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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:
Mrgrinch · 21/09/2021 15:47

You sound awful to be honest.

You either pay for lessons or teach them yourself, surely that's obvious.

TheRebelle · 21/09/2021 15:47

@Jobseeker19

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

Plus I think the school is doing a disservice.

I get that people’s circumstances change etc etc but seriously, you had three children and you can’t afford swimming lessons? Swimming lessons are a pretty basic cost of having children IMO.
Wtf86 · 21/09/2021 15:47

I went to school in the 80s and 90s and the only reason I can swim 5m is cos of school swimming lessons. My parents couldn’t afford lessons hence I’ve always prioritised it for my kids.

OP the school should provide lessons but I know some schools have been unable to due to covid and then still using that excuse.

Perhaps a week’s course (crash) is the way and maybe as a Birthday present? Or perhaps family could contribute. Maybe get your year 6 child swimming first then the others after.

SophieHMS · 21/09/2021 15:48

It's another cut thanks to series of governments determined that education should be all about getting ready to join the working chain-gang.

I learned to swim in the 70s at school for free. I then went to uni for free. I then bought a house for fuck all.

It appalls me how much has been taken away from this generation and the one before it when I had so much given to me.

OP you are right to be cross.

Gilly12345 · 21/09/2021 15:51

It is your place to take your child to swimming lessons, most leisure centres offer them, my twins had them for about 4-5 years when at Primary School every Saturday morning (30 minutes) in term time and yes we had to pay.

School also arranged swimming lessons for a term, again lesson was 30 minutes and involved coach from school to leisure centre, parents definitely had to pay and were quite happy to as such an important life skill.

Phonelightmidnight · 21/09/2021 15:54

They didn’t teach you how to ride a bike so why should they reach you how to swim. I regularly had swimming lessons every week. In yr 6 they made us once a week have a swimming lesson but that was only for a few weeks. We would be placed in groups. There’s was no time for one to one lessons.

Booknooks · 21/09/2021 15:54

@Theriband

This is what's wrong with this country. Teach them yourself you numpty! Nobody owes you anything in life
Boris, is that you? Or perhaps Mrs Thatcher.
CouldBeOuting · 21/09/2021 15:55

At my school we used to do two terms of swimming in year 5. It stopped due to covid. The pool is still not accepting school swimming sessions - due to covid. However please bear in mind the cost to schools. We are not allowed to charge for lessons - although we can ask for a VOLUNTARY donation towards transport costs.
I’m not sure exactly how much the pool charges for the use of the pool and instructors but I know it is a LOT for the half hour session (max slot available), then there is the coach cost. That is probably around £150 per week as I know it is £200 for a trip to another venue not much further than the pool. The cost to the school totals in the thousands each year. All while our budgets are being shaved, we are making people redundant / not replacing leavers, we are ALL buying supplies out if our own money. A few of our teachers were given shopping centre vouchers as gifts at the end of last year - they pooled them and spent them on a bulk buy in WHSmith of glue sticks, post it notes and pencils!

Swimming is something that is easily (not cheaply I know) available outside if school, the rest of the National curriculum is much harder delivered outside if school.
Plus a half hour session for thirty children with one, sometimes two instructors is ineffective IMO.

Booknooks · 21/09/2021 15:55

@Phonelightmidnight

They didn’t teach you how to ride a bike so why should they reach you how to swim. I regularly had swimming lessons every week. In yr 6 they made us once a week have a swimming lesson but that was only for a few weeks. We would be placed in groups. There’s was no time for one to one lessons.
We did cycling proficiency at school, another thing that's probably extinct now.
MrsVeryTired · 21/09/2021 15:57

Just a fyi though for all the "life skill" people, most people who drown can swim, they have usually misjudged the water/conditions, those who can't would not be in the water.

But I do love swimming and know children would miss out on lots of fun not being able to do so.

And try not to worry about missed opportunities OP, I learnt to swim relatively quickly aged around 9-11 with good lessons (from my state school), although do what others have suggested about questioning the school and curriculum.

Tiramiwho · 21/09/2021 15:59

We don't know we are born in this country Can you imagine people moaning about the lack of swimming lessons in most other countries of the world?
You have had seven years ( from his birth ) to sort out this life saving skill, don't leave it to others. Yea Gods 🙄

MLMbotsno · 21/09/2021 16:00

Perhaps just pay for one child to take lessons, the one that missed out in year 5 due to covid. Then when that child can swim you can take all of them. The important thing is confidence in the water and then they learn quickly in my experience.

