Y7 failed "bleep test" in PE

[AnnonymousMum]

My nearly 12yo exercises a lot, he swims for an hour twice a week (fast), he's done triathlon training weekly since he was 8 and completed several races. He cycles 3 miles a day as that's how he gets to school. We go for a 5k run/walk every weekend as a family.

Over the last year he's really struggled with running. GP prescribed an inhaler "in case that was it" but he never struggles with swimming or cycling and his lungs volume test thing was normal so I'm not sure it's respiratory or fitness related.

Today he did his first "bleep test" at school and scored 4.5 which is 'poor' apparently. He says he was one of the first to drop out and that he was exhausted. He is really disappointed as he used to consider himself very sporty but has now lost confidence in all but swimming. He quit triathlon over the summer because he was finding it too hard to keep up, but he thought in his year as a whole he'd still be average at least.

I think he needs to go back to GP but I don't know what to ask really. Has anyone had this?

I've not heard of beep tests in schools, I thought they were for things like the army or professional sports people. DS's school is really relaxed about PE though until GCSE classes. I would always say get a health check if you're worried (and you know your child best) but I think there will be plenty of others who failed.

Oh the bloody bleep test. I shall never forget the tears. I had a thread on MNet about it and got hammered by numerous folk, including the teachers. I was taking my dd's word, etc, etc and the gym teacher wouldn't have shouted/left the girls to it whilst she left the room. Then another mum from the year group came on and told it the exact same 😀.

Dr'scappointment @AnnonymousMum. Get him properly checked out. DD felt unwell from about 15.5 and then collapsed. The NHS had dismissed and dismissed. After the collapse, she was diagnosed with Addison's disease. Privately whilst the NHS were still going round in circles and parent blaming as it was all due to anxiety and depression. Actually not. However, dd is also hypermobile which didn't help.

Are bleep tests normal in schools? Is it a year 7 thing?

DDs school do them in the first pe lesson of each term throughout the school.

Agree with this and @Superscientist

At that age in particular, the bleep test is absolutely a skill and needs to be explained really well. I can still recall all the super sporty kids treating it like a race and speeding to the finish before the first bleep, only to then be absolutely exhausted at 4/5+! The competitive element really comes into it at that age and although you're meant to be saving your energy in the first few rounds, no 11yo will want to be seen as the 'last' to finish a round.

I'd try to maybe find out more about how he actually approached it on the day and see how he manages PE over the next few months. Definitely not worth focusing on the bleep test too much, especially if he's already feeling a bit low.