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Original poster

To stop swimming lessons?

52 replies

CocoBean22 · 28/02/2025 22:47

DS almost 8 years has been doing swim lessons from toddler stage and is now at 78% of Stage 4.
He can swim confidently and has learnt lots. If he was to fall in the pool or sea I feel he could get himself to safety.
He's lost interest and enthusiasm in going to his swim lessons every week, he loves swimming in holiday all day every day with us as a family, swimming at home for fun in pools but has no interest in lessons anymore.
I think the thing that hasn't helped is they are assessed and moved up a certain percentage each lesson and he hasn't moved up much lately, the early stages he would go each lesson from 20% to 30% or more now it's more like 75%, 76%, 77% each week if that, some weeks he doesn't even move up as the instructor isn't assessing the children each week.
He's most interest.

He has also taken on two more extra sessions a week (totalling 3) of martial arts training which he LOVES so I think by the time swim lessons come around he's tired from school and then has training 3 times a week with MA.

So my question is.....

Is it ok/reasonable to stop swim lessons at this point?

Or Would you keep going regardless?

OP posts:
WonderingWanda · 01/03/2025 09:20

Once they can swim they do then need to build up stamina and confidence. A stage 4 swimmer might be able to get to the edge of pool but could still very easily get into trouble, out of their depth if tired. They are in no way a strong enough swimmer for the sea so do keep that in mind. We live near the sea so I kept up the swimming lessons and both dc's now swim for club. One of them surfs and the sea is still a very challenging environment for them.

Iwanttoputmytreeup · 01/03/2025 09:27

Thinking a different way....if you are likely to go to any parties in a pool with inflatable, they make them do a swim test first. Have to swim 25m independently or can't go on the inflatable.....sad to watch some friends having to play around the edges as can't pass. What about if you want to go to pool parks on holiday? ...you'd have to be constantly with him to supervise. Swimming confidently and safely is a life skill and Swimming 25m is the Target for the few lessons they get at school. Money and time allowing would suggest it continues as non-negotionable but along side the fun things he enjoys more.

DrBunsen · 01/03/2025 09:29

Swim England and the RNLI state that the following should be met before children are deemed competent enough to give up lessons:

  1. Learn to Float
  2. Tread water for 30 seconds
  3. Swim in clothing
  4. Swim 100m

A survey by Swim England found that 96% of children stop swimming lessons too early.

amele · 01/03/2025 09:34

My kids got to stage 6 and stopped just recently, they lost interest when they were on stage 5, as they felt it was very repetitive, they are very confident swimmers now and would be happy to go swimming casually but not go to swimming lessons. I cancelled in good time, as the prices have once again gone up, they only just increased it last year and again this year starting from April. It's a joke when everything increases in prices and our salary remains the same

Reachforthestars00 · 01/03/2025 09:40

A child who has not yet completed stage 4 is not a competent swimmer. If they fell into open water, which is cold, dark and moving, you would likely lose them. By all means stop swimming lessons, but don't fool yourself that your child is a competent swimmer. Stage 6 is competent.

Andsoitbeganagain · 01/03/2025 09:44

It's many years since my son stopped lessons but I remember it got to exactly this point. Once they can swim there is not much extra they can do except swim further and faster. The kids that like that kind of thing went on to the swim team as the kids that didn't went on to other things. Once they learn that life skill, it's time to move on to another.

Crazybaby123 · 01/03/2025 09:57

Of course, the main thing is to ensure they can swim for safety in the water. That's it, unless they develop a passion. Both mine stopped swimming lessons as soon as they could swim. Their choice, I would still want them to go but they don't want to. I was in a swimming club as a child and hoped they would also get to that level but they have no interest in continuously swimming up and down at speed so....
I might try them again at a later date with it tbh

Chillilounger · 01/03/2025 10:11

Hard if they don't enjoy it. My son is stage 5 and I wouldn't say he's a strong swimmer. I want him to pass stage 7 at least. My daughter is a strong swimmer and passed stage 7 a few years ago and is now in a 8-10 class. She does it just for fun and fitness now but I think she'll want to do the rookie lifeguard afterwards. 5 is swimming a length confidently which would be my minimum requirement but if kids really don't enjoy it then maybe take them swimming regularly in a non lesson setting instead?

Arglefraster · 01/03/2025 10:19

My rule for our kids was regular swimming until 12 despite two of them spending years in the "club ready" lessons (neither wanted to go to swim club) - they did a mix of junior lifeguard & water polo so not always swim lessons but always regular & coached.

Kids grow out of their strength easily if they're not doing an activity regularly & I wanted to know mine were as safe as possible when jumping into rivers in the summer.

I would look for different lessons or a different swimming hobby in your situation.

Growlybear83 · 01/03/2025 10:32

If your son can swim but isn't enjoying having lessons, can you not just take him swimming yourself on a regular basis?

LouOver · 01/03/2025 10:38

In the Leisure industry. Stage 4 isn't competent it's the bare minimum and means your kids can get about on a family holiday in a pool but nowhere near water safe.

Stage 5 & 6 give children the best water safety and endurance to swim more than 25 metres.

Stage 7 then becomes about technique before accessing children for clubs...this is where you should drop off if your kid is not enjoying it.

So many parents stop at stage 4 and it's a big risk

Silvertulips · 01/03/2025 10:42

A survey by Swim England found that 96% of children stop swimming lessons too early

interesting statement from a club that makes money from swimming.

If they can swim, stop the lessons!

zingally · 01/03/2025 10:54

I can't understand the obsession with moving up the levels.

I always thought the point of swimming lessons was to learn how to swim, purely for safety reasons, should the worst happen. And then once the kid has learnt to swim, job done.

