To think I'm being ripped off?

[FasterMichelin]

My son was 6 in April and has been attending swimming lessons for almost a year. We chose small groups in a private pool in hopes this would expedite the process although this hasn't happened. It's usually just him and another little boy with one or two instructors.

When he started lessons, he was comfortable in the water but used to swimming with armbands and being held. He now is happy swimming around with a noodle but can't swim at all unaided.

On holiday, he couldn't use the pool slides due to the deep water at the end and I can't help but wonder what we're paying (a lot) of money for!

I've checked in with his swim teacher who has said the next two stages of the swim program he's working towards are aided.

WTF? I thought I was paying for him to learn to swim unaided!

Anyway, I was wondering if this is normal or if, at 6, with a years worth of lessons, if he should be swimming without floats now.

He's strong, agile and listens well. Not worried about the water, if that helps.

AIBU to wonder if this swim program is more about taking ages and making money, than it is about teaching kids to swim? Or am I expecting too much?

My dc couldn't swim I couldn't see progress so we moved lessons and within a few months he was confidently swimming lengths of the pool unaided

They shouldn’t be taught to swim with aids at all! If I were you I’d look elsewhere, by 6 they should be somewhat competent in the water.
can you find an intensive swim class? Some places do a week or two of daily lessons in school holidays, this might be a good option if it’s available?

This and the previous post. Children can learn to swim in a couple of weeks. I taught all three of mine. No holding them up, though. Never out of their depth the first time. They needed to feel confident they could touch down if they wanted to. If they did go a bit deeper, they learned to push off the floor back up again. It’s all about confidence. Like riding a bike is. They were swimming underwater more than on the surface in no time. I had forgotten we used to get them to lunge after an armband. Make games. Have fun.

Seems to me it profits official teachers to draw it out.
I never had a lesson from parent or ‘teacher’.
When we went to the baths, my mother would go off for her swim and leave me at the shallow end. I taught myself. Simply in shoulder deep water, leaning forward with a push of my feet to try to lie flat on top of the water and trying to move my arms like my mother was doing. Got there after a few tries. Only 2 or 3 strokes at first . Built up to moving distances over a couple of weeks. I went 2 times a day as an adult for some years. I swam at least a mile each time.

This is nuts. My kids were all swimming by six without private lessons and none of them are particularly skilled physically. We just taught them on family swims and holidays.

When my kids were little we lived in a country where we didn't have regular access to a swimming pool.

We came back to the UK for a holiday and got them 3 lessons each. They learned to swim.

A year seems long.

I would ring/go and talk to some other swimming providers near you and asertain if how you’re feeling is correct. I’d feel similar to you-my little one is 3 and has just started swimming lessons and they are already encouraging swimming unaided and he’s only been going around 6 weeks. He’s no where near close but is at least being taught it.

They're 100% ripping you off after a year he should be confidently swimming unaided my kids learnt within a few days on holiday I wouldn't of let it go on this long tbh