Is it time to give lessons up?

[MarEP]

DD started swimming at just turned 4 at a private swim club with very small classes and teacher in the water upto ASA 4 and one poolside whereby she went from being a nervous four year old who wouldn't jump in to ASA 5 and achieving her 100m award by age 6. The fees went up to £9.50 and dad decided that that although DD was a good swimmer the recent price increase was too much so being the stage she was we managed to get her into stage 6 fairly quickly at the local pool where prices are much more reasonable. However we now wonder if it's time to give up. Three months in it seems like DD is going backwards. We have an online portal and in the three months she's been there everything says needs practice whereas at the old school it was fair or good. We have watched a couple of lessons and have to admit on a couple of areas DD does seem the weakest swimmer on some skills on others not so bad so we took the opportunity to speak to the teacher and she said that if we didn't have the certificates to say DD could do stage 5 then she personally wouldn't have her in the stage 6 class because she isn't their stage 6 calibre. So I said so she shouldn't really have her ASA 5 award then and she said she wasn't saying that but that she wouldn't have given her a 5 because her technique isn't right. We have paid over the odds for small classes assuming these were better and told DD is a good swimmer to find out 3 months in a different school she isn't a good swimmer. DD doesn't like the new school 12 to class and four classes going on at once compared to two classes of 4-6 so we know she isn't try her best but is she really that poor a swimmer or was the old school handing out awards too easily?
Is it time to knock swimming on the head and try again at maybe 8?
Anyone who gave swimming lessons who how did you child find it when they started again? Thanks

We backed off swimming (having tried two different places) when it was clear that dd was not making progress or getting anything out of it.
I have a disability but swimming is the one thing I can do and i wanted it to be something we enjoy together.
She could swim but weakly and with little confidence.
We started again just before they did swimming lessons with school. We went each weekend and just did what was comfy for her. The school lessons helped massively with her confidence. Rebecca Adlington she ain't, but she enjoys it.

Thanks for the reply strikealight.
DD likes swimming but not she she likes the new lessons :-(
She was confident in the old pool and we actually thought she was doing ok.
Only downside of us taking her is that she wouldn't learn technique with us. Doesn't listen and we aren't the best swimmers .
Maybe year off will do the world of good, or even few months and then we can see if it's something she really wants to do.

Why don't you send her back to the old school? Are they really so much cheaper it's worth the saving to make Ann unhappy child?

She may be putting less effort in because she's not happy.

You DD is not going backwards. She is only 6years and has been doing well. You've just had a bit of an unpleasant surprise to learn she maybe isn't quite as great as has been made out.

If she is not enjoying the lessons than a break might be a good idea. DS had a a break for a term at one point and went back fine. Do any of her school friends go to the same session? Like with going to a gym that always helps with motivation.

I think the stages are inconsistent between swimming schools. Tbh if the swimming teacher thinks she should be in 5 I'd go with that. My DD had stage 4 when she moved about a year ago to one that is very strict (and had been in 5 for ages) they put her back to 4 and it was brilliant for her in relation to progress. She then went back to 5 a few weeks later a much better swimmer.

I don't think the private was wrong necessarily, she can swim after all.

Rosevase2010

Yes lessons are much cheaper £9.50 old school. New school £5.
We both do wonder if she isn't trying because she wants to go to the old school again.
Issendust, yes DD wants to go to lessons when we ask her but once in the lesson she either isn't trying or really isn't the level we were told she is. No none of her friends go the same day or time. Just confused why told better than she is :-(
We are happy for her to stay in the current class like the teachers agreed and for the teacher to work on correcting her technique like she''s agreed but if DD wont do the techniques correctly because she doesn't want to be there then ....

My children are in different swim schools and they have very different criteria for moving people up . One wants perfect technique, other hands out distance badges just for travelling the distance anyhow!

I wouldn't say she's gone backwards just that the new lessons are more technique focussed which is good .

it does sound like you weren't quite getting your moneys worth from the private lessons in one sense but if shes happily learnt to swim then it's been fine.

