Buoyancy aid for schoolchild

I don't know why there is even a discussion about it. Of course she shouldn't go if she can't swim, sad as it will make her. I can't believe that the school's risk assessment for the trip would allow non-swimmers in the pool anyway.

I wouldn't let her go.

The risk is far far too high.

Even with a bouyoncy aid, you risk her ditching it to blend in.

This is a massive incentive for her though to, one you can organise it, properly learn to swim.

I would say - you will take her and quite a few of her friends to the same park ONCE she's learnt to swim instead.

I think the school would be really negligent to allow a non swimmer into a pool with waves/slides etc. As a mum there is no way I’d risk it.

She could easily get into trouble and drowning rarely looks how you’d expect it to, meaning it’s completely feasible that no one else in the pool would notice that she wasn’t ok until it’s too late.

Could she go on the trip and sit the pool out?

She cannot go to a pool with friends, mucking about in the water and on slides without being able so swim.
Im sure it will suck for her because she wants to go but it would be reckless to allow her.

She's 11. She knows she can't swim.
She isn't ND.
She knows the pool
I think you need to trust her own judgement a bit here.
I doubt she will be the only non swimmer

She can stay in areas where she can reach the floor.
If the teachers are aware they will keep a close eye on her.

I cannot believe the school would allow a child who cannot swim to participate in this part of the trip without something like a buoyancy aid or 121close supervision from an adult? Surely they will have carried out a risk assessment for the trip?

I’d be anxious about this. We’ve just come back from a water park on the continent. The lifeguards were 💯 on it and any child who couldn’t swim had a tag on their wrist which stopped them getting on certain slides. The reason being some slides drop you into deepish water and especially being a bit dizzy and disorientated you must be able to swim to get out. Can you look at the centre’s website and see their rules because they may have a guide about which slides are open to non swimmers (at the place we recently went there were plenty my not great swimming 7yr old could go on so long as he was with an adult but the rides you have to go down solo he wasn’t allowed).

Absolutely no way a non-swimmer should be in a pool like that without an adult in there focusing on them. Lifeguards are amazing but can't see everything.

I was in your daughters position and missed out on a lot because my parents didn't make sure I could swim, but this trip really isn't the time to experiment with it.

Lots of kids can't swim. Money, time, transport to lessons etc. Around here it can be easier to get unicorn riding lessons than swimming lessons (they would briefly open the waiting list, be inundated with applications in hours then close the list again until they cleared the waiting list... another side effect of covid). In addition, lack of school lessons. I doubt shes the only one.

Ask the school about the risk assessment, particularly what it says about non-swimmers.

Some of these pools have a sizeable area suitable for non-swimmers - shallow enough that the waves aren't an issue - I went to one with a couple of toddlers, and although they wore armbands, even a small 11 year old would probably be fine without. It may be that if she is under strict instructions not to go on the big chutes, rapids or into the deeper water, she can join in.

The school may well say "armbands or you don't go in" - that will be her choice to make.

I'm sure she won't be the only non-swimmer. Also, at that age I'd expect some of the girls to possibly be having periods, and there always seems to be one kid with their arm in a cast or something, so the school might have a few kids that can't go in the pool for one reason or another.

I would let her go. An 11-year-old is sensible enough to not go into deep water

I'd be shocked if the school would allow this. In a big group of friends it would be so easy for her to drift out of her depth, even if she stayed where she could stand up, if she fell or was swamped by a wave it's so easy to panic if you're not comfortable in water. I don't think she should be allowed in the water.

As others have pointed out, there will be others who have their period or also can't swim, I'm sure she wouldn't be the only one not swimming.