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Original poster

What stage did you finish swimming lessons?

35 replies

Fiona8121 · 30/03/2022 17:52

My son has completely stage 5 but we're really struggling to get him into stage 6 (no availability when we're free). It's got me to thinking how important actually is stage 6 and would it be the end of the world if we stopped here. For context I'm happy to wait for a space -I've always considered swimming a life skill but at the same time would consider leaving now if they don't learn much more in the next stage?

OP posts:
OutlookStalking · 30/03/2022 17:55

The stages vary a lot between pools. Can he swim lengths quite happily? So if he wanted to swim for fitness/pleasure when older can they swim competent lengths?

We personally wanted decent breaststroke and front crawl lengths.

Original poster
Fiona8121 · 30/03/2022 18:19

He's really good at lengths, excellent breaststroke and front crawl. Not as good at butterfly and hadn't done the whole jumping in fully clothed etc

OP posts:
nosyupnorth · 30/03/2022 18:19

As above, the stages vary too much to comment on that (my local pool counts in the opposite direction!) but from a skills perspective I would say:
a minimum of 100m in 2 strokes (lots of water based activities will require at least 50m to participate and a buffer is always better)
able to swim over and under water
tread water for several minutes
a good general awareness of water safety (they don't have to have completed an official rescue course but they should know what to do if a struggling swimmer were to grab them etc).

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nosyupnorth · 30/03/2022 18:21

At a certain level swimming classes might focus more on swimming for sport than general skill so it is worth looking into if that is the case locally for you - butterfly for example has very little practical use but some pools push it hard because it's a competition stroke.

jowly · 30/03/2022 18:23

When they were strong enough swimmers not to drown if they fell in the canal

Foolsrule · 30/03/2022 18:32

Got them into stage six and then quit part way through. They were around year 6, could swim well, could swim on holiday without me having to worry. Job done!

Delatron · 30/03/2022 18:36

I just think it’s all a load of bollocks really. Mine did an intensive course aged about 4/5 and some 1-2-1s, swam a lot on holiday. I refused to spend years watching them sit for their turn to swim a width at the age of 4. By Yr6 they were good swimmers, did triathlon club and could swim a mile across a lake. Might not have perfect butterfly but still..

HelenaJustina · 30/03/2022 18:39

End of primary, so far that’s been academy (stage 8 level) for all DC and last one will get there as well. DC1 went on to do a lifeguarding course where they swam for an hour in clothes each week, stroke technique went out the window but brilliant for stamina! DC2 joined the local club and still trains 3x weekly. DC3 will drop it as soon as they finish primary in a matter of months. They don’t love it but I’ve stuck to my ‘end of primary’ guns.

For me, they all have good enough technique that they could pick it up again later if they wanted to. They are also strong enough swimmers to get themselves out of trouble. They’ve also all done the RNLI beach swimming course, I can’t recommend this highly enough if you can find a location this summer.

cliffdiver · 30/03/2022 18:48

DD1 (10) is stage 9, DD2 (8) is stage 5. We've agreed they will stop when they've completed stage 10.

DD1 has been asked to join local swimming club, she'll probably join in the next year or so.

SkankingMopoke · 30/03/2022 19:08

I have one DC in stage 7 and one in stage 5. I've always said they need to finish 7 at a minimum before they quit, but TBH I would be fine if the stage 7 wanted to quit now as she can swim a mile and her strokes are technically very good. However, they are both in a swim club and DC1 is desperate to do rookie Lifeguarding, so they won't be quitting any time soon!

I would keep going if I were you OP. Stage 5 is nowhere near fully competent IMO. Would you feel confident to send them off to the pool alone for a swim with their friends (obviously with a life guard present!) - that is my measure.

unicornsarereal72 · 30/03/2022 20:01

My dd has just started stage 8. She is a great swimmer but has found the step up much harder. It Focuses on stamina and technique. She hates butterfly and doesn't want to go anymore. I'm happy for her to stop now. She has started life saving which I will encourage her to stick with as hope it gives her some life skills she might want to pursue as job for when she is studying further down the line.

BogRollBOGOF · 30/03/2022 20:25

DS (11) is on stage 6 and working towards 50m. I've known him do about 400m in a half hour session, but there's value in getting a good stroke technique and stamina. I was a non-swimmer until 16 but once I finally cracked 50m I built up quickly
Particularly as DS1 has dyspraxia, I'm happy to keep him in lessons as a skill and exercise for now. He's on a handy timeslot against DS2's lessons (stage 4) for now and the next while. This also solves childcare issues.

DS2, I'd probably be happier to stop sooner as he's generally more sporty. I'd want him to complete stage 6. He's lost half of his school swimming time, so he's temporarily behind for age compared to DS1.