Our swim schools often have bigger groups at stage 6 + as they are just doing multiple lengths. At the stricter school the youngest is about 8.

My youngest is 5.5 and nearly into stage 5 at less strict school, different system but progressing well so I'm happy for both. They do really vary!

She might say she wants to go to please you. It sounds like it's becoming a "thing". You say you aren't good swimmers yourselves. I strongly recommend easing off the lessons and trying to find time together to go to the pool. She can tighten up technique over the rest of her life.
Unless she has a yen for competitive swimming, I would back off from lessons for a bit.

BrieonanOatcake, thanks for the reply. It helps me and hopefully dad when I see him later understand that ASA stage xxx isn't the same at every school.
Re ages I think DD is possibly the youngest in the stage 6 class and that might be part of the problem. Most are a good few CM taller.
Strikealight we do go to the pool together. I work part time so go with DD regularly in the holidays. Unfortunately with gymnastics, dance, cheerleading, after school clubs and work we can't get to there much outside school. Sorry shouldnt have said we aren't the best swimmers. We can both swim and I've just taken swimming up again but we don't have the best technique.
She did want competitive when at the old school but I think now she may not.
Thanks all, a interesting insight into the world of swimming lessons. Think we will sit with DD and decide whether to try a few more months, give up or see if we can find the funds to go back to the old school.

My dd went from private lessons into group lessons ( at the same swim school) and went into group 4 aged 5. She was tiny compared to the others and appeared to be struggling. I queried her group repeatedly and was told she was fine just little. She wasn't really enjoying it. After 6 months I insisted they put her down to group 3 where she was re taught her stroked far more efficiently. In 3 months she went back up and was a far stronger more effective swimmer, easily completing level 4 in 4 months and is now loving level 5. Obviously it may not suit you but she may not be enjoying it if she knows she is struggling. Before giving up on the cheaper lessons is it worth trying her down a group ? It really didn't hold my dd back at all in the long run. She is now back with her original cohort and still tiny comparitively but well up with them now.

Hi Didiplanthis. we did wonder if DD is aware she is struggling although after another lesson we are not sure she is struggling in the sense of the word struggling but think she is aware the others are a bit older an think she may feel intimidated by this and by all the activity going on.
We were both chatting about when she moved up groups for the first time in her old school and the initial group DD was one of the youngest at four and half with the rest of the group consisting of a 6 year old, two 8 years old and a 9 year old. Few lessons in we moved days/times to a class of 4-6 year olds and she settled.
We have decided to stop for a few months when this block is up and then try again. I was talking to a school friends mum who's DD goes on a different day to DD and his in a different level but mum said since they have put more classes on at the same time her DD no longer likes lessons and they are considering stopping as well.

Stage 5 requires good technique in all 4 strokes.
See www.swimming.org/learntoswim/asa-learn-to-swim-awards-1-7/

Where DD goes, children often spend a long time in stage 5 due to the technique requirements. Sounds to me like maybe old school gave out badges a bit enthusiastically.

TeenAndTween

I agree now that I think she shouldn't have been awarded stage 5 with the old school. The extra practice is definitely helping.
However I'm now confused on another matter and again wonder if there is a variance between schools/teachers.
At old school DD got her 50m backstroke and we were told back stroke is her strongest stroke. At the new school although being more rigid in the syllabus and so only measuring against the 10m required for ASA 5 it looks like her strongest stroke is breast stroke?

Both our DDs went to a small, private pool first, classes were 6 max and the instructor was usually in the pool. DD1 moved having completed Stage 5 in the small pool, but we made her redo it in the bigger pool (and class size) as her old instructor recommended it for transition. Remember that the instructor won't see as much of what an individual is doing in a bigger class.
DD2 moved after completing stage 3, and took a year to redo it in the bigger pool. She lost confidence without the instructor close by.

She's still very young, and if she isn't happy with the new instructor, then will she make much progress anyway?