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!

Agree with you here. Maybe those judging should be putting there own upbringing under the microscope! Why havent they been taught any manners aye? There's no excuse there, thats free for all of us surely 😉

If they can’t have lessons for everyone (which they should) they should concentrate on the no -swimmers. It is a requirement. Our school did a 2 week intensive course post-COVID with one lesson a day for a fortnight rather than it being over weeks and weeks.

https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2021/07/13/did-you-know-swimming-and-water-safety-are-part-of-the-school-curriculum/

Both my kids can swim as we’ve taken them to lessons but from what I can gather the school lessons they’ve done are useless, even though they’re at the same place with the same swim teachers. Honestly it’s not down to the school to teach them to swim.

I think it should be removed from the curriculum. It cannot be funded in a meaningful way. Most schools do a nod to it, which amounts to a wee trip for 6 weeks. It is nice for the children but does not provide value for money. I would rather see schools relieved of the burden and the money redeployed.

The school was never going to teach your child to swim. Non-swimmers never come out of the school lessons and competent swimmers.

Why haven’t you taught your kids? This is your job as a parent, not the school’s.

No child is going to learn to swim in school lessons OP.

I actually feel that the national curriculum aims for swimming need changing because they’re simply unachievable for a school to do with a schools limited time and budget unless the children are all already able to swim to a decent level. I live in a disproved area and for 1 adult and 1 child to go to the very basic council pool for an hour it’s over £10 a time so many kids simply never go swimming.

dangerous is a stretch unless the op is actively putting her non swimmer in danger.

accidents do and can happen. I am a non swimming adult, I just don’t put myself in places that may have a risk. That doesn’t mean I couldn’t be caught out, but it’s not dangerous day to day.

Mine did. That seems unusual from the comments here. But they did

And yes. We are bloody lucky to have that. The next nearest pool is a good 7miles away - its not accessible if you can't drive. It serves a community of at least 20000 - 30000 people. And it can't currently met the demand as I say.

I believe there are seven pools in our council area in total to serve 200,000 people. Four are in council ownership - the council pools serve 62 primary schools. (Thats NOT including the five primaries in my particular area which are served by this separate private pool). Of those two remaining pools one isn't even a 25m pool - it only does swimming for very young children. There was another pool but that closed down a couple of years ago when the health club it was in, went pop.

There very much is a lack of swimming pools locally. I ended up going to baby swimming out of town because SwimBabies couldn't get sufficient pool time in the district - they were lobbying the council on this because there is such a shortage of pools locally (this was 5 years ago BEFORE the loss of one of the pools).

This isn't untypical. Its a particularly bad council compared to neighbouring councils BUT after looking into how it compares across England its not unusual.

(I had so much trouble getting DS lessons, I took a fair amount of time looking into this).

Very unusual, definitely an exception rather than the rule from my experience but I’m glad to read that it did work for your dc.

School don't care. Don't blame the teachers.

All these rubbish academics run by private companies... recieve £10k per child.

They will cut corners to make profit.

Protect that pool with all your might!

as a side note my children’s school used to have a couple of parent volunteers that would walk with the children if they were doing a walking trip. Really helped with behaviour and safety as our roads are terrible.

All sound expensive and like your children were incredibly lucky to experience that

I AM that volunteer!

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....

But you are fine expecting me to pay for your kids to learn to swim with my very hard earned taxes amidst a cost of living crisis???

Actually, I agree with you - swimming is a basic and important skill that ought to be taught (although I do wonder why you didn't teach your children before now anyway - at their age they should already be able to swim). But I get so pissed off with people who think that because they paid taxes they should get whatever it is they want, and get it now. Paying taxes is not a clarion call - and those taxes pay for lots of things that we also want. I mean, here is me being expected to pay for your kids swimming lessons, their education, their healthcare, etc etc etc. ....

unless the school has a pool on-site it must be very difficult. Apart from the funding (which in a lot of schools would also need to include a coach) it is also a lot of time out of the classroom (travel/ changing), when a lot of other things also need to be squeezed in.
and in order to learn how to swim it must be more than half a term.
But as a parent o would also not expect school to teach my child how to swim - both have been having lessons since they were babies.
but… we can afford to pay for that, as well as going to the pool regularly - others might not.

All those saying it’s parents responsibility, a life skill etc.

what about the children of the “can’t be arsed parent”. Not bad enough for social services, not bad enough for anything much to happen. Schools do fill so much of the gaps of things like sex education, personal hygiene, cooking etc. they shouldnt have to. But they absolutely do serve a huge purpose in getting those children to be functioning adults. The school swimming lessons benefit them too

Ah! Ok. Some of them can be maniacs with a bit of freedom can’t they

Swimming is part of the national curriculum. They have to offer it, particularly to non-swimmers. I'd write a letter to the link governor for the curriculum.

I live in a fishing area. My FIL told me 40 years ago when he was 70 plus that the fisherman many couldn't swim because at sea it would be too far to swim anyway. A fisherman friend he knew went down when the anchor he threw out caught his boot and he was dragged down to meet Davy Jones.

I don't by the way think @Platypuslover will return. But hopefully will read some positive balanced posts

I'm unsure as to why this is the school's fault? My kids started learning to swim at 3 years old, because it's literally a skill that makes the difference between life or death? It's not school's responsibility in my opinion. Sorry if that seems harsh!