Why don't clubs encourage children to succeed anymore?

[EllieRosesMammy]

Not sure if it's exclusive to just the leisure centres in our area (Everyone Active) but my daughter has been attending swim class for over a year now and in the entire time she's had one certificate. They seem to do the same thing every lesson which is mess around with toys. There doesn't seem to be any encouragement to progress. She's almost 5 and has been swimming with me since she was a baby, so she was fairly confident in water before she even started, which is why I was hoping by now she would be starting to show some signs of swimming unaided but she's still relying on pool floats and there doesn't seem to be any encouragement to swim without them. We don't get any feedback on progress from the teachers either. Feels like I'm paying £30 a month for nothing.

It sounds like a poor swimming teacher, but not quite sure how you've managed to generalise that out to all clubs not encouraging children to succeed anymore!

It's just your experience, it's not indicative of the experience of all other people! I'm very happy with my DC swimming lessons. And the other clubs they go to.

I'd look for a new swim school.

I’ve seen quite a bit of progress for my kids with Better. I can’t speak for all of their leisure centres, but the one we use has been good. It can be hard when there are a lot of kids in the class, but if you keep going regularly, they do seem to learn. The holidays are the best - as everyone else goes away and you get tiny classes - almost a private lesson. They record the things the kid can do, and when they have mastered enough skills, move up to next class

So maybe try a different swim school?

Sounds like you've let it drift with a crap teacher.

My son did two years of ‘swimming lessons’ at the local pool without ever seeming to get any further forward - none of the kids did.
Eventually I booked him some private lessons 1 to 1 with a different teacher at a different (but still council) pool.
The private lessons cost the same for one lesson as I’d been paying monthly, but he only needed two lessons after which he could happily swim breaststroke, back crawl, tread water and float on his back - money well spent.

Local council lessons are crap! We tried, £25/month for 1/2 hour/week. Loads of kids, shouty teachers, learnt nothing. Joined our local Nuffield gym, small group lessons of 4-5 rather than 25-30. £17/class but they moved up a level each 10 week block. DC have friends who’ve been at the local council pool for YEARS and they’re barely beyond level 3/4. Definitely a case of you get what you pay for!

For me succeeding isn't getting a certificate. There's loads of ways to succeed. Personally when it comes to swimming I want to know the kid is, as soon as possible, safe in the water, knows not to panic, how to tread water, how to signal for help, knows about currents etc, great water safety, way way more than if they get a certificate. Certificates are nice and have their place - they are achieving, but succeeding is a bit different.

Honestly the best thing we did was have some 1-1s with our second child. Fortnightly one to one's and after 5 sessions was swimming well enough to do a width. Could swim a length after about 10 (with practice with us in between) and then could join proper classes where they actually swim.

I am amazed they ever get out of the "learn to swim" stage as its one at a time being dragged across!

Should of mentioned she did about 6 months at one centre and then we moved her to a different one (as their schedule fit better) still the same company "Everyone Active", been there about 8 months, and it just seems to be just as rubbish as the other one 🤦‍♀️ the only problem with using a different place is every single leisure centre in the area is owned by Everyone Active. So unless private gyms in our area do swim lessons we are stuck! It's not specifically her not getting certificates I'm bothered about, I just know when i was younger there seem to be a lot quicker progression and i was getting certificates most months, whereas now it seems that they don't

Do they have an App where you can track progress?

They've got an app but there's no progress tracker and it never bloody works for anything anyway 🤦‍♀️ for £30 per month I was expecting more

Most swimming teachers use an on-line portal that documents your child's progress against SwimEngland grades.

I suggest you ask for access to the records and if they can't provide, then you move your dc to an accredited teacher.

I do know a different swim school here gave a certificate every few weeks. Pretty much for breathing! I dont mind them just doing the actual levels - but progression out of level 2/3 is hard.

Honestly get her swimming privately and slot into a higher class where they are learning technique.

Yeah, I took mine out of classes, I swear the lessons made him worse. I wouldn't mind so much if he'd enjoyed it. He made more progress when I just took him to the pool myself with a couple of toys I'd chuck and he'd swim for.

Don't extend that to all clubs though, our champions all start somewhere! I watch Olympic hopefuls being coached on a regular basis. Nothing fancy, same club I go to but youngsters with talent and dedication.

Is there a swimming club at your pool? Our club runs lessons in an EA sports centre but is completely separate (some teachers work for both though). Might be worth a try, there might be posters on a noticeboard up there or google town name swimming club.

I think that's awful I'm not surprised you feel like you're wasting your money. DD is 5 and started swimming last September (and had only swam twice before as a family) and is now on Stage 3 of the Swim England learn to swim levels. I'd really recommend you find somewhere that offers this course, ours is just our local leisure centre and we pay £30 a month too. You can track progress and see exactly what they should be learning at each stage which I find really helpful for taking her swimming myself. Getting the certificates really motivates her so I know what you mean. www.swimming.org/learntoswim/swim-england-learn-to-swim-awards-1-7/#

There's a reason the local council lessons are half the price! Ours are massive groups where they seem to get about 5 minutes actually swimming ( and the instructor wasn't in the pool, don't know if that was a Covid thing). Switched to another school which cost more but only 4 in group so she's swimming at least half the lesson.

Yup once they can swim a width/length the council ones here are fine as they all go one after the other but it's too many ik the stage before.

Aw that's brilliant! That's the sort of progression I was hoping for with my daughter but it's just the same thing every week 🤦‍♀️ I attended swim classes myself from age 3-12 and the link you've sent is pretty much what we would follow, so you'd find that every couple of months or so there would be certificates and badges etc. She started ballet & tap last week and she's already earned 2 certificates, so she feels encouraged to do well :)

Go private, you'll see much quicker progress. A holiday school where they do a lesson every day is even better.

I wonder if it’s down to the individual teachers? My children swim at Everyone active and they have given my children so much confidence, my son is 5 and jumps into the deep end then swims almost 5m!
We have already said when they move to the next group, we will plan it around this particular teacher though as they adore him and he really has brought their technique on!

It seems like you’ve got a rubbish teacher to be honest. Sometimes they do plateau a bit. red hats/stage 1 isnt really that demanding but I think it can be a funny class as the variation within it can be big. if you end up with a class with lots of non-confident kids it does seem to stretch the teachers a bit (eg you could have some that can’t put their face in the water and some who have been doing pre-school lessons for 2 years).

This is very common for council run swimming lessons. I believe you are better going for a private company for lessons...

Saying that....Unfortunately almost everywhere in England use Swimwell England and Ducklings programs which are terrible.

I was raised in Holland and learnt to swim in Holland and I now live in England.
I have two kids who are having swimming lessons in UK they started from as young as 3weeks old.
We have been to 4 different swimming places and even went private. I feel like traveling to Holland 🤣

England are simply crap at teaching kids to swim..

And the 30mins is pathetic should be an 1 hour.
3
0mins is over in no time not giving instructors enough time to focus on getting each child to master each move.

We currently have one instructor.. she is firm and consistent and does make sure each child does it correctly where as most just say well done well done Even though they didn't do it 🤣

Are there any independent schools with pools near you? Most hire out their pools in evenings/weekends for private and group swimming lessons which are usually open to the general public.
Often smaller class sizes and a nicer enviroment.

My DD is the same age and working towards Stage 3 badge, and has had distance badges/certificates up to 25m along the way too. I think the issue is these particular lessons, not all lessons generally.