To consider taking my children out of school an hour early once a week so that they can go to a swimming lesson?

[PineNutsAreOverpriced]

Just that really. Year 4 twins and a year 6. Weren’t strong swimmers before lockdown and still aren’t now - although they can mostly stay afloat there is still a lot of doggy paddling going on especially from the younger ones.

Previous swimming teacher has moved away. All local teachers and swimming schools are full up after school for lessons and have waiting lists for “sometime in 2022”

But I could get them into a lesson at 2.30pm during the week, on a day I am not working. I can get them there if I pick up at 2.15pm (school finishes at 3pm)

I think I probably would be unreasonable but am considering this.

School does not provide swimming lessons for the year 4s - there was a week course (one session a day) for my year 6 at the beginning of the year but that will be it for the year.

I’m not sure how the head will react if I ask.

Also, we do take them swimming as a family but can’t seem to get them to take it seriously the way they did with lessons. One has dyspraxia and tends to hang off me in the pool, which doesn’t help the situation.

@PineNutsAreOverpriced

Thanks *@teleskopregel*

@Woeismethischristmas - I could ask the school, they are generally really good and were really supportive of all families during lockdown and still are.

I don’t want them to miss anything important near the end of the day though. They are all academically able and well ahead expectation wise, if that makes a difference

@ChrissyPlummer - I think those time slots are usually for younger ones, mine used to go when in pre-school, although the home Ed kids could also go anytime I suppose

Thinking about it there was another child who used to scoot off nearly two hours early for swimming therapy/ lessons. She'd have a 1-1 then her siblings a twin and older brother would have a 2-1 lesson directly after. Perhaps if you approach it as mostly beneficial for the child with dyspraxia.

Generally teachers are quite good about ensuring kids don't miss a lot. Different if they are being asked to provide work for those on holiday.

This would be unacceptable...first of all they will be missing a LOT of education over the year..secondly it is really bloody disruptive when kids are picked up early!

And you also sign a home school agreement to ensure your child attends during their school hours, so you would be breaking that.

My local pool does weekend lessons.. or just teach them yourself. My dad taught me and we are teaching our own boys when we go swimming.

I think ask OP! If it helps my kids are at a private prep and they have an hour of swimming a week in their daily timetable!

@Autumncoming she wouldn't be fined.

@baileys6904
Sorry ? You were a single parent to a 20 month old for years in a deprived area ? 🍷

I’d definitely ask the question, if you think you could make it work it sounds a great idea. Speak to the head and see what they say.

Bananarama21 That's interesting to read, thanks for sharing. I'd noticed my local pool seems to be really struggle to reopen for more than lane swimming, very few lessons and the family/casual swims that we were using to teach ours are only in the middle of weekdays so not much use for school kids. It makes more sense if they're struggling for staff.

I don't know many pools that allow people to swim in normal clothes (the minimum includes experience swimming in clothes), or is that something that would come up in normal lessons?

My dd never had lessons as there was a ridiculous waiting list. Her dad took her at weekends, but she actually mastered swimming in hotel pools on holiday, a week in a resort with a lifeguard might work out cheaper than swimming lessons x 3

I did this with my yr 5 child 11 years ago when the swimming centre changed his lesson time and I had to catch a bus to get there. You can only ask, my son's school were very accommodating, but he was very academically capable.

While you're on the waiting lists, could you put the twins in after school care once a week while you take the older one and teach them yourself?

And check out intensive courses.
Ask on FB for recommendations.

Absolutely do it. My DC left school early all through primary to do a competitive sport class that they were selected for and conflicted with school time. The head was absolutely fine with it.

@Bananarama21

bonbonours Can she swim more than 25 metres and on her back aswell? There's a massive drive with Swim England about myths around stopping lessons if they can swim 25 metres it is encouraged they complete lessons up to stage 7 to be a confident and competent in swimming further than 25 metres in more than one stroke.

My experience of swimming lessons is not at all that they focus on water safety but rather that they are obsessed with 'correct' technique and you must do front crawl with your face in the water. I'm not interested in her learning butterfly or having correct technique - you only really need that if you plan to swim competitively.

