To feel frustrated about swimming lessons?

[Notcontent]

Really just wanted to see what other people's experiences are with swimming lessons...

My dd had 1 to 1 swimming lessons for a while but they are very expensive. She has just started group ones. However, they feel like a waste of time, because out of the 30 min, dd only seems to be swimming for a few minutes. There are 8 children in the group, which I think is too many, and the teacher seems to spend a lot of time just talkimg to them...

There seem to be very few options - either 1 to 1, or very large groups.

With group ones they are sort of obliged to be as good as the next guy and I think that spurs them on.

Yes, I agree, Mayisout. That's one of the reasons why I though it would be good for dd (as well as the cost issue). I just think the groups needs to be a bit smaller and the teacher a bit more focused...

I read somewhere recently that very few children in the UK end up actually being able to swim, which is sad.

We've only ever done group lessons, and DD gets a lot out of them. She's learned a lot and progressed quickly. No complaints here.

She had one 1 to 1 lesson when there was something she just couldn't do and, once that was sorted out, she's been fine.

We would only use 1 to 1 lessons as an occasional extra if there's something she just doesn't understand and needs extra help with.

We go swimming often as a family and she uses that time to practice what she's been learning in class.

Do you also take her swimming regularly yourself between lessons?

I think the kids whose parents can do this will definitely do better and learn faster.

If you paid someone once a week to teach your child to ride a bike, you'd surely take them out on it yourself too.

Worra, I do take her swimming and thanks to that she is incredibly confident in the water, can swim long distances under water, float, etc. But in terms of proper teaching I think it works better to have someone who is not the parent.

When I was looking for swimming lessons the most common options seemed to be 1:3 or 1:8.

Where she goes now they are taught 1:2 but after an incident last year we asked if she could be 1:1 instead.

Have you just tried the pool company?

We did group lessons with them in our area - weren't very impressed but been told recently that a local swimming club also offer lessons at the same pool but have smaller groups and seem to get much better and faster results. So I've got to get in touch and see.

Maybe worth seeing if there is something similar in you area?

1:8 was normal for the groups where there was no-one in the water with them, was fine for us. The instructor would demonstrate what they were supposed to be doing and, if necessary, ask a child in the group who had mastered it to show it in the water. It was fine, but my DDs were very confident and found swimming easy - and I did take them between lessons and made them practise what they'd learned.

The instructors my DDs had were prepared to get in the water and demonstrate if it was necessary though.

My dd's is 1:5. No complaints here, they taught dd to swim, she's pretty good now.

Try getting lessons on a friday afternoon. DS has always done this and so many times there are only a couple in the class. Rarely do all 6 turn up. Fantastic for him as he tends to get a lot of more personal teaching even though it is a group lesson. No-one seems to want to do lessons on a friday afternoon round our way.

DD used to swim in a small private pool - 3 or 4 kids and instructor in water. Her swimming came on really well.

Unfortunately the pool size means they need to move to a bigger pool once they reach a certain level and she is now in a class of 8 or so at the local authority pool.

The difference is huge - just swims the length, little actual teaching or correction. I don't think she has progressed at all. I'll stop once she goes with school.

If you can find a small private pool well worth the expense. 1st class was £11 a lesson, 2nd one is £4.50. But DD progressed so much faster in first one so less lessons needed.

Agree - DDs have lessons with a small company at a ratio of 1:3 and DD1 has progressed incredibly well.

But even in a small group it can be a problem if one kid is so far behind that they need more attention.

DD2 is a non swimmer in a group of three with supposedly two instructors and last term one of those instructors spent whole sessions trying to get another child into the water.

Even though I feel sorry for the child it means less tuition for the remaining kids.

I think the trick is to know what you're paying for and complain if it slips.

Try your local swimming clubs. That's where my dcs had their lessons and their style/stroke/techniques are always commented on. They used to have club swimmers (teenagers) in the water with the non-swimmers as well as the teacher on the side, which gave them confidence and security. All the children that started lessons seemed to get on very well.

Thanks for all your comments.
I am in central London, so you would think there would be a lot of choice, but in fact there isn't. There is a local authority pool, with group lessons which are not very good and a swimming club (where dd is going now).
The only other choice is a pool at a local gym, but to go there I would need to join the gym at great expense...