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Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

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Original poster

When DC's activity is taught at school...

13 replies

QueenofLouisiana · 08/03/2015 15:17

...does it work well?

DS is a competitive swimmer- now placing at County level, so not outstanding, but pretty good. However, I dred school swimming every week as he is bored stiff.

Top group focus on crawl and backstroke- widths as another group use the other end of the pool. He needs help sorting a dodgy breaststroke kick, not more crawl! He was asked to leave one lesson for going a track start instead of a dive.

Clearly they can't run a group just for him, but some sort of attempt to cater to his needs wouldn't go amiss. After all this a NC subject, just like history or DT. Any thoughts on how I can ask about it?

OP posts:

pieceofpurplesky · 08/03/2015 15:21

Just a question - would they be more inclined to help if he behaved? He got sent out of a lesson for not doing as he was told ....

Pippidoeswhatshewants · 08/03/2015 15:22

I don't have a solution to your problem. In our primary they do 1 term of swimming in Years 4 and 5, and it definitely isn't a priority. It is a box ticking exercise, because it is part of the NC. Our kids go to the pool by coach. If they are lucky, they get 30 minutes in the water. If they get stuck in traffic they just turn the coach round and go back to school.

I was told by school that if you want your child to learn how to swim you should pay for private lessons. The whole situation is a complete joke.
There is a secondary school with a pool next door to the primary, but it is beyond school to organise swimming lessons there.

morethanpotatoprints · 08/03/2015 15:24

You have my 100% sympathy we went through similar with music.
I think you need to approach the school and explain this and ask what they can do to help.
The school my dd attended weren't/couldn't help with our problem so dd ended up leaving and became H.ed, something you may even consider yourself if your ds becomes very talented.
It is hard for schools because those so far in front can't really be catered for.
Is the standard of teaching as good as what he receives outside school, this would be my biggest concern tbh.

bruffin · 08/03/2015 15:33

Interesting because when ds went to swim club they never did breast stroke ( his best) . FWIW dcs had lessons from babies until they passed their bronze medallion, so were strong swimmers by the time they went with primary and it wasnt a problem. Swimming drills tend to be the same anyway. All lessons ive seen are different stroke every week so they only do breast stroke every 3rd week or maybe 4 if they throw in butterfly.

Original poster

QueenofLouisiana · 08/03/2015 15:57

HEd would never work- we'd kill each other ! I don't think he's unusually talented, just beyond the norm for yr5 swimming at school. Perhaps the same as a child working at Level 6 in yr6.

Interestingly the swim teacher taught him in private lessons a while back, she was part of getting him to where he is now. But it isn't like the club coaching and I wouldn't expect it to be- it would be pointless for most of the other children.

As for behaving himself, I take that on board. However, he was asked to dive in- so he did, the same way he dives in several times a week- it just wasn't what they actually wanted him to do! Unluckily I think that all teachers will tell you that bored children will start to become a problem if you don't stretch them- challenge usually helps! This week he had to wait on the poolside because he and a few others had done their pj swim last year and everyone else needed to do theirs. What did they do? "Nothing, got cold and chatted".

A different stroke each week would be a start- rather than just more crawl.

I think I'm just going to have to suck it up aren't i?

OP posts:

morethanpotatoprints · 08/03/2015 16:05

Maybe it won't be for long OP, how often do they go?
The schools round here only tend to do half a term in a couple of school years.
Its a shame he has to do it at all tbh, especially if he is training during the week. Could they not let him join another class at school and do his own work or read whilst his class are swimming.
I suppose this depends if the other classes are full themselves.

balletgirlmum · 08/03/2015 16:08

I have no experience in sports but with dance whenever dd has done something at a lower level she concentrates on perfecting technique, regardless of how simple the expertise.

Original poster

QueenofLouisiana · 08/03/2015 16:11

TBH he could do with improving his handwriting- maybe I'll suggest that I ask his teacher to let him stay at school and practise? That should at least stop the whinging until Easter when, I think I bloody hope it's another year group's turn. He's swum for 2 terms this year!

OP posts:

Wildernessrock · 08/03/2015 16:11

We have this problem. Ds has been in 2 schools where the swimming teaching didn't do anything for those who could already swim. They seemed focused on the non swimmers which is unfair I think (especially as we had to pay for the school lessons!).

BackforGood · 08/03/2015 16:42

My dc were all club swimmers and when they went with school it was a complete waste of time, in terms of learning anything about swimming, but I felt for the teachers - they were being asked to teach people who were actually far more advanced at a skill than they were. What can they do? I didnt want to ask for them to be withdrawn. You just suck it up and the dc get the opportunity to 'cruise' for a few lessons.

Dumdidumdidumdidum · 08/03/2015 17:17

As a teacher myself, and I'm sure all other teachers will agree, you often find pupils in a situation where they are beyond their peers, sometimes even beyond the teacher. It's difficult, as a teacher you are used to having skills/knowledge beyond those in your charge. But teachers should have the freedom to think outside the box in such situations, maybe get him to advise others, or have a lane to himself, or simply sit in the head's office and practice handwriting!

Mistigri · 08/03/2015 18:22

If it's one lesson a week I think you are overthinking this. It really, honestly doesn't hurt children to occasionally have to tolerate a short period of boredom.

My kids are native English speakers who spend 3 hours a week learning English as a foreign language and it doesn't kill them. The teacher has DD helping create worksheets and even marking, but DS is less independent (and dislikes being singled out) so he just has to suck it up.

BackforGood · 08/03/2015 19:49

Lol dumdidum ..........I'm not sure many dc would prefer to practice handwriting than have the chance to show off in a swimming pool !
My dcs' teachers would get them to demonstrate strokes or leg kicks or dives or tumble turns, and would set them challenges to see if they could do 10 widths when others were doing 5 or whatever.

It s really not worth stressing over OP

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