Private swimming lessons for a child - worth the expense?

[Polarbear66]

Dd is almost 7, and has skipped years of swimming lessons because of COVID. I’ve signed her up to a new class at the leisure centre, but there are a lot of children and she isn’t learning fast and she’s upset because apparently, in her group, are “mostly reception children”. She can’t swim at all without a noodle.

Another mum suggested private swimming lessons to help her catch up to the peers she wants to be in the same level as.

Has anyone ever booked them for their dc? Were they good? Worth the money? And how long did it take to see a proper improvement?

It's worth doing at least 1 private lesson then op, then take it from there.
They're often only double the cost and you get a lot more than twice the attention.

We moved from lessons at the leisure pool to lessons at a gym/health club pool. The gym had smaller classes and no shallow end so they had to swim!

DS4 and DD6 started private swimming lessons in the spring, they have improved so much! They really enjoy it too. DS didn't even want to put his face in the water to start with and now spends his time diving under water! He's almost there with swimming independently. DD could swim a bit underwater but now she can do probably 15m front crawl and backstroke. 👍

I did this for my DS years ago. He understood the rudiments of swimming but had no confidence. He had 1 to 1 lessons in a pool on their own. I managed his expectations by saying all I wanted was for him not to panic if he were in the water (he was going on a school holiday that included canoeing). Oh my word within weeks he could swim underwater! He absolutely loved the sessions. It was the best money on life skills I have ever spent.

Yes I did private, worth every penny.
Both dc went from zero to swimming very quickly.

Depending on what level you want to them tk reach I really don't feel they will take long at all.
In got mine swimming then into group lessons again.

Yes for ds. He didn't do a lot of swimming because he had ear problems. Went through school lessons in year R to 2 where they spent a lot of time sitting on the bottom of the pool and enjoying the water, but he didn't learn to swim (dd2 learnt to swim with them, but he just didn't manage it). Took him swimming at various points where he did great submarine impressions but didn't swim.
Aged 10yo I signed a very reluctant boy up for 1-2-1 lessons for a week. By day 3 he swam 5m, end of the week he swam 10m, and was begging for more lessons.

Discounting baby/ toddler lessons, mine have had group lessons from foundation at 4. Due to dyspraxia DS1 has made slow progress at times as he can get stuck on particular skills. We've utilised boosters and 1:1 when they've come up in the holidays and they have made a difference at moving on. DS2 hasn't needed them and has progressed quicker.

Fun, splash sessions make a difference too. We had a long run without for 15m as the pool's Covid logistics weren't practical but once they relaxed in the summer and we were able to go for a play, it put the fun and purpose into the lessons for DS2 and he's suddenly jumped up a stage. He then got to the deep end/ lengths bit and had a panic and again, a few fun sessions of mainly jumping in has helped him through it and he's just done his first lengths session happily.

It took 1:1 to get me swimming. My only lessons were through schools that had a good provision, but I got nowhere and just didn't understand the instructors yelling and flailing around on the sides. I ended up doing my first 25m at adult lessons at 16 and the pool had an instructor in the water. In 4 months I did my first length from struggling with widths and within a year was swimming a mile. Having an instructor talking to me and showing me what to do in the water was a complete gamechanger. Once I was confident for deep water, the group style for the deep end instructor was fine.

All my 3 had private swim lessons. Once they could swim a width they joined a group lesson every week with 7 other children so 8 in group. They often had intensive private lessons over a half term to improve strokes and turns. They are all strong swimmers. Youngest swims competitively. Well worth the money if you can afford it.

I think there can be so much difference between individual teachers and also smaller groups. Some points/stages just seem more challenging as well. We’re doing leisure centre classes at the moment and there is one amazing teacher who differentiates, knows all the kids and basically isn’t phased by a big group. We currently don’t have her and the difference is massive. My daughter is not getting on anywhere near as well in her current class. She’s floundering in a big group and has just gone in the main pool but is much younger than the others and has lost her confidence. We’re going to give it another month before looking elsewhere. I think she needs some smaller group/private to get her comfortably to the next level and then I think she’d be fine in groups again.

Interesting thread thanks OP. Think I'm going to get some 1:1 for my DD as I have a similar problem.

Yes. I spent thousands on group lessons for my dcs and they only really made progress when I paid for private lessons.
If I had my time again I'd have gone private from the start.

Switch to a swimming club and she’s likely to progress much faster.

