Or is this the norm? - swimming lessons

[SouthernComforts]

I saw on FB earlier that a friend rang to enquire about swimming lessons and was told that on the day they can sign up parents have to go and queue from 6.30am at the leisure centre.

Now, I want my dd to start having lessons too, so I rang up to see if she was exaggerating and was told the same! And that I could try to ring on the day but most people stated queuing at 6 and it is first come first served.

I then called another leisure centre and was told to call back in June.

I'm amazed. Aibu to think queuing up at the crack of dawn to be in with a chance of getting a swimming place is ridiculous or is this now normal practice .

Not in my area (thankfully!)

Nor in mine!

At mine you just ask at the reception desk, they tell you when the next block of lessons is starting and you choose a day and time. Is your local leisure centre tiny? Do they only do lessons on one day a week? It sounds mad otherwise.

Oddly, that is what we had to do.
Just the first time, to continue, you just renew each term by ALL ringing at 8am. And ringing, and ringing, and ringing...

I had to do this, but got there nearer 8 and there was a massive queue! Try to get there before 9, as after school drop off it gets seriously busy! But once you are in, then you just keep your slot or get the chance to change date or time first. I was also amazed at this!

no, we have waiting list of about 4 months

Not the going at 6am but I know pools in my area sometimes have waiting lists for lessons. I guess it depends how many pools relative to children there are.

It can be! One pool near us has pages and pages of waiting children- in fact DS went on the list at 4 and they've never got back to us (he's 10 now!).

If you pick a less popular time you may find a space more easily- 11.30 on a Saturday rather than 5pm on Tuesday for instance. At our pool you can re-enrol a week before new pupils register and you can apply for a new time each term- so you can get a better time if there us space.

Are you in NI? That happen here. Weird.

Yes same in my area although registration opens at 7pm so not queuing from 6am more like from 5ish onwards. I did it once. Never again.

There's about a 6 month waiting list here, but once you're in you don't need to renew, it's just a monthly direct debit.

It used to be the case at one of the leisure centres round here and it put me off using there - apparently they have changed it now. The swim school ds is in now I just e-mailed and they fitted me in the next term.

We used to have to do that to renew a block. It's a bit better now :)

However, the waiting list is pretty long - 1 or 2 years in some classes. When mine were small, there was also a separate waiting list at the uni pool. The waiting list was approx 9 years! .

I'm in NI too dingbats

Here you just have to put your name on the waiting list at the leisure centre, but the waiting list is about 18 months to 2 years.

It's a big leisure centre in a big town and runs lessons 7 days a week, that's why I was so suprised. Luckily, we live within driving distance of 4 other centres so I'm not giving up just yet.

We had to do this at Virgin gym (only did it the once and decided to go elsewhere once the term was over)

The more independent swim schools that tend to use school pools don't have this sort of faff.

our leisure centre is popular for lessons, but they let you put your name on the waiting list and then when the next block comes up you get a call, if you don't answer or return their message within the hour they call the next person on the waiting list.

We answered the first call we got for a group lesson space, it took about 3 months to get a space. 1-1 lessons took about 6 months for a space.

To renew a block you pay for the next block 1 week before the current one ends (you have a 24hr period to renew/pay), if you don't or forget it gets sold to someone on the waiting list. Grading happens the week before renewal, if they are moving up a level they will move to a different class and you fill in a form with your 1st/2nd/3rd choice day/times and hope you get one that suits.

Not where we are - there is always a waiting list, but once you're in, you just renew.

My mum had to do that when my brother did lessons. He's late 20's now and DS use ro swim at same centre (different management) and Austen has changed. You go on waiting list if no spaces.

Uhh swimming lessons and the desperate fight to try and get onto a time/day that you can make. What about the idea that if you are on a certain level and cant make that day or time anymore but would happily carry on if you could swap to another class then you have to start all over again because they reset your marks back to zero, so you could be at say 95% and have to do it all over again, even though they have a system where they just continuously assess (apparently) and can move people up to the next level when they feel they are really to go, regardless of how many lessons they have attended. Money making scheme??

Here you need to go on a waiting list (about 6mths) to get an initial place but once you get a place as long as you renew at the end of each block of lessons you retain your place. You can phone or enquire at reception initially but to renew you need to go with the slip from you child's teacher in renewal week after the lesson to a special desk in the foyer.
The problem is they are very popular lessons and despite running 4 classes every hour from 3.30-7.30 every night of the week they don't have enough capacity. I believe its just as hard to get into the private lessons at the health club pool and they cost twice as much.

There's a waiting list system where we are - we were on the list for more than a year to get a place.

A friend gets up at 4.30 a.m. to take her son swimming on a Sunday morning. The session starts at 6.00 a.m. on the other side of town. Mad!

Not NI, northern England.

I wouldn't mind being on a waiting list but that isn't even an option.