School won’t teach non-swimmers!

[Platypuslover]

I don’t think I’m unreasonable just considering how far I may need to take this. Year 6 now lost out on swimming lessons because school is useless head was suspended last year and never returned and this has been a pattern for her from previous school. Not sure why other than incompetence but the grapevine said possibly to do with money. So kids didn’t get swimming lesson as no one thought to arrange them once lock down was relaxed the pools reopened.

They waited until end of year to do 2 session to asses swimming. Told we’d get an email if she can’t swim and will have further session.

No email arrived and I called today. So then was told they don’t take non-swimmers only the children that are confident and can almost swim independently and we have to pay for our own swimming lesson.

So I am expected to pay for someone else’s kids to learn to swim with my very hard earned taxes amidst a cost of living crisis and us barely being able to afford basics and we can not afford the extortionate private lessons.

Bet the letter they said they’d send us to give details to book those lessons are with the same company they use to take them swimming now. This reeks of an extortion ring to me why else would you not take the children that need it most!

For those asking why the OP has not taught her own child to swim, lessons where I live cost around £260 a term, paid up front and that is if you can find a pool without a year long waiting list. For me to take my 2 kids swimming costs me £21. To effectively teach them I would need to go at least once a week costing me over £80 pcm. Its just not affordable for me and many other parents. I also have the issue of trying to supervise and teach 2 non swimmers safely by myself.

I thought the local council schools had to provide swimming lessons for children who hadn’t learned to swim by age 7 ? Contact the Education Department at council office . It sounds like a failure on the part of the school , complain to Ofsted.

Sounds like they need a rubber ring not an extortion ring tbh

Frankly this is ridiculous.

The theory is great, but the resources aren't there. Given how many swimming lessons state primary schools are able to offer, this is virtually impossible to attain without external lessons.

This isn't the fault of schools, it just shows how out of touch the policy makers are with the reality of state schools.

I thought swimming was part of the national curriculum.

https://www.swimming.org/schools/swimming-national-curriculum/

Genuinely wasn't aware schools even did swimming lessons. We're very lucky there is a pool within walking distance & dc are still free. I learnt to swim before I started school & determined they will too. Understandably hard when then are no facilities available as this is such an important life skill that should be learnt from a very young age.

I did swimming in school, must have been 1987ish. Started off not able to swim, got the 20m badge (and was robbed of the 100m badge, as I definitely did 100m!). No specialist teacher, it was just our class teacher.

Is this impossible now?

Not after 6 x 30min with barely any instructions. Unless you are gifted enough to be almost self taught within 3 hours to swim 100m.

I’m in my 40s and can’t swim despite 2 years of rubbish lessons at school in the 90s!

We went once a week with school, from the age of 7. Walked there and walked back. By the time we left at 11, I think most of us could swim. Not attractively or with any form, but we could swim. It was also cheap to go recreational swimming and you could spend hours there at weekends.

Dc's school gave them 6 weeks of lessons, in year 5 or 6. Most people round here start kids learning to swim at 4 or 5,although we took them swimming with us from 3 months. My kids are much better at all the strokes than I was, but they rarely get to fun swim, because there are such limited facilities. When you go with your mates, you don't want to do lane swimming; you want to muck about and play on the diving board (but no bombing or eating or heavy petting).

Agreed.

This thread is another example of adults expecting education to pick up the slack on teaching their children life skills.

My kids were in pools from an early age. I taught them to swim.

I don't know how long my school sessions were, or how many there were.

And thinking about it there must have been another adult present as we were split into two groups, those who could already swim and those who couldn't - pretty evenly numbered I think, certainly no-one was teased or mocked for not being able to swim.

I can't see DS ever doing swimming in school, so I guess it doesn't effect us anyway.

Well done on you being able to do that. (There’s no sarcasm in In that, your children are lucky it’s a skill your able to pass on).

I can’t swim so I can’t teach them
i can’t afford the £45 a month for lessons.

thankfully the school lessons DID teach my children to swim.

its not unreasonable of a parent to think if somethings on the curriculum it will be taught.

@VegetablesFightingToReclaimTheAubergieneEmoji

I am pleased your kids were given the chance to learn. I am sorry you can't afford that or you never learnt to swim yourself. Did you ever discuss that with your parents?

But again, so many adults just rely on schools to teach children the basics. And then teacher bash when their kids don't turn out as well as others. It is getting progressively worse.

There has to be a line. Parents have to be accountable for their parenting. (Note I am not saying parents have to be blamed, but whatever the circumstances, parents should recognize that it is NOT the schools fault).

I am tired of the stick that teachers get.

Don't know about UK but in Ireland it is nigh on impossible to get your kids into a swimming class they are so over subscribed, particularly since covid. At some council leisure centres people queue overnight for a place, madness. Our school does do a round of swimming lessons a year I think 10 lessons, we do have to pay though although it is subsidised. They take all levels but it's not enough they need more than what the school provide.

I ended up paying for private lessons for my kids because I just couldn't get them in anywhere or they all had different times/ days which I couldn't manage. It actually ended up cheaper in the long run because the guy took the three of them and advanced them so fast that I probably needed half the number of lessons then I would have paid in a class.

Get them on the council list for swimming. It's fairly cheap. Mine started when they were 4. We live near the sea so it's very important from a young age.

My son had swimming lessons, but only for about 6 weeks. Which isn't enough to teach a none swimmer how to swim.
I had taught his the basics and gradually let the air our of his arm bands, so by the time school got him, he could swim, but not overly confident.
Swimming for under 5 was free so I made the most of not having to pay for him.
He went on to have swimming lessons, as he loved it, all they did at school was prove they could swim 25m, I think they also showed different strokes. But he didn't really learn anything from school lessons, he just got more confidence swimming.
I would look at council swimming lessons, they are cheaper.

I don’t understand people who make confident statements about things like costs and availability based on their own area assuming it’s going to be the same everywhere.

Yes similar here. I wasn't a natural learner and when most did their 100m badge I got 50m. But I'd got my 400m badge by the time I left primary school and did a personal survival award in secondary school. One of my primary schools had its own outdoor pool - it doesn't anymore.

I agree - and also saying council lessons are cheaper. Most council pools are run by private entities now and swimming lessons are expensive. My local pool charges around £50 a month!

Exactly, mine too.
And I have learned from this thread that in some areas council lessons are free for under 5s - never been the case round here.

And the costs of taking your child swimming - £11.75 if DH takes DS.

Why havnt you done anything about it yourself?

Not many children get the hang of swimming in the term worth of lessons some schools arrange for children.

Its not the schools responsibility to ensure your child can swim well. Thats your job.

Waiting for 10/11 years (year 6 child) for someone else to arrange it makes no sense.

My sympathy to her! My parents tried to make me learn to swim at 9. I hated being in the pool, the instructor was a pig who bullied me, and I never learned to float, let alone swim. Never missed it, either. I have zero interest in getting sunburned at the beach or a pool. I’m 60.