LadyHelenaJustina · 30/03/2022 20:34

Mine swam until about age 13/14. They are now very strong swimmers, can do a range of strokes for a good distance, and most importantly, can swim really confidently in clothes. If they want to swim in the future, they will have the right technique.

lunar1 · 30/03/2022 20:37

I think age matters as well, ds1 finished stage 7 when he was 6, which is far too young to finish swimming lessons in my mind. He went into the competitive swimming (and still is).

I wouldn't have wanted them to stop before senior school.

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 30/03/2022 20:41

@nosyupnorth

As above, the stages vary too much to comment on that (my local pool counts in the opposite direction!) but from a skills perspective I would say: a minimum of 100m in 2 strokes (lots of water based activities will require at least 50m to participate and a buffer is always better) able to swim over and under water tread water for several minutes a good general awareness of water safety (they don't have to have completed an official rescue course but they should know what to do if a struggling swimmer were to grab them etc).
My dc achieved this at “Stage 5” (Becky Adlington Swim Stars). DS carried on for longer, got stage 7, but it was more about refining technique and swimming longer distances without stopping. Then he moved into club swimming.

DD stopped at the end of Stage 5. She’s not a natural swimmer, and it was getting very difficult to fit lessons around her first love, football.

I wanted them to both be able to swim 50 m in clothes for Cub camp type situations.

Both DC swim competently for leisure on
weekends/holidays.

bruffin · 30/03/2022 20:42

Bronze medallion and then NPLQ. They both earned money as lifeguards

Passthecake30 · 30/03/2022 22:23

Mine plateaued at stage 5 before Covid hit, and then were too old to go back to group lessons. They have lessons one term per year at school. I’d have loved them to have got to stage 8 or something but they just aren’t natural swimmers (or good at any sport tbh!)

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 30/03/2022 22:26

Mine got through the end of stage 7 by Year 4, then covid hit. She actually completed stage 7 the day before the pool closed in 2020.

Now in y5 she goes weekly with the school. Four of them are basically doing stage 6/7 stuff (again for her) and the rest of the class are at stage 4/5 in the medium pool.

Ds is Y2 and stage 4, and we will aim to get him to the end of stage 5, then hopefully school lessons (free!) will kick in and take him through 6 and 7.

NandorTheRelentlessCleaner · 31/03/2022 07:14

God we did them for 5 years and the kids got to level purple whatever the fuck that means

In my home country kids learn to swim in 1-2 years

Here, for some reason, the groups are big and kids walk/sit/hang around most of the lesson Confused all the walking and sitting in a "swimming lesson" is just bizarre

It's always baffled me, it's like a money making scheme for the pools maybe?

Years of my life Grin

OutlookStalking · 31/03/2022 07:23

We found with child 2 it was far more cost effective to wait until started school, do some weekly 1-1s witha good teacher for 6-8ish weeks then wheb they can swim widths/some lengths comfortably put them into the classes.

The qeeks and weeks of lessons where they only get a few "goes" does seem a crazy schemr looking back and Id really recommend the route we took. Got up and swimming pretty quickly then just 2 years of lessons!

I dont think its qorth it for the sake of it. We started early with child 1 and I reckon wasted years!

reluctantbrit · 31/03/2022 08:20

No idea about stages but DD ended with Rookie Lifeguard (her idea).

Her swim school finished with the last stage being able to swim long stretches, she as a 1 mile and 2000m badge. For us it was important that she learnt stamina plus they added swimming in clothes during the last stage. She hated the length swimming but it was needed to go to the life guard course afterwards (she was 11 then).

It also all depends on your family life, we don't go swimming a lot, I hate it, and there was no way DD would have developed the skills just by her going with DH or with friends.

Original poster
Fiona8121 · 31/03/2022 14:28

Thanks all I've decided to stick with it - think he does need to complete stage 6 x

OP posts:
yellowsuninthesky · 31/03/2022 14:40

I think I read that it was a good idea to go to at least stage 5 and ideally stage 7.

My ds did ask to stop at one point but he hadn't done stage 5 so I said he needed to do that first. And then they appeared to miss it out, and the next thing I knew he'd done stage 6 - by which time he wanted to carry on! He went all the way through to Gold award and did personal survival and then joined the adult fitness lessons. He only stopped lessons when he went to uni. He also did a lifeguarding course when he was 16 but it lapsed so he'd need to do it again if he wanted to work as a lifeguard.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 31/03/2022 14:45

Our local pool allows unaccompanied swimmers from age 8, but they are only allowed past the half way ladder if they can demonstrate they can swim 4 full lengths. Dc1 has had to do this a couple of times, with various staff, but they now know who she is so she can use the full pool unaccompanied (age 10) - I'm near, watching ds in his lessons, but not in the water or close enough to spot if she gets into trouble.

SunflowerSmith · 31/03/2022 14:50

Mine finished when they could comfortably do a length, both aged 7. I take them swimming for leisure once a month, they're confident in the water and being underwater but had become bored with the lessons.