To think £25.00 for 10 minutes swimming lessons ain't worth it?

[LankySara]

Hi all,

I have a DD (7)who has severe language needs as well as Dyspraxia. I've been trying to get her more involved in extra- curricular classes (expand her social circle, discover things she likes, encouraging her to take a hobby). But it doesn't seem to be working, due to her dyspraxia and having quite severe language needs (she processes language at a slower rate which takes a lot of mental energy) she gets much tired and could only cope in certain activities for 20-30 mins, sports is even worse.

I would like her to get into an enjoyable extra curricular activity ( more so with sports to help strengthen her muscles) and swimming seems to be the only thing she actually enjoys. She had swimming classes before but the swimming constructor was a bit out of his depth teaching someone with language difficulties as well as coordination difficulties so she didn't progress.

A very good friend of mine, who has a child with Down syndrome, recently recommended me a very good swimming company who really helped their DS learn how to swim ( he is fantastic). I then called up the company just to find a little but more info. They have swimming stages (which you will have), but they told me that as DD is basically a starter she will have to do the basic class, which is for 20 sessions but it's £25.00 for 10 mins . I made my excuses and didn't proceed.

AIBU to think that this is just ridiculous ? My friend has raved about it and it seems to have very good reviews but would I be stupid to even consider it ? It's just ridiculously expensive ! Why do some companies charge for that little time ?!

( Oh ! If anyone can recommend another swimming club, please let me know).

Yep waste of money

We have 1-1 lessons with an instructor with a specialist in teaching children with disabilities and pay £20 for 30 mins!

10 minutes? That's ridiculous! Is there any chance you can go and watch any of their lessons so you can see what's going on?

Is it £25 for twenty sets of 10 minutes?

Or £2.50 per minute in each session?

Nuts either way though. What use is ten minutes to anyone.

That's absurd! DS has dyspraxia, ADHD and ASD and we had great success with tiny lessons with one teacher for 2-3 kids. Lessons were 15-20 mins and went up to 30 as he got older. Think they cost about £10-11/lesson.

He can swim now - badly and he's still very ungainly - but he isn't drowning

I would ask around - I found these lessons which aren't specifically designed for children with AN but the teachers were really great with them

Baby swim classes run by a private company are over £12 per hour in our area, so it doesn't surprise me! I guess it depends how many lessons you feel she needs before you could look into other options.

Nope, it's £25.00 for each 10 minute session. I had to get her to repeat this 5 times till it processed into my brain .

I can't remember what we paid but it wasn't cheap. I assume this is 1-1 lesson, and a private pool space. The instructor has probably gauged from experience that most kids requiring their lessons at the beginner stage can't cope with longer than 10 mins. It is expensive. Obviously.

I'd be asking a lot more questions - how long do the ten minute classes usually go on for (most of these 1-1 SN teachers will offer a free assessment or trial, but some do want to be paid for the assessment to cover their pool costs). It's obviously more expensive for 1-1 than for a class with 6-8 kids in it.

We used our DLA to pay for ours as at least then it at least felt the money was being used appropriately. SN stuff is always wildly overpriced. To be honest, it has taken years for dd2 to be able to swim and we have tried lots of different types of lesson. You do get to the point where you just want it to happen.

I might try a couple of lessons and gauge whether I thought it was going to be helpful or not.

Some local pools have the equivalent of PHAB groups and offer sessions. At one point we got MIL to take her on her own all summer. It can be a long expensive process.

(I realise that sounds a bit weird 'how long do they go on for' - I mean is it an introductory stage to get the kid used to the instructor/ pool/ method and so the 10 minute class is usually for the first three weeks and then switches to 30 minute classes for the same price, etc etc. Rather than 'duh they last ten minutes' )

They have a set price. Doesn't matter if it's 1:1 or in group. All sessions and stages cost 25.00 each. SEN is overpriced but they are not just a swimming club for SEN children it's for all children.

The introductory stage is 20 sessions . If DD is obviously good they cut this down but still I feel like even paying for one 10 min session which is 25.00, is a waste of money.

If you are in receipt of mid rate DLA, do you get short breaks from your LA, can you use this to fund it? While it is expensive (yes, really expensive) if they are really good it might be worth it?

No swimming class is so good that it costs £25 for 10 minutes. That's more than specialist OT and EP!!

imhip we don't get short breaks but I use her DLA money to fund private specialist classes and that is expensive too.

That's insane.

Prices for swimming in this country are so unfair for so many families.

Well, maybe try thinking of it differently. I pay £27 for 2 hours a month. Cheap but my son is easy and skipping through the grades. He has a friend who has paid the same money as us for 2 years and can't move up a grade. Waste of money? Maybe if they paid what you might have to, he would be at the same grade as my son and be back swimming together.

You said yourself your friends son is a good swimmer so maybe it's worth finding out what their experience is with a child like yours, what you can expect at the end of each time you pay, what is their cancellation if it doesn't work out.

Yes it's bloody expensive what you've been quoted but if the outcome is have your child swimming then I think you'll be kicking yourself if 2, 5 or 10 years from now your daughter can't swim.

Just to present the other side of the coin. I run a swimming school - it costs me from £50 to £100 to hire a pool for an hour depending on the size and temperature. (I know the annual running costs of the small pool I use is £70k per year). Then a lifeguard at £15 per hour (possibly two depending on ratio). My insurance is £2k per year. I have to go on courses frequently which are £150 ish a day. Then, if you're teaching non swimmers your ratios of pupil to teacher should be tiny.

All in all, it's pretty damn difficult to not have high prices. Compare that to a dance class with no ratio concern and £10 to hire a hall!

Mind, £25 for ten mins in insane.

10 minutes. Its hardly worth getting wet for. What can they possibly teach them in 10 minutes.

That's why I'm sort of considering it Yellow as DD was at her previous swimming lessons for two years and didn't progress but her DS is a fantastic swimmer. It's not so much that it's 10 mins (longer would be ideal) but for 25.00... I don't know.

I can't believe swimming is not seen as a vital skill, that is taught on the National Curriculum

In terms of what you can get out of a lesson - I have taught a two year old absolute beginner to swim underwater kicking legs in one thirty minute private lesson, but on the other hand I have given some private lessons where child has made no progress whatsoever over numerous lessons. It depends completely on the child.

Years ago now but one of my children went to lessons run by local authority swimming pool. They did afterschool lessons that all my kids went to but one was phobic so they suggested she went in the SN class. It was 4 kids in the pool with one teacher on the side and one in the pool. It cost a bit more than the ordinary group lessons but not by much.

£25 for 10 minutes is extortionate. I can't see how they justify that, it is £150 an hour!

granny they said because kids learn better in a short amount of time.

Take child to pool and teach them yourself ?

Atleast child would get used to being in the water

Arm bands, floats, water soft play, fountains

It is very very expensive but if dd is not progressing in other classes I would do it.
Swimming is a life skill.
How good is she in the pool? How much can she do? Is it worth trying the class she wasn't progressing in with another teacher?