DD not pasisng wimming stage 2 at 6 despite many many lessons Advice pls

[Lymmmummy]

My DD has just (again) failed to pass stage 2 swimming - it has taken a long time for DD to become more competent in the water as it's not her natural talent - though she is very talented at other sports requiring coordination.

we have paid for 18 months of lessons and we did really think this time she had done it. I say this not because of wishful thinking on our part - it was based on the swim teacher telling DD "if you carry on like this I think you will pass" aside from the fact it is unhelpful of swim coaches to raise young children's expectations I am really at my wits ends . I watch DD swim and her swimming is of a high quality for stage 2 - though I accept that she may have rightly been failed on a particular element she got wrong on the day of the assessment - but I am now wondering if these stages are just tick box exercises and what is the value in terms of competency to swim in real life

We have asked for feedback

But would most people

1. carry on with lessons 2. take a break 3. look for another teacher -

the class is a general one with approx 5-6 kids in class

Any thoughts advice welcome

6 is still quite young. I was once told that as they get older, their lungs are bigger relative to their bodies, and floating is much easier. I don't particularly expect a rate of progress through levels at swimming - once they can basically swim, they're doing it for fun and exercise. Any levels are a bonus. If you just want them to get competent as cheaply as possible, I'd start at 7 or 8 and get one term of 1:1.

But yes if she's keen on the next level, get the feedback, and work on those specific aspects next time you're at the pool as a family. Sometimes it really helps to let DC try things out at their own pace. Might be worth trying out a school with continuous assessment rather than "testing weeks" - anyone can have a bad day.

Private lessons with a good teacher.

I went down and saw the good teachers.

Honestly the progress of children under the three good teachers is just amazing compared to those who have a poor or average teacher.

Take a break and just keep going for fun. I did the same with my dcs as they weren’t progressing. Got them back in 2 yes later and they picked it up so quickly. I thought it was probably physiological or something.

I really don't think swimming lessons are a waste of time. Very at the idea of a child learning to swim in a week at Euro camp. Most adults I think can't swim well at all from what I've observed being able to half-swim I don't think is a good thing.

I think OP that they get stuck at certain grades. Ask the teacher exactly what she needs to practise and do it.

FWIW my 8 nearly 9 yo is not a natural swimmer at all, but she's reached the heady heights of stage 6 and is really looking quite good these days. My younger one is 6 and in stage 4, she spent about 8 weeks in stage 3 having been in stage 2 for about a year. Just stick with it.

If she enjoys it, carry on going. Look up what she needs to do to pass the level on the ASA website and go once a week with her yourself, in order to practise, with lots of fun thrown in.
Her slim physique is probably a bit of a red herring (!)- swimming does require a certain amount of strength though (which any shape children may or may not have). Age six at Level 2 seems perfectly acceptable to me.
My DS(2) has taken YEARS to go up the levels. We spent 15 months on level 5. He's ten now and miraculously on silver- he is the oldest and the slowest in the class but, because he enjoys going, we just keep going with no focus on, or expectations about, passing the levels.
I was a rubbish swimmer at 6. Afraid to go out of my depth, put my head underwater, jump in or try swimming on my back. By 14, I held 4 senior county records. Neither of my DSs have taken after me so far!