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Original poster

School offering zero swimming lessons, son is now in year 6 and cant swim

681 replies

Jobseeker19 · 21/09/2021 13:53

Is it compulsory for a school to do swimming lessons?

My son has never had them and is now in year 6.

When I was a child we did it every year.

I asked them today and was told that they are not doing it because of covid, when I told them my child is in year 6 and never had them they told me they only do it in year 5 for one term thats it and thats how all primary schools do it.

They are chatting shit as I have had an older child through there who also never had lessons.

What can I do about it?

OP posts:
mrsdaltongrant · 22/09/2021 19:25

@Jobseeker19 sorry but basic skills are your job. A lot of children will be comfortable in the water and doggy paddle by 5 which is waaay before the schools here offer lessons (which was year 4). Y5 was a write off and seems nothing is happening in year 6. If you can't afford lessons you need to teach them yourself. Depends what you deem important enough to spend money on.

EvilPea · 22/09/2021 19:27

One term in year 5 here for mine.

I can’t swim and couldn’t afford it, it is expensive.

A lot of parents round here seem to do the week intensive ones as it works out cheaper in the long run. But it is still a big outlay.

Deep breath @Jobseeker19 your coming across really really angry towards the school. The school aren’t failing your child, there’s been a pandemic and a lot of pools still haven’t opened. Work with them and ask if yours can go with the year 5’s this year? If memory serves me right the funding is minimal for this and it’s basically picked up by the school.

EmoIsntDead · 22/09/2021 19:28

@Jobseeker19

I have 3 children I can't afford swimming lessons for all.

Plus I think the school is doing a disservice.

Schools can't be responsible for everything. Swimming is a life skill, take them yourself.
tiredoldusername · 22/09/2021 19:28

[quote mrsdaltongrant]@Jobseeker19 sorry but basic skills are your job. A lot of children will be comfortable in the water and doggy paddle by 5 which is waaay before the schools here offer lessons (which was year 4). Y5 was a write off and seems nothing is happening in year 6. If you can't afford lessons you need to teach them yourself. Depends what you deem important enough to spend money on.[/quote]
A lot of people in the current climate of Universal credit cuts and soaring energy bills deem putting food on the table more important. Doesn't mean that all children shouldn't be give the opportunity to learn to swim, whatever their circumstances.

bellie710 · 22/09/2021 19:28

[quote Rosesareyellow]@godmum56 schools can’t charge for lessons - they couldn’t 10 years ago either. They can ask for contributions towards transport though if the pool is not in walking distance.[/quote]
I have always paid for my kids swimming lessons at school, split between parents and PTA.

Blondefancy · 22/09/2021 19:28

I have 2 kids and from the age of them both being 6 months I’ve taken them swimming. The eldest is 4 and she now confidently swims with armbands in the pool. She can doggy paddle forwards, paddle backwards fluttering her legs (not using arms yet) and stays afloat whilst using all the pool noodles and boards. She’s never had lessons, ive just done some research into how to teach kids to be confident in the water and get the hang of basic swimming movements.

My youngest is almost 2 and despite COVID is coming along well! We haven’t been able to use the baby pool so ive had to support her with armbands, we try and go every weekend but it’s hard finding the slots. Either way, neither of my kids have had lessons and are confident in the water! My mum taught me how to swim without any lessons, all the different strokes. The only swimming lessons I had were in year five and they weren’t great..only for a term as well!

Just sharing my experience! I need to do some more reading up on the next stage past armbands/learning strokes but it’ll be a good life skill to know!

Blondefancy · 22/09/2021 19:29

Oh and before anyone asks, they don’t have lessons because the waiting list is now over a year long 😭 I have tried!

Miisty · 22/09/2021 19:30

My children learnt in the summer holidays with the activities put on by the local council My daughters have paid privately for group swimming lessons We took our children swimming

havesomepatience · 22/09/2021 19:30

All of my grandchildren were taught to swim before they went to school. Either do as my daughter did and get them lessons or teach them yourself.

Mangofandangoo · 22/09/2021 19:30

Here's an idea OP, you can arrange and pay for your child's swimming lessons like everyone else 😬

Mangofandangoo · 22/09/2021 19:31

@Jobseeker19

I have 3 children I can't afford swimming lessons for all.

