Does this sound like a stage 1 swimming lesson to you?

[FavouriteFortnight]

Ds (4yo) has just started stage 1 swimming lessons, and I’m a bit surprised at the whole thing. Just want to check if this sounds normal?

8 children to 1 adult.

DS is almost certainly the youngest, most appear 6-7yo but a couple 9-10yo.

Apart from DS, all can swim somewhat independently. The oldest can do eg 5m backstroke seemingly competently with no floats etc. DS is the only one using a noodle.

DS being youngest/less able is getting more support but most of tasks are geared to more competency (eg practicing different swimming movements that are well beyond DS) so he ends up just kicking back and forwards on his noodle most of the lesson.

DS is very water confident and enjoying himself but I really expected the lessons to be much more introductory than this?

When my DSD did stage 1 when she was 6, it was more about water confidence and safety. They would encourage to put face in water and just enjoy being there.
From what I remember they used floats and practiced kicking and also arm techniques and floating.
From what I'm aware, none of them could swim unaided at level 1.

Stage 1 for my ds was strapping them with a floaty belt, pool noodle under the armpits, and a small body board to hold on to. The teacher then released rubber ducks into the water and had them chase them up and down the pool. It was one of the cutest things I've ever seen!

Our pool runs different stage 1 sessions for different age groups - so there's a more "fast track" session for older children, whereas the one for younger children (in the baby pool) is more introductory. I'd say your age range sounds unusual for the average Stage 1 lesson, so I'd wonder if they are targeting more at older children?

I remember state 1 being more 4 or 5 year old ( obviously with an occasional older one that was learning to swim a bit later ). Mainly focussed on water confidence etc. If they can swim unaided this sounds more like stage 2? I wonder if there has been no space to move them up to the next group? A lack of new intakes for stage 1? I'd be asking the swim teacher.

A lot of children have had their swimming education paused for at least a year if not longer due to covid.
I’d not be at all surprised by older than usual children in stage 1 or 2 lessons.
That being said that group sounds more like a stage 2 ability and also quite a high child to adult ratio.

Stage 1 they go from floundering about with a noodle to kicking across about 5m with no noodle and no arm movements in a really short period of time. It's quite amazing how they go from not being able to float at all to moving independently in the water in a couple of weeks.

There's a list here of everything they learn at each stage

www.swimming.org/learntoswim/swim-england-learn-to-swim-awards-1-7/

You may also have access to a website where you can see your child's progress in their class.

Don't know if this will work for you but in my area we use Home Portal

sportsbookings.leicester.gov.uk/HomePortal/

If you try replacing the city name with yours or google the name of your area and swimming lesson progress you might find there's a similar website available.

I literally could have written this myself!!!
My 4yo DS also just started his swimming lessons after being on the waiting list for months. I was very clear to the girl on the phone, he can not swim! She says yes great stage 1. We turn up, he's in a class of 6, and the first thing they're doing is swimming underwater to pick up hoops!!!! My poor boy is standing there like what the heck is this?? Then they start swimming, and 4 of them are very confident no armband no float actual swimmers!!!!! One of the other children there was still being "held" by the instructor as she did her kicking up and down which made me feel slightly reassured. I just couldn't believe it! Thankfully the swimming teacher caught me at the end to say my DS had a great first lesson, so it must be normal? Talking with DH he said perhaps the pandemic has all ranges of children at different stages and the swim schools won't quite have caught up with everything. Who knows. Will have to see how DS gets on this week 🥴

When my eldest DS went to swimming lessons he could swim like a fish. Still had to do stage 1 and stage 2 as he couldn't do all the skills on the list (I think there is 10-12 each stage and you have to do them all to progress) He went to stage 3 after a term (and stayed there for ages as listening is not his strong suit

I'd give it a term or so and see if the bigger ones vanish off to the next stage.

Hi I'm a swimming teacher stage 1 is face in kicking with a woggle front and back. Then progressing to two floats under their arms front and back and then one float in front 5m and back with a float 5m. I hate mixed classes sometimes it happens when a child is waiting for a space and il cover some stage 2 work but usually is one child not a full class.

It sounds mixed tbh if they are doing back work without a float no arms that's stage 2, stage 3 is full backstroke working towards 10m. Ratio is completely fine by the way I teach 8 in stage 1. It might help push your child on which I've found. Any of my ducklings that have moved up are stronger than those that have joined at stage 1 and progress quicker because of this.

We aimed to start lessons between Christmas and Easter of Reception. My eldest is 12 and when he went at 4 it was 1 adult to 5 or 6 kids and they had lots of different levels that you moved up through.

Second is almost 7 and only started lessons later on last year because of Covid. They now seem to be 2 adults (one in the water and one out) to 12 kids and they only have 3 levels; foundation, development and advanced. He is in foundation which has kids from 4 up to about 10ish and they have different coloured hats depending on actual level.

It seems to work much more like school, you are with your age group but the actual stuff you do is aimed at each kid's individual level. There are kids confidently swimming a width with no floats working on more technique and kids still working on getting onto their back and putting their faces in.

My DS is 8 but has just started in stage 1 as he's not swum at all over covid and pre-covid was with a private group so the local leisure centre had no idea where to place him and started him at the bottom.

They seem to be ages 5-8 I'd say and a mix of some using noodles and armbands, some just armbands and some neither. There's maybe 6-7 of them altogether but it seems to work and they al do the same thing even if they need different levels of assistance with it.

Starting a group class as a total beginner is really hard and with my eldest after a while with no progress we took him out, paid for some 1:1 lessons and then went back in to stage 2.

My 4 year old has just done 6 months of a pre-stage 1 class that has been focussed on lots of water confidence, putting her head under, swimming with a noodle or arm bands, floating etc.

She's going to start the stage 1 class able to swim a width with a noodle or one float on each arm, able to float without arm bands and confident to jump in and swim underwater back to the side.
So not a total beginner but not swimming yet either!

Makes sense things may have been shaken up by covid. I think the 9-10yos look way beyond stage 1, maybe they are waiting to move up.

It sounds mixed tbh if they are doing back work without a float no arms that's stage 2, stage 3 is full backstroke working towards 10m.

The older ones can do full backstroke arms and legs, they look pretty competent at it.

DS is enjoying it and has made some visible progress in a couple of weeks. I just expected the class to be more focused on nailing the basics (like, when he is going to learn things like floating if the rest of the class are already beyond this?)

FavouriteFortnight tbh that doesn't sound right then it sounds like they are 2 stages ahead. Our stage 3 do 10 m back and front crawl in the activity pool and also main pool in deeper water. I had a parent decide their child was stage 3 as she taught him bits and he was put in the class that was far too advanced and it was unfair on the rest of the class aswell as him, I since moved to stage 1 where he can work on the basics, realistically a teacher cannot switch effectively between 2 class levels without it having an effect on the group. We have a staging programme so that the teacher can focus on the class and teach the appropriate level the only time that's acceptable is if one child or two are waiting for a stage 2. I always ask the parents to check and ask so they don't stay in that class too long. Personally if ask for him to be put in the stage 1 class with everyone who is currently swimming to the same level.