How old are the other 2 children?

DevilFinger · 21/09/2021 16:00

We had a pool at primary (80s ) so everyone could swim, parents volunteered and helped teach - pre DBS!

Year 3 have lessons now but only for a term, I'm not sure anyone could learnt to swim during them. Year five have an extra catch up class for anyone still not able to swim but the majority have outside lessons.

NautaOcts · 21/09/2021 16:00

It’s not right that your son hasn’t had any at all, but I’m afraid ime what schools offer to comply with the National curriculum requirements is the bare minimum and would not be enough to get a non swimmer swimming. People that work during the week do weekend swimming lessons for their kids.

didihearthatright123456 · 21/09/2021 16:02

@Gilly12345

It is your place to take your child to swimming lessons, most leisure centres offer them, my twins had them for about 4-5 years when at Primary School every Saturday morning (30 minutes) in term time and yes we had to pay.

School also arranged swimming lessons for a term, again lesson was 30 minutes and involved coach from school to leisure centre, parents definitely had to pay and were quite happy to as such an important life skill.

My 2 year old twins have just started their swimming lessons. It was the one non negotiable activity that myself and DH agreed on.
Shakirasma · 21/09/2021 16:03

I'm surprised at the dismissive attitudes on this thread. I can only assume the children of those posters attend academies who choose not to follow the national curriculum.

The school I work at is a local authority school who takes its obligation to teach swimming seriously. Our mixed year 3/4 class goes swimming weekly for the whole school year, meaning those children all get 2 full years of weekly swimming lessons.

Worried234 · 21/09/2021 16:04

Erm, I've paid for swimming lessons myself, for all three DCs.

They each did one term of it in Y4, at their Primary School.

"Chatting shit". Nice. Entitled much?

Just pay like everyone else does.

Ugzbugz · 21/09/2021 16:04

My sons swimming lessons were in year 5 i I so not when covid was an issue and think he got one term and we were asked to pay for it and it wasn't cheap due to the coach to take them there and back, chances of them fully learning to swim at that age In that fewer lessons are slim I imagine. I don't recall it being done from the basics either so they had to have some ability.

drpaddington · 21/09/2021 16:05

It is on the curriculum, although I don't know how many lessons they're meant to provide. Our primary offered 6 lessons per year, from year one to year six. I honestly don't think that would have been enough to teach my children any more than the very basics, so I'm glad I was able to pay for swimming lessons for them from age 3.

Booknooks · 21/09/2021 16:05

@Tiramiwho

We don't know we are born in this country Can you imagine people moaning about the lack of swimming lessons in most other countries of the world? You have had seven years ( from his birth ) to sort out this life saving skill, don't leave it to others. Yea Gods 🙄
They used to be offered more as standard, why are we accepting a decline in provision? Not the schools fault, but decades of slashing education budgets and adding ridiculousness into the curriculum at the expense of life skills.
browneyesblue · 21/09/2021 16:09

Our a school takes years 3 to 6 to the local pool for lessons. They have a block of lessons a year, which is every day for 2 weeks. The lesson is an hour long.

I think it works really well, it’s like an intensive crash course, but from the messages on this thread I can see that we are really lucky! The kids have made great progress.

(Bog-standard state school)

APurpleSquirrel · 21/09/2021 16:09

DDs school offer swimming from Yr2 upwards every week - but I know that's very unusual even for other local primaries. It's one of the reasons we choose it. However we have also paid for our DC to have lessons since they were babies so the school lessons will be a bonus. The school lessons have just restarted this term.

SisterAgatha · 21/09/2021 16:14

It’s expensive when you have three but I kind of see it as an essential cost really. One of mine has already learned, one is learning, one will start next term.

I learned on holiday and am a very strong swimmer. I think a lot of the difference in people’s abilities will be just that - natural abilities. Some people can learn like that, some cant.

I think you’ll probably have to cough up or teach them yourself.

Nc123 · 21/09/2021 16:15

@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 kids were supposed to have school swimming lessons from year 3 but Covid hit then so it only happened twice. It didn’t matter much though as I was paying privately as my lessons at primary school taught me very little.

Agree with PPs, you need to ante up the cash to pay privately, probably for one child at a time - they don’t all need to learn at once. Certainly your Y6 kid may learn quite quickly to swim at a basic level.

Sirzy · 21/09/2021 16:17

I think really all that can be hoped for from school lessons is the ability to know what to do in an emergency (which is what natters) anything else they pick up is a bonus