DC asked to leave swimming lessons, no explanation given

[SwimmingNoMore]

DC is 8, Stage 2 (Yes I know very low stage for their age, long story which involves long covid), they’re not the oldest in their group/class though, there is a 10yo as well (I know the 10yos mum, so know how old they are).

They’re very close to going up a stage, we’re like 5% off 100% for Stage 2 from when I last checked the online thing (we have an online sheet thing that shows progress, but it’s not updated every week so I only check once a month or so)

Just had an email to say they’re terminating the contract with me for the lessons and they hope to see me again soon.

I’ve rang them to ask whats going on, apparently they don’t know why DC can’t carry on in Stage 2; they’re not ready for Stage 3 yet, behaviour is not an issue, DC listens and engages with lessons and enjoys going, teacher has not put a note on the file to say why DCs been kicked out. We have been going about 2 years and have missed 4 lessons in that time – only 2 of those where consecutive lessons due to a holiday, the others where due to illness and a scouts event.

Fees are always paid within 5 days of the invoice coming in (I stopped the direct debit as they kept taking it 3 days before I’m paid, so I now go in on payday and pay it at the counter) this has never been raised as a problem and the manager says I’m not the only parent who pays this way.

Leisure centre manager was going to look into it for me, this was yesterday, he said he’d get back to me within 24 hours as DCs lesson is tomorrow so I need to know whether to take them or not. They’ve been in this class almost 2 years (January 2021) – they’ve moved stages in that time started in the pre-swimming class and have moved through stage 1 and almost completed stage 2 but have had the same teacher throughout as we really like the teacher.

Any ideas why an 8yo would be asked to leave a swimming class with no explanation?

P.S.
I would hardly say that achieving 95% on a check list is lack of progress either. Sometimes children aren't moved up to the next stage as there are simply no spaces available in the next class (speaking from experience with my own DC).

Sounds like an admin error somewhere down the line but no one really has a clue until the manager looks into it and gets back to you.

Maybe your kid swore at the teacher

Let us know an update once you’ve spoke to the
manager. Perhaps your child may thrive in stage 3, my child wasn’t progressing due to teacher never turning up and having stand ins, all the kids were effected and held back so we agreed at 95/% for child to move up and best thing ever.

The class sounds small, maybe younger childrens parent are being put off by much older children in the class?

Call them again. Sounds like a miscommunication that will easily be sorted.

Admin error. Happened with me, the payment added the lessons to my account but didn’t go through!

DC has not been in Stage 2, for 2 years.

They started at the pre-swim class which was basically to get them ready for swim lessons, they were there for about 6 months (moved July 21), then they moved to stage 1, they were stage one for about 9 months (April 22) or so then moved to stage 2, have been stage 2 since last April. Progress is as expected for them due to side effects of long covid, they're nearly over it now but suffer with tiredness still so this has slowed progress - for context they're Y4 at school and working roughly at end of Year 2 beginning of Year 3 level but rapidly catching up.

Hoping its an admin error. Will go to the lesson tomorrow and see what happens.

Thanks

assume that it is an admin error and treat it as such.

I'd go to the lesson tomorrow to speak to the teacher but not take your child if he is likely to get upset if he isn't allowed in the pool.

If he's only on stage 2 and has been going for 2 years, I would say this swim school/ teacher isn't working out.
My DD5 has been swimming for 14 months and has almost completed level 3.

I would expect an 8 year old to fly through the stages. Something is going on. Move swimming pools.

Yeah he could just be less coordinated. Or it's harder to learn to swim when you are 8 compared to 5.

Just cos your daughter is so super good at swimming, I don't know why you feel so superior with your attitude.

It sounds to me like an automated admin type error.

As an aside, my 7 year old was in Stage 2 for 18 months! He had 2 different teachers. He was stuck on 95% but was not being assessed for the manoeuvres needed to complete the stage. I emailed the manager and he got moved up straight away. Should have emailed sooner!

poo in the pool

It's the next logical step

yes great way to get revenge 😂

Update

Just had a call from the manager.

Apparently they're going to tell us all tonight the teacher is leaving, they're going to offer to move us into the Stage 3 at the same and it be a combined 2/3 class until everyones passed Stage 2 (they're all very nearly there) or we can move to a Stage 2 at another time slot that has spaces.

I'm going to let DC join the Stage 3 class as they're very nearly there anyway.

Thanks everyone, panic over.

You aren’t with Everyone Active are you? It’s probably an admin error, either somebody has asked to leave and the admin team have removed the wrong child, or some kind of bookings system error.

We went through a stage last year where every week DS was moved down to pre-school class (he is 6 and in Stage 3) - the booking system was reverting him to the class he had first started in aged 4. The front desk would switch him back into the right class, and each week the system would reset again and move him back down again.

Infuriating, but there was never any question of him not being allowed into class. Just turn up as usual and try to sort it out in person.

@Saschka Not Everyone Active.

Manager has now called me to say Teachers leaving and we've been offered an alternative anyway.

There’s a happy medium - two years is quite a long time to be stuck on one stage, especially when it’s a fairly basic stage.

Swim England says they should move up three stages each year. I personally think 2 stages per year is closer to the norm for group lessons, but two years is quite a long time and maybe the teacher just isn’t that amazing.

Obviously there may be water confidence issues, or dyspraxia, or something else, but if not, it is worth considering switching teachers.

Well we don't know, do we.

If I were you I would find somewhere else anyway, even invest in some one to one or 2 to 1 sessions with a private teacher. Or an intensive holiday course. My experience with swimming lessons is that you get what you pay for and it often works out cheaper in the long run to get some decent more expensive lessons than keep paying out for lessons that aren't working (which they presumably aren't if he is 8 and at stage 2 - covid was a while ago now and at that age they normally pick it up fairly quickly if they have a good teacher as their strength and comprehension is so much better than small kids).

Harsh but funny

@Saschka I have said they haven't been stage 2 for 2 years, they've been doing lessons for 2 years, started in Pre-swim to get ready for lessons then did Stage 1 and now Stage 2, they're moving into Stage 3 even though they haven't finished 2 yet because they're combining the classes as the teacher is leaving for Stage 2.

That’s good. Swimming lessons are so important and Covid really impacted our children too so it’s great your child can move on now, make sure to bring them yourself too as they will move on quickly with lots of practise.