Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

Original poster

Why don't clubs encourage children to succeed anymore?

41 replies

EllieRosesMammy · 13/09/2022 14:32

Not sure if it's exclusive to just the leisure centres in our area (Everyone Active) but my daughter has been attending swim class for over a year now and in the entire time she's had one certificate. They seem to do the same thing every lesson which is mess around with toys. There doesn't seem to be any encouragement to progress. She's almost 5 and has been swimming with me since she was a baby, so she was fairly confident in water before she even started, which is why I was hoping by now she would be starting to show some signs of swimming unaided but she's still relying on pool floats and there doesn't seem to be any encouragement to swim without them. We don't get any feedback on progress from the teachers either. Feels like I'm paying £30 a month for nothing.

OP posts:
SeaThingChild · 13/09/2022 16:39

I think that's awful I'm not surprised you feel like you're wasting your money. DD is 5 and started swimming last September (and had only swam twice before as a family) and is now on Stage 3 of the Swim England learn to swim levels. I'd really recommend you find somewhere that offers this course, ours is just our local leisure centre and we pay £30 a month too. You can track progress and see exactly what they should be learning at each stage which I find really helpful for taking her swimming myself. Getting the certificates really motivates her so I know what you mean. www.swimming.org/learntoswim/swim-england-learn-to-swim-awards-1-7/#

EspeciallyDivided · 13/09/2022 16:05

Is there a swimming club at your pool? Our club runs lessons in an EA sports centre but is completely separate (some teachers work for both though). Might be worth a try, there might be posters on a noticeboard up there or google town name swimming club.

Namechangeforthis88 · 13/09/2022 15:53

Yeah, I took mine out of classes, I swear the lessons made him worse. I wouldn't mind so much if he'd enjoyed it. He made more progress when I just took him to the pool myself with a couple of toys I'd chuck and he'd swim for.

Don't extend that to all clubs though, our champions all start somewhere! I watch Olympic hopefuls being coached on a regular basis. Nothing fancy, same club I go to but youngsters with talent and dedication.

SunflowerOrange · 13/09/2022 15:52

I do know a different swim school here gave a certificate every few weeks. Pretty much for breathing! I dont mind them just doing the actual levels - but progression out of level 2/3 is hard.

Honestly get her swimming privately and slot into a higher class where they are learning technique.

MintJulia · 13/09/2022 15:51

Most swimming teachers use an on-line portal that documents your child's progress against SwimEngland grades.

I suggest you ask for access to the records and if they can't provide, then you move your dc to an accredited teacher.

Original poster
EllieRosesMammy · 13/09/2022 15:46

PuttingDownRoots · 13/09/2022 15:45

Do they have an App where you can track progress?

They've got an app but there's no progress tracker and it never bloody works for anything anyway 🤦‍♀️ for £30 per month I was expecting more

OP posts:
PuttingDownRoots · 13/09/2022 15:45

Do they have an App where you can track progress?

Original poster
EllieRosesMammy · 13/09/2022 15:40

Should of mentioned she did about 6 months at one centre and then we moved her to a different one (as their schedule fit better) still the same company "Everyone Active", been there about 8 months, and it just seems to be just as rubbish as the other one 🤦‍♀️ the only problem with using a different place is every single leisure centre in the area is owned by Everyone Active. So unless private gyms in our area do swim lessons we are stuck! It's not specifically her not getting certificates I'm bothered about, I just know when i was younger there seem to be a lot quicker progression and i was getting certificates most months, whereas now it seems that they don't

OP posts:
SunflowerOrange · 13/09/2022 15:17

Honestly the best thing we did was have some 1-1s with our second child. Fortnightly one to one's and after 5 sessions was swimming well enough to do a width. Could swim a length after about 10 (with practice with us in between) and then could join proper classes where they actually swim.

I am amazed they ever get out of the "learn to swim" stage as its one at a time being dragged across!

Softplayhooray · 13/09/2022 15:14

For me succeeding isn't getting a certificate. There's loads of ways to succeed. Personally when it comes to swimming I want to know the kid is, as soon as possible, safe in the water, knows not to panic, how to tread water, how to signal for help, knows about currents etc, great water safety, way way more than if they get a certificate. Certificates are nice and have their place - they are achieving, but succeeding is a bit different.

LindseyHoyleSpeaks · 13/09/2022 15:08

Local council lessons are crap! We tried, £25/month for 1/2 hour/week. Loads of kids, shouty teachers, learnt nothing. Joined our local Nuffield gym, small group lessons of 4-5 rather than 25-30. £17/class but they moved up a level each 10 week block. DC have friends who’ve been at the local council pool for YEARS and they’re barely beyond level 3/4. Definitely a case of you get what you pay for!

igivein · 13/09/2022 15:04

My son did two years of ‘swimming lessons’ at the local pool without ever seeming to get any further forward - none of the kids did.
Eventually I booked him some private lessons 1 to 1 with a different teacher at a different (but still council) pool.
The private lessons cost the same for one lesson as I’d been paying monthly, but he only needed two lessons after which he could happily swim breaststroke, back crawl, tread water and float on his back - money well spent.

Isthisexpected · 13/09/2022 14:50

Sounds like you've let it drift with a crap teacher.

Namenic · 13/09/2022 14:48

So maybe try a different swim school?

Namenic · 13/09/2022 14:45

I’ve seen quite a bit of progress for my kids with Better. I can’t speak for all of their leisure centres, but the one we use has been good. It can be hard when there are a lot of kids in the class, but if you keep going regularly, they do seem to learn. The holidays are the best - as everyone else goes away and you get tiny classes - almost a private lesson. They record the things the kid can do, and when they have mastered enough skills, move up to next class

NuffSaidSam · 13/09/2022 14:35

It sounds like a poor swimming teacher, but not quite sure how you've managed to generalise that out to all clubs not encouraging children to succeed anymore!

It's just your experience, it's not indicative of the experience of all other people! I'm very happy with my DC swimming lessons. And the other clubs they go to.

I'd look for a new swim school.