.
I have two 8yo who swims breast, free style, back and butterfly. 5yo does freestyle. Patience and consistency is needed and maybe a new teacher. Someone who wants the child to succeed and not just ticking boxes.

I wish you luck in moving forward.

I’m a swim instructor and I would definitely say this isn’t lessons.

At 6 a child has a full knowledge of being able to take their own breath and breathe out their bubbles (breath) in water (helping with breathing when freestyle).

I would recommend moving to a different class and maybe check what they are doing.
before any swim lesson programme you check the child’s ability and confidence. If it’s zero then a non confidence class would be recommended to help gain confidence and build up their movement and buoyancy in the water. Eg getting their faces in, using a table to get them moving through the water, in a glide position and get them floating on their back, at first with assistance to eventually unaided.

also doing bits in between classes is a massive help. Depending on how long the lessons are and how much they are improving but also going swimming and being in the water also depends on them improving too. If they are only in the water 30 mins a week it’s not much but after a year there should be some improvement.

I wish you luck in moving forward.