Taking 10yo out of school swimming lessons

[Pho11me]

Hi all,

I don't want my 10yo DD to take part in school swimming lessons, however the school are insisting she should do it. Due to moving school she's not had lessons before and when we tried to teach her younger she gained a phobia for being in the water so we stopped.

The reason we don't want her to take part is she talked about how embarrassed she'll be as the only child wearing swim armbands in the school lessons. We've said to school we'll take her swimming independently for her to learn as I'm aware how important a life skill it is, but she and I don't want that embarrassment on front of her peers.

So should I be allowing school to take her to the swimming lessons, knowing that she'll be the only one in armbands and as she'll not get individual attention she'll have they'll for numerous lessons, or should I double down and insist she doesn't take part?

Never in all my teaching career have children been asked to provide their own armbands! The swimming pool should have them.

Thank you! I didn't know how tight the teacher ratio would be, but hopefully there's enough that they're allowed the noodles instead, I'm confused as to why the school would request armbands be packed, does anyone have an idea as it sounds like they'll not use them based on the curriculum

I must admit, I assumed they'd have those foam arm things or as others have said, alternate floatation devices, I'll try to find out why they're needed

I thought arm babe were not used anymore. And floats and woggle things are used instead.

If you take her out of the lessons then it gives her the message that there's some to be afraid of or embarrassed about. She'll probably be better with her peers and an independent teacher than she is with you. I've seen kids go for their first lesson and get no further than putting sitting on the side with their feet in the pool so if she'll get in and doesn't mind getting her face wet then I'd say she's onto a good start!

I live in a village with a swimming oool, and a very low cost , accessible swim club. Despite this, there were beginners in both my DC's school classes when they had school swimming lessons in Y4.

I used to teach the non-swimming group. I'll come back later - just going out. Surprised by the request for armbands - not in the official training we had to do.
Meanwhile, homework. Get her to rinse soap off her face by splashing with water, not using a flannel. In the bath roll over and blow bubbles.
Preparatory work at the pool. Get time in a teaching pool with wide steps down into it. Get her to sit on the top level and splash legs, then roll over, hold herself up on her arms and blow bubbles again. Make sure she feels in control of how this goes on, and move down a level whern she is happy to. More splashing, more bubbles. Whern she is deep enough, walk on her hands along the step, kicking as she goes. Let her decide when to go deeper, when to use a noodle under her armpits.
Getting her happy to put her face in at home should help to overcome that dunking. Do some without goggles as well.

Non-swimmers that age don't normally wear arm bands in lessons.
She hasn't been swimming with school so she has no idea how many of her class mates can or can't swim.

I'd send her. She may find it much easier in a group situation and enjoy it far more than with you. When she gains a little confidence and skill that will boost her self esteem.

Learning a new skill is not just about not drowning, its also about enhanced social confidence, self esteem . Don't let her miss that chance.

Wearing a nose clip and goggles my daughter found she didn't panic anywhere near as much when water got in her face till eventually it didn't bother her at all. Without she would get in a blind panic, half drown herself because of the panic and would be hysterical when she got out the pool. The nose clips really help make breathing much easier when you're swimming so might be worth getting her one as well as the goggles that someone else suggested.

when when when - how did that happen?

Plus, she'd either have to travel with her class and sit at the side of the pool (sticking out like a sore thumb) OR stay behind and go in with Y4 (ditto on the sore thumb).

I think you should give it a go, she may well do better than you are expecting. Sometimes having mum around isn't helpful as you're worried about her and she knows that and it may make things more hyped up.

She might be the only non swimmer but all that means is she will get lots of support and help. I bet she will be swimming in no time.

So many people adamant there will be no arm bands. Yet guess what was at the top of the list for things our children needed for school swimming lessons, even before costume or swimming hat. I queried this, but was told the high school required them for beginners as part of their risk assessment.

Oohh thank you, I've listed all of these and we'll give them all a run through before she starts, this is so useful

Ds had swimming lessons in year 2 but still was very nervous round water and couldn't swim. He had ear problems so he associated swimming with ear pain, even after we got him (from ENT) ear plugs. He didn't like going either.

In year 5 I decided he needed to learn to swim and booked him a week of 1-2-1 lessons. He was cross.
I thought this might be a very expensive (and frustrating) week of sitting on the side trying to persuade him to get in.
He got in fairly quickly on lesson 1. By lesson 2 he was managing 3-4m. By lesson 3 he could swim 10m. At the end of the week, he begged to have another 5 lessons the next week.
Since then he's loved swimming.

Give her a go. She may find she loves it.

I'm reassured that so many other people are saying arm bands aren't used because that's my experience. They wouldn't stop you drowning and they are difficult to swim in.
Definitely get googles and practice in the bath.
Is there a local splash pool you could start going to? There's a cheap one I know near York that's very affordable and good for getting kids in water, meant for toddlers but there's a pool she could stand up in next to it to practice swimming/ kicking etc.

They swim in the pool attached to the secondary school, so maybe this is it, and maybe they haven't got all the equipment although I'd imagine that's unlikely

It's sounds like she might learn so much faster without us around haha

(Primary school children, but using local high school's pool and their swimming teachers.)

My friend is a swim teacher and takes school classes at the council pool. She said there's a much larger number of older children who are non swimmers this year due to Covid.

I've never seen a child in swimming lessons with armbands and doubt they'd be a comfortable fit for a 9/10 YO anyway?

Nearly drowning herself, she was 8. Long time back, she's currently doing a masters degree now and loves being in water/swimming. She's even done open water swimming at local Quays as they have a swimming club there and also offer lessons.

YABVU and a bit silly, sorry.
Why do you think she’ll have arm bands on?
She won’t be the only one who hasn’t got the hang of swimming yet.
What do you suggest the school does with her while she’s not swimming? She’d just have to join the class but sit on the side.

The school has requested armbands as part of the required kit (albeit with an optional flag for non swimmers) based in consensus I've been silly to consider not letting her go, but will still try and find out if armbands are involved

I think we'll make no deal about it, and try to ask the school if they'll definitely be using them in the lessons, or if they're there for safety with a swim teacher absence

There is no way that arm bands or any other floating aid would be used as a safety backup in the absence of supervision. If there are not enough staff to supervise safely then the session would be cancelled. Whatever reason they have requested them, it won't be for that.

There were loads of non swimmers when my dc started school lessons this year. Only about 6 out of 50 odd could swim at all. Your DD will be fine.