Plus I think the school is doing a disservice.

Can't you take them yourself?
Happymum12345 · 22/09/2021 19:32

Go swimming with your dc.

PeachyPeachTrees · 22/09/2021 19:32

Our school does the free lessons for 1 term in Y5 but we had to pay for the coach, it's only a 10 minute ride.

Smuuuurfette · 22/09/2021 19:32

I have 2 kids at 2 different levels of swimming competence who both have lessons at different times on a Saturday morning. They’ve been going since me youngest was 2.5 (now 6) because I wanted them to learn how to swim. Never entered my head school would teach them

EarPlugAfficionado · 22/09/2021 19:34

@SailYourShips

I think some posters who are advising that she funds the lessons herself probably have large incomes or don't have three children.

Everything has to be paid for three times over, which is pretty difficult. Free swimming lessons and other activities should be free for every third child in a family, otherwise many children are going to suffer for no other reason than lack of funds.

It could come from the government or from the school budget. The Op isn't asking for a ski trip to be paid for!

You need to cut your cloth accordingly. I have 2 children because I can afford them.
Ibelieveinghosts · 22/09/2021 19:35

Like others say school lessons where they exist will in no way give sufficient skills to be useful. Learning to swim is so important if you can’t pay for lessons you’ll need to do it yourself. Really the absolute minimum is a couple of lengths unaided, comfortable jumping in and exiting the water unaided, treading water and floating on their back. Most of this can be easily taught. It’s up to a parent to ensure such basic life skills are learned not the school.

danni92 · 22/09/2021 19:35

@tiredoldusername

OP, there are a lot of very privileged people on here and I think you're being given a very hard time. Swimming lessons should be provided, especially in a country where our lifeboat service has to be funded by charitable donations. Not everyone is lucky enough to be able to afford the time or money to teach their children to swim and some of the comments here saying you shouldn't have three children are just shocking.
It's one thing to have children you can't afford, quite another to then complain about the things you can't afford to provide for them and then blame the school for something a parent should be able to teach their child themselves!
Endoftether2000 · 22/09/2021 19:38

I am confused Jobseeker19 round here all Children are taught to swim by Professional Swimming Teachers. Lessons Once a week in School from FS2 to Year 6 primary. I always thought it was on the National Curriculum as this has been in place since the 70's.

tiredoldusername · 22/09/2021 19:39

@danni92 People's circumstances change. Someone may be in a position to support three children and then lose their job or become ill etc. Some parents struggle to provide food, let alone swimming lessons, through no fault of their own. Why should the children suffer and go through life without this basic skill? I can't believe the lack of empathy here.

Saladcreamormayo · 22/09/2021 19:42

swimming lessons are part of the national curriculum my dc is having them now and all the year 6 children that missed out on lessons in 2020 due to covid are having them now also as swimming is important. I'd mention to your school that swimming is an important part of the curriculum. not all parents can afford to pay for swimming lessons.

Lachimolala · 22/09/2021 19:43

My sons school do them for one 12 week block in Y4. I went to that school actually and it was the same then, one block around Y4/5 and that was 20 years ago.

I can’t afford swimming lessons for them all either (3 kids also) so I just take them myself. My dad taught me to swim himself and I’ve not suffered for it.

findmeaholiday · 22/09/2021 19:43

If you think 'no swimming' is the biggest issue in schools right now then you need a reality check

Endoftether2000 · 22/09/2021 19:44

Reading some of these posts is quite disappointing. Our School lessons were perfectly apt and also taught live saving skills. Swimming in clothes, how to float and how to life save. Maybe our area puts a priority on basic life skills which Swimming was thought to be one of them. My parents could not swim because they were never taught. Back in the day lessons were put on to help Parents that could not.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 22/09/2021 19:47

@findmeaholiday

If you think 'no swimming' is the biggest issue in schools right now then you need a reality check
Are we only allowed to be bothered by the biggest problem?
Endoftether2000 · 22/09/2021 19:47

No the OP really does not need a reality check findmeaholiday.