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

[Jobseeker19]

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?

My son is 40, I paid for private swimming lessons for him, they weren't offered by the school, even then.

I had swimming lessons at school, I'm 65.

Get him booked in for lessons, it's a skill that's essential I'd say.

It's not going to happen at school. Get over it. Go on YouTube . There are videos that show how you can teach someone to swim. It's not that difficult.

I think schools are struggling to afford everything on the curriculum. Music, sport, swimming, academics, welfare, special needs provision, the list goes on and on. And then covid.
OP - is your main problem that the school is not delivering the curriculum, or that your DC can't swim?
If it's the school - ten contact the school govs.
if it's the swimming - do it yourself.

The options are DIY or wait for something that isn't going to happen now.
Our school offered half a term of 1 hour once a week swimming lessons in Y3/4 (mixed classes).
By then all children had been taken to local pool by parents and taught to swim, either in council-run lessons or by parents. You would not learn to swim adequately in school lessons of that nature. Swimming is a life skill and kids need to be taught asap. Swimming in local pool is also free for kids in school holidays, so all can do it.

Swimming is a life skill
Find a class at a public community pool and sign up. If your only worry is that he can't survive in the water, then you do not need to involve the school.

A lot of school swimming has been interrupted due to Covid. That could potentially be two years of swimming lessons missed, as they do tend to be only a half-term's worth. The allocation has to be shared across the school as they see fit, so there's only a limited window.