To ask what I’ve been paying for?

[Lollipop30]

So basically my daughter has just been given the same certificate for swimming for the third time, am I wasting my money completely?!

She started at private lessons and got her Stage 2 and 5m before they lost use of the pool and we had to find lessons elsewhere.

She then went to council lessons that are dictated by age and was put in their Stage2 until she reached an age that they’d move her up. She had yet again got Stage2 and by then 25m before we moved and had to change lessons yet again.

When we put her in swimming lessons at the new place they wanted to put her in Stage 2 again. Tbh I did insist on then having another assessment and said she’d achieved that level twice now and I couldn’t see the point of her repeating it yet again.

Been to lessons today, they congratulated DD on achieving Stage2 AGAIN!!! So we now have 3 of the bloody badges. I don’t want it spoiled for her as she really is in her element in the water. But her confidence is taking a hit every time.
Also what the hell have I been paying for for the past year!!!!!
WWYD?

@AlmostChristmas Thanks, I called them earlier just hoping for a call back.

It’s frustrating because the ASA National teaching plan should be the same wherever you go. That was the idea of its introduction.

Obviously some swim schools don’t follow this and make their own stages/levels.

How do you normally gain feedback from the teacher? We use a tablet system to record progress. Parents can then login at home and see how their child is getting on. From our point of view it is very difficult to give a parent verbal feedback as we have no turnaround time for the next lesson. I will tell the children what they are doing well on and where they can improve but realise this won’t always filter back to parents. And, of course I may say a quick- doing really well just need to master breaststroke legs to move up type comment. I will give a parent a call if requested though.

Yes - it was interesting to see. My DD went from being a confident "fish" to hating the very idea of the pool and learning to be afraid in the water. I saw the same a couple of years later when she moved schools and had a new teacher who hated maths. I could not believe how easy it was for high confidence and strong skills to be eroded within a few months of being taught by a teacher with low expectations. I knew the theory of "self-fulfilling prophecies" but to see it actually happen was a real shock.

My guess is that you are paying for lessons because you want your DD to be able to swim confidently and have fun in and around the water. If the lessons are eroding skills and confidence that is not good. Unfortunately it can all be a bit hit and miss with swimming lessons. It would be worth asking for recommendations for a good teacher. We gave swimming lessons a rest for a while and just went "swimming" as a family - we are lucky enough to live near a lake and spent hours just playing in the water the following summer. We put the fun back into it to rebuild her confidence - she could already swim but needed permission to use the skills she had. When we found a good teacher she was able to build on that confidence and focus on improving her technique.

@AlmostChristmas - I think probably this all stems from the terrible way feedback is delivered and even then you have to ask. There’s no feedback system and they actively try to not let you speak to the teachers. I understand during lessons but you’re not allowed to speak to anyone other than the receptionist.

@OhNoFuckADuck - How long did you take her out for? And how do you find a decent teacher? We chose these lessons because I won a trial intensive week for her and the teacher was fantastic, the teacher then swapped almost as soon as she started.

That's not good. They should have a system in place, they are back in the dark ages! The receptionist is not a swimming teacher (actually it is possible but chances not) so really won't be of any help!

Is it a private swim school or council run lessons?

I work for a leisure provider who manage the local councils facilities. Our system works really well as regards feedback.

It ended up being a year.

She hated swimming lessons after half a term with the creepy armbands guy.

We started again when we got a recommendation from some other parents. The guy we went with never advertised because he didn't need to. He wasn't part of a swim school as such. He hired a local hotel pool and people booked with him direct. It would be worth asking around.

@AlmostChristmas - it’s a private swim school, the council ones we had before had a portal that they regularly updated and if you had a question they’d call you back when they got the chance.
I’ll try and get through again tomorrow.

@OhNoFuckADuck - There was a teacher that was recommended but I have vague memories of hating him as a child. I have no idea why but it’s really put me off! I just so wish she could have her first teacher again she was fantastic and the reason DD formed a love of water.

Where about are you op?

Do you not have something like that OP so you can see what needs working on? This is Stage 5 at my DC swim school (better living)

@mishfish - did you mean to include a link? We get no feedback at all, that’s the question I asked; just what what she needed to work in so we could ourselves.

@AlmostChristmas - We’re in Cheshire

@mishfish - can see it now. That’d be ideal but unfortunately not

I'm opposite end of the country so my suggestions probably won't help much!

Large leisure providers tend to use the progress portals.

did you have to buy the badge?

Are the teachers in the pool?

No we didn’t have to pay for it, which I’d have refused to have done anyway.

No teachers in the pool with their class just one on the side.

Almost Christmas- thankyou your suggestions have been helpful anyway.