Average age on a stage 1 swimming class?

[Ntsure]

My 9 year old has previously flatly refused swimming lessons, he cant swim at all or even tread water etc
hes agreed now that he'd like to do lessons which is great but is he going to be hugely older than the other kids and will that matter? His little brother will be in the same lesson so that's good atleast but he might feel a bit out of place.
(he's autistic which is why we never pushed the lessons because he'd have just kicked off and it would have been unsafe for everyone)

You could ask when booking him on if there is a class that has some older children in? At our leisure centre some stage 1 classes have lots of 3/4yr olds, then DDs has more 5/6yr olds.

Or try some of the week long intensive courses that may run during school holidays to get him started?

Our swimming pool has Stage 1 (and 2) lessons at particular times that are specifically aimed at older children. Might be worth enquiring if the same is true at your pool?

It’s much more common post covid, some people missed the boat on swimming. My 5yo had a much older girl in his stage 1 for a while but she progressed quickly. I wouldn’t overthink it

Try a private swim school. Smaller classes and more of a range in age in my experience.

At the minute the groups at our pool are so mixed age, stage 1 has 2 sets and all the kids are from 6-11. I think due to covid a lot of children are starting swimming or coming back to it later. The stage 2 again is very mixed as well.

I restarted DS (9) on swimming lessons at the start of this year. He had previously passed stage 1 and was in stage 2 but couldn't focus well enough so I pulled him out. When I restarted him they put him back into stage 1, but it was an over 7s class so he didn't feel conscious at all. Perhaps your pool does something like that?

Try other pools. Ours also has a number of age 7+ plus a couple of SEN stage 1&2 classes. A friend's 8yo DD started in stage 1 9 months ago and, as a PP said, has progressed quickly due to her greater strength and better listening and coordination than a you'd get from your average 4yo. She's very nearly completed stage 4 already. In stage 4 she doesn't look out of place, although is at the upper end of the size range of DCs in the level.

I think post covid there is a wider range of ages in the beginner classes as so many people couldn’t get into lessons. When my 4yo was in stage 1 she was the youngest and was in there with much older kids. It definitely wasn’t just a class of 4yos. So much will depend on the pool. Our pool seem to hold them back for a while in stages rather than just doing the minimum for the stage. Others whizz them through so a stage 1 class could look quite different in different pools.

Hi OP, a bit different but my almost 7 year old, started stage one at the end of last year, he is tall for his age was clearly the oldest. I was worried it would knock his confidence but actually it was fine. He quickly moved into stage 2, and is about 3/4 of the way through stage 2, so nearly into stage 3.

Just a thought about 1-2-1 lessons, could your two boys go together so it wasn't all focused on your eldest? They would both probably get loads out of it?

DS has just gone into stage two and in stage one there was one 8/9 year old, everyone else was under 6. Older kids so tend to move through the stages quicker

Where we swim stage 1 is full of 4 year olds with the very odd 5 year old. We are frustratingly waiting for dd to turn 4 so she can move up to level 1. Im hoping she will then fly through the first few levels as is swimming 5m unaided - there are a few in the same situation as us

Mu autistic DS is in stage 1 swimming lessons and is 8. He is the oldest but there are 6 and 7 year olds too, so not massively. I think the pandemic has meant there are a few kids who are behind with learning to swim.

My DS doesn't seem to mind or care that's he's the oldest. He acts quite young for his age so it isn't too obvious, he easily could pass for a tall for his age 6 year old!