At what age could your DC swim 50m?

[ClaireFromWork]

DD has swimming at school. She got her 50m badge in year 1 and has just gone into year 3 and been put into the group that swims widths with woggles. I've been led to think by her old swimming teacher that she was a good swimmer and she's gutted that she's gone into the lowest group.

I'm wondering at what age children who are good swimmers get their 50m so I can see if her previous teacher was spinning me a yarn or not.

This thread is as bad as the reading threads where everyone boasts their 5 year olds have read all of the Harry Potter series. Most 5vyear olds are just learning to swim and are nitcdoing several lengths in a variety of perfect strokes.
OP, have you seen your child swim 50m? By simply watching them you should be able to see if they can do that distance competently. If they can, politely query their school swimming group.

I so agree, it's not common for 5 year olds to be swimming 50M. My 6 year old can swim, he can manage a width. I would say that he's about average. If you're not happy with where your DD is then talk to the teacher and find out why they've moved her but don't get hung up on all the junior Rebecca Adlington's on this thread, they're the exception not the rule!

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My friend says she was able to swim 1 mile at age 5 (that is 64 25m pools). Does that seem feasible?"

I think it's about as feasible as these mumsnet lying theads of how their child in nursery is sooo bored as they have read Harry Potter at the age of four.

Dd is in a swim club group which is selective. Recently she did a sponsored swim and swam 38 lengths at the age of seven in 30 minutes. I don't think that she could swim a mile and neither could the children in her group. These children are all at least seven and have been selected by their swimming teachers as having potential. Their session focuses on technique and their view is that distance and speed will come in good time.

What is the point in gettting a young child to swim stupid distances when their technique just falls apart after a few lengths. I would rather a five year old swims 5 metres with good technique than 50 metres. It's easier to swim longer distances as the child gets older and develops stamina.

Finally swimming should be fun rather than an ordeal. If a child is pushed too hard physically they will hate swimming with a passion.

Is she always swimming with a woggle? My daughter's stage 3 class occasionally swim lengths but mostly the classes are set up doing widths of the main pool. This is the same for up to stage 6. They often use woggles or floats to practice technique, same for stage 4. Also I wouldn't focus on age, my just 5 year old can just swim a length but many of her friends can't consistently swim a width yet. There is also a 10 year old in her class. It really varies.

No idea if my6 year old can swim 50m and why would I?

She can swim butterfly, breaststroke, a very very strong front crawl, back stroke... do some life saving skills.

No desire to start and distance work until her skeleton and muscles are further developed