As far as I'm concerned, my daughter can tread water, keep herself afloat, and swim strongly enough to enjoy a pool and the sea safely with her friends and family.

She would struggle to swim 100 metres without stopping but I would love to hear of a situation where being able to swim that far would save your life. In the extremely unlikely event of falling into water you need to know how to float and tread water, or swim to the edge (definitely closer than 100 m if you fell off it!). In fact the RNLI specifically say if you fall in water DON'T swim, float on your back.

What I have taught her is about sea safety (as we live near the coast) which is much more relevant and valuable so she knows about the dangers of tides, currents, groynes, inflatables etc, and tends to stay within her depth in the sea.

Worth asking.

Sorry OP but you have had years to sort this. You can't expect the school to put up with weekly absences because you've dropped the ball getting swimming sorted

It would definitely have to be unauthorised absence, which schools are judged negatively on, plus it adds work for the teacher making sure your kids can catch up the time they miss

Just sign them up for next year . You obviously didn't think it was that important before now if they've got to the age of 8 and 10 and haven't had lessons yet

@EveryFlightBeginsWithAFall - they had lessons for a couple of years but stopped because of lockdown (I did put this in OP!) and during that time the teacher moved away.

Now that the pools are reopen it is really hard to get lessons as there is apparently “a massive backlog due to covid”.

I’ve been looking since the pools re-opened. I would love to put them into a holiday course but there aren’t any.

To all the posters saying “teach them yourself”, I honestly don’t know how to! They can swim but teaching them a stroke is beyond me. I show them the arms and legs separately, then ask them to do both at once (with me shouting ‘keep your chin down!’ 😂) but they just give up and doggy paddle instead - because it is quicker I think - or swim off underwater.

Thank you for all the helpful responses. I’ve emailed some teachers again to ask about holiday courses, lots have got messages up on the front screen of their sites though saying that they are full up.

I did see a link somewhere here to an intensive school holiday course in Scarborough I think (thank you to whoever put it up) so we could even look at getting an air b n b for a week somewhere in the U.K. where there’s a course on, and making that our October half term getaway

Why do they have to go for lessons? Can't you or their father teach them?

To all the posters saying “teach them yourself”, I honestly don’t know how to!

Google and YouTube are your friends here.

bonbonours can she tread water? Scull on her back to safety? Swim in clothes? Swimming in the sea is completely different to swimming a pool, there's undercurrents (rip tides) it's concerning as a swimming teacher when you see children who have stopped lessons too early and can barely make 25 some not even 10 metres. Swimming with your face in the water will make it easier to swim of course than struggling and doing doggy paddle and getting into a situation they can't get out of and panic sets in. I actually had an ex boyfriend who drowned he was 20 year old, he fell into the river, it does happen.

@Droite

To all the posters saying “teach them yourself”, I honestly don’t know how to!

Google and YouTube are your friends here.

This is terrible advice, swimming is an important skill that needs to be taught properly.

I think swimming is a life saving skill that’s woefully under valued in this country. Living near the sea makes it even more crucial for you. If you can’t get them lessons any other way I’d definitely look into whether school would allow it.

I do think its harder to teach your own child yourself and I speak as a qualified swimming teacher. I actually teach my dd in her stage 4 class but I cannot teacher ds he won't listen so needs a different teacher to teach him..

Do you take them swimming on weekends?
I get its difficult and they would benefit more from formal lessons, but their swimming will improve by getting the opportunity to swim more frequently.
Personally there is no way I would get them to miss school.
Could you take them swimming one at a time with targets/rewards?

I hadn’t swam before my year 6 swimming lessons, which were quite similar to yours sound… and I didn’t learn anything apart from doggy paddle until I was 24.

I’m not saying that swimming isn’t an important skill - it definitely is - but I’m not sure that taking them out of school is the solution here.

Tbh I'd say yes, swim safety is so important. Having said that, I'm in Scotland where multiple children died this summer due to swimming in the lochs so I might be a bit more sensitive to the dangers.