DD moved swimming lessons and has immediately been moved down

[PippaFawcett]

We have switched pools and DD who was stage 7, and apparently close to stage 8 according to her last progress report was put into stage 6 at the new pool after one length in the stage 7 class.

She is a bit gutted, and I'm just wondering if both pools follow the same training scheme how her level could be perceived so differently. I don't dispute the new school's decision, I just thought there would be more consistency.

After one length? That's odd, how can they be so sure.

DS is in our current stage 6, iirc.

iirc, Stage 7 at our pool is the one where they build up stamina... really hard. As in a billion lengths per half hour. Was your DD obviously the slowest one by miles in the class? Stage 8 is the one where they swim like fish. Before stage8 they have to do some distance, might be 17 or 25 metres, completely under water.

She did seem to be slower than the rest, yes. And younger than the other children. But I would have thought they would have seen how she got on during the class and then decided. I don't know anyone whose children go to the new swimming pool so I have no idea if it is normal.

Maybe her technique was not good enough. I think that the implementation of ASA standards varies from centre to centre. There us nothing more wretched for a child than not being able to keep up with the rest of the group.

Tell her that stage 6 in the new swim school is not the same as stage 6 in the old swim school. She hadn't been moved down as such, the labels of the classes are different.

ReallyTired, she clearly wasn't up to the standards of the new swimming class and you are right, she must need more work on her technique. Her old one was always particularly crowded so they had to wait a lot and slow down because someone was directly in front/behind so that probably affected her speed. I have told her that it is different and not to worry, it will be interesting to see how she progresses now.

We moved my son at stage 2 to a different pool and he was absolutely no where near the standard of the children in that class. The children who stayed in the original pool are now higher stages than my DS. However, at school swimming he was put into a swimming class with a higher year group and was given a longer distance certificate at the end of term than the children who were in higher stages at the old pool. I just think that the new pool has much higher standards than the old pool, and I'm pleased that they are teaching him so well! I expect your new pool is the same - higher standards than the old one.

Wow Norman, your son is doing well. That is reassuring. The number doesn't actually matter, I guess I am just surprised that there wasn't more consistency across the swim schools.

what are these swimming stages

The exact implementation of the stages does vary. We moved and were told that my DS could stay in the stage, but that he'd have to work hard to catch up.