Opinions Please

[treas]

This morning I went to the early bird swim session at the local pool.

On completing my 2 mile swim, [hark at her], pupils from my dd's school were sat on the side waiting for the start of their lesson. These were children from my dd's yr but not her class - she will swim in January

The pupils were v. v. well behaved when suddenly there was a buzz of chatter as the message "Miss is getting in" passed around the group and I turned to see a woman in her swimming costume walking down the side. She then told the group "No I'm not!"

Anyway! Once I had finished changing I had to go back on poolside to get my googles and saw "Miss" swimming lengths while the children were taught by the hired swimming teachers.

AIBU to think that "Miss" who was in charge of the class should not have been having a freebie swim and should have been keeping an eye on the children in a behaviour rather than swimming teaching capacity?

So really I'd like to know:

1/ How would you feel if your child had been in this lesson?

2/ If IANBU should I raise the issue with the school?

Dominodonkey - I think it would have been great if she'd been in the pool encouraging the less able swimmers or even working one on one like the private lesson teachers.

Unfortunately, she most definitely was not doing this.

I am well impressed that she was willing to wear her swimming costume where the entire class could see her - for that alone I applaud her

Maryz - I understand that its boring waiting just in case something happens, which 99% of the time doesn't, but what if something urgent did happen and the TA was unable to assist because she was not dry and fully dressed.

Also the TA is being paid to look after the children, it is her job, she is not a volunteer like you were.

ChippingInLovesAutumn - with you on that one

Maryz - yes the pool staff would call an ambulance but the TA would have to go to the hospital with the child as the school representative.

Of course she would have also had to organise the rest of the class as she was the one in charge in addition to getting changed herself.

Maryz - have you actually read my previous two posts? They address each of the issues you have raised . Far better for Treas to look into it now than waiting until an incident occurs and an ambulance has to be called.

Sorry Keane but don't agree.
Teachers never go at Dcs primary only TAs and parent helpers.
A teacher has never taken notes, why would they it's the swim teachers job to give feedback, not the normal teachers or TAs job to assess their ability.
They all get NC level certificates at the end of the term.

Well you might not agree bruffin but unfortunately you are not able to deny that within the LA I work in it is not the case that teachers stay behind at school - just as I wouldn't dream of denying that in your area teachers do not go with the children. . Different authorities have different regulations about this sort of thing.

However - you are stating that TA's and parent helpers go. Fine - the OP is not questioning who goes with the children, just that she is uncomfortable with the those accompanying the children not actually supervising them but instead having their own leisure time. That is what is in question here and not who actually goes along with them.

As far as reports are concerned - I am a little bemused that parents (who in my experience are always very keen to get full written reports about every aspect of their child's education at the end of the year) are not that bothered that their class teachers are not giving feedback on swimming. Giving a level is fine - but there is so much more to it than this!! Do you not want to know about effort, commitment, progress, behaviour etc etc?

Any report should be from the swim teachers not an unqualified teacher on the side.
Complete waste of a teachers time. I wouldn't be happy with dcs class teacher assessing their swimming.

That's fine - and of course your opinion. IME I have found that parents love to hear about more than simply the actual swimming ability of their children. Just saying! Have been in education a very long time and basing my posts on that.

But I think we are going off point a little here as it wasn't the focus of the original OP.

If it's an issue of supervision, then actually, one TA is not enough. If there was any kind of incident that required a TA to do anything, then all the other children would be left unsupervised. It MUST be the case that the pool staff undertake full responsibility for the children during the swimming lesson, leaving the TA free to do whatever she likes.

I like the idea that the TA is in the pool. She's setting a really good example of (a) keeping fit, (b) doing what the school is expecting the children to do, and (c) using her spare time constructively. :)

I have never ever had any feedback from any member of staff about any aspect of my children's swimming abilities. I'm quite excited by the idea that I should have done, and if I still had a child this age, I might be asking for it now!

What a silly post.

You were being totally U about the TA/teacher being in the pool.

1. She was probably only needed to supervise coach and changing. If she get dried off before the class finishes whats the issue.
2. She isn't there to save lives (life guard instincts kicking in, ha ha!) that's for the instructors and/or lifeguard.
3. Any medical attention will be provided by the trained staff, not the TA. If its something minor like a kid just feeling a bit sick then then need to get dried off anyway so the TA would also have a chance to get died off.
4. She is setting a good example.

I would suggest a grip is got...

Obviously the health and safety guidelines and the risk assessment that absolutely should be in place for every school trip off-site, swimming pool or otherwise, are completely passing some posters by. Incidentally I only ever post on threads where I feel I have adequate knowledge to contribute. But you can of course ignore the opinions of a long qualified and very experienced teacher! I can't help thinking that if this was a trip to a museum, for example, and the teacher left to have a cup of tea in the cafe leaving the children with the curator, there would be an outcry. And it wouldn't matter to them whether or not the curator was CRB checked, had vast experience of showing groups around the museum, or knew far more than the teacher about the exhibition. People simply wouldn't be happy!

But I digress...my final point is this: whatever you think of teachers/TAs having their own time to swim during a lesson, the contract for staff in every school in the country is the same - they have to fulfill their hours (directed time) and this is in school time and does not mean they can take a break whenever they feel like it to pursue a leisure activity. Oh what a wonderful thing that would be !

Maryz - You don't need to get personal. You disagree with me and kenanddreary so what. We haven't made personal comments on what we think of your posts so why do you feel justified to be nasty.

whois - No not a silly post just asking for peoples opinions, of which there have been several.

Maryz - actually its not that I don't like your opinion, just that I don't necessarily agree with it, however, I find it just as valid as anyone who does agree with my concerns.