I did buy a block of 12 1-2-1 lessons for my son as he seemed to plateau. They did work but they’re expensive. Once the leisure centre lessons stopped (he was 12) we went to a club and he zoomed up their groups under their guidance. Worth having a chat with a club though there may be a waiting list.

I started DC1 with lessons at the leisure and they were awful. Like the Ops experience, there were up to 15 children in the beginners group and progress was non existent.

We moved to a swim school (they hired a pool at a local school) who had maximum ratios of 1;6, although DC2 only had 3 in their group. Both progressed quickly.

The difference was amazing the twin teacher was in the pool with the children (as opposed to standing at the side like the leisure centre teacher) and each child swam about 10 widths as opposed to 4 with the leisure centre.

My be try a private swim school as it was cheaper than 1:1 lessons.

It was worth it for us, did wonders for both our girls who went for struggling to being confident swimmers.

You won't get many teachers doing private lessons there's a massive shortage at the moment. Im a swimming teacher I don't get paid enough to do one to ones as the leisure centre gets too large of cut. The only way I'd consider one to one if they have additional needs. There's no guarantee they will learn faster it depends on the child and them being willing to listen to put their face and kick their legs. Do you take her separately aswell to lessons. It could be the teacher it's hard to say really, does she not progress with two floats under her arms? What do the lessons consist of?

Did you say 15 in stage 1? We teach 8 in stage one where I worked before was 5 in stage 1. It might be worth changing providers. I also agree submerging is very important in swimming, it promotes getting their face in and blowing bubbles which is important when progressing within the stages my stage 1s at the end swim independently with one float in front and one float on their back.

@Bananarama21

Did you say 15 in stage 1? We teach 8 in stage one where I worked before was 5 in stage 1. It might be worth changing providers. I also agree submerging is very important in swimming, it promotes getting their face in and blowing bubbles which is important when progressing within the stages my stage 1s at the end swim independently with one float in front and one float on their back.

Can I check with the swimming teachers about the float thing? DC is on the cusp of completing level 4 ducklings (only the swimming 10m bit to tick off) but he is expected to do it without float. Does this mean moving on to proper level 1 DC will be taking a backwards step? I’m a bit confused.

We definitely found it was worthwhile although it took a couple of goes to find the right teacher.
We eventually found a brilliant one who worked out of a holiday lodge pool which was closed for the private lessons.

I actually ended up having some to try and work on my technique.

IHateCoronavirus 10 metres with 2 floats as airplane wings in ducklings wouldn't expect them to swim with one float infront until stage 1 and they introduce front crawk arms in stage 2. We do cover abit of arms and legs in ducks for 3 metres and I use woggle under their arms and they kick

Yes, I have two DC and they do 2 to 1 lessons just them and an instructor. Its £28 a lesson but it's worth it IMO.

Waiting lists for council lessons are massive here and I wasn't willing to wait.

@Bananarama21

IHateCoronavirus 10 metres with 2 floats as airplane wings in ducklings wouldn't expect them to swim with one float infront until stage 1 and they introduce front crawk arms in stage 2. We do cover abit of arms and legs in ducks for 3 metres and I use woggle under their arms and they kick

Thanks that makes more sense regarding progression. Not quite sure what is going on with DC then, as they are swimming without and floats, good legs, head underwater (arms are doggy paddle esque). They are nearly managing the 10m consistently but sometimes dip when taking a breath.

IHateCoronavirus that's not how duckling programme should be run. They only need to do 5 metres with one float on their front and back with one float and push and glides to complete stage 1 then move onto stage 2 which is introduction front crawl ( can't stand doggy paddle it's introducing poor technique and bad habits) then progressing on back without a float and swimming without using arms and some rotation swimming 5 metres . Stage 3 is then front crawl 10 metres and backstroke 10 metres in small pool and in the main pool. Some tuck rotation and swimming back 5 metres and more floating. Its important that children are able to swim with single floats putting face in to build aquatic breathing and strength leg kick as they progress through the stages as a building block to then introducing front crawl and kicking on their back. It sounds like they are doing far to much and aren't working on the fundamental skills, ducklings is basically water confidence in the water some floating submerging and kicking. Realistically what they are doing is far too advanced for that stage which is why we have a set staging programme.

Yes! One of my children refused to swim and would not go in water about their ankles. Anyway one day they just decided they might try and I booked them private lessons and they were swimming within a week. After that they joined normal classes as the private lessons were too much to continue with but so worth every penny!

Good to know thanks Bananarama21