Of course you son should stop if he wants to, and he's now a decent swimmer. Who cares if his front crawl is a bit untidy? I mean, fuck it, if he's got a scrappy doggy paddle, and can tread water, he's good to go!

InTheRainOnATrain · 01/03/2025 11:09

DrBunsen · 01/03/2025 09:29

Swim England and the RNLI state that the following should be met before children are deemed competent enough to give up lessons:

  1. Learn to Float
  2. Tread water for 30 seconds
  3. Swim in clothing
  4. Swim 100m

A survey by Swim England found that 96% of children stop swimming lessons too early.

They’re not wrong but I find it madness that swim england is pushing butterfly before making sure that the kids can swim a decent distance in any stroke. The cynic in me wonders if they’ve designed the programme to keep kids in lessons for longer rather than prioritising safety.

I’ve said to DD that I couldn’t care less about her stage (because I think learning butterfly is stupid) but for her to be allowed stop I need to see swimming 100m on back and front and treading water for 2 minutes because that’s what you need for safety and also to properly have fun and swim in the sea on holiday.

TheSandgroper · 01/03/2025 11:14

I’ve just looked up UK stage 4 swimming.

Er, fuck no would he be stopping lessons right now.

Swimming is a LIFE skill. You need to prepare him for the rest of his LIFE. He can’t swim, he can’t even float properly and he can’t tread water.

Have you never watched Bondi Rescue? It’s not all landlocked Pakistani’s getting rescued there, you know.

Your son is not skilled enough to give up swimming lessons.

BlumminFreezin · 01/03/2025 11:19

Being 'able to swim' is not a simple one-box tick exercise. It's NOT a simple yes/no or 'he can swim, that's all he needs' situation.

My 7 year old can swim, absolutely. He can safely and competently stay afloat and make his way from one side of the pool to the other unaided, in the nice calm, warm water.

Could he do that if the water was ice cold? Or if he was fully dressed? Or if a current was pulling him away? With a face full of weeds and algae? Mmm. Probably not because I don't think he's strong enough or practiced enough.

Swimming is like any skill. You get better at it the more you practice. GOOD swimming lessons, continuing past the age where 'they can swim' are never, ever wasted.

It's a buildable skill and it's not possible for anyone to say 'job done' about an 8 year old if you really want them to be as safe as possible around all bodies of water.

0ohLarLar · 01/03/2025 11:54

Stage 4 at our club is barely doing 25m confidently on front with breathing. There are 5 year olds in stage four.

Can he swim a full length of the pool comfortably, taking breaths, front or back?

I would not stop until that stage.

0ohLarLar · 01/03/2025 12:01
  1. *Learn to Float
  2. Tread water for 30 seconds
  3. Swim in clothing
  4. Swim 100m
A survey by Swim England found that 96% of children stop swimming lessons too early.*

Swim england need to work with lesson providers then because one of the biggest issues is providers seeking to drag out progress to increase revenue/maintain full classes.

My child has spent a year in stage 6. His teacher fobs me off with all sorts of rubbish as to why he can't move up (eg will say DC can't do x then will list a requirement need to complete st 7 not st 6), in reality its that he wants the class full & doesn't have a stage 5 child ready to fill the spot yet.

TickingAlongNicely · 01/03/2025 12:07

Dropping butterfly from the scheme, and some of the other nonsense like shaped jumps into water, and putting more emphasis on endurance might increase peoples willingness to keep going with lessons.

BridgetsBigPants · 01/03/2025 12:27

I live in Australia, so I am not sure that standards are the same but there is no way I would let a 7 year old stop swimming lessons. Here it is standard for kids to do them until the end of primary school and would be highly unusual to stop so young. He is simply not going to be a competent swimmer if he can't even pass stage 4.

MatildaTheCat · 01/03/2025 12:37

He doesn’t sound ready to stop learning to swim but why is it a binary choice between those lessons or nothing?

You could go as a family regularly and invent challenges, rewards and swimming games.
Find a teacher who will teach in a different way to what sounds a highly prescriptive approach?
Go to a different pool, maybe go with friends, just make it fun again and he will improve and get stronger.

SapatSea · 01/03/2025 13:34

I'd let him stop. I just made sure we went to swimming pools regularly for fun family swims to keep up the DC skills.

Iloveeverycat · 01/03/2025 13:54

Swimming is a LIFE skill
What if you can't afford that LIFE SKILL!

TheSandgroper · 01/03/2025 14:39

If you can’t afford it, you can’t afford it. I get that.

But, OP doesn’t say she can’t afford it. She is saying that her 7 year old wants her to increase her spending on something that he is already getting twice a week at the expense of learning to swim well enough to save his life.

www.royallifesaving.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/85324/RLS_NationalDrowningReport2024_WEB.pdf

FiveBarGate · 01/03/2025 22:43

TickingAlongNicely · 01/03/2025 12:07

Dropping butterfly from the scheme, and some of the other nonsense like shaped jumps into water, and putting more emphasis on endurance might increase peoples willingness to keep going with lessons.

I agree with this. Because mine are self taught they had to go in a lower group because they couldn't do butterfly.

They spent weeks messing about with a float and retrieving objects from the shallow end when they are confident doing this in the deep end. And doing stupid jumping in.

I wanted them to improve their breathing and to get my son to bend his left arm correctly for crawl but no one commented on his technique or did much to correct it. There was very little swimming in the lessons.

And with the rotation you wait weeks to do backstroke again.

I'm very pro swimming but I'm a bit skeptical about the benefits of the over use of pool noodles in older groups.