Swimming lessons at school- would you be concerned if.......

[Furball]

Ds is in y1 and only 5. He's always been slow at getting dressed for PE etc. I don't quite know why, he always dresses himself at home, I assume distraction is a big part. Anyway he has started swimming with the school. Today he said he was slow to get dressed and the teachers lined everyone up outside in the corridor leaving ds and another Y2 boy who was getting his shoes on. He then said one of the lifeguards came in and helped ds get his socks and shoes on. Should only 2 boys be left alone in the changing rooms? and if a lifeguard could be bothered to help then why couldn't a teacher - bearing in mind there are only 8 boys total for both years. Don't know if it's just me being abit picky.

Well ours do shoes and socks outside the changing room so that particular situation would n't really arise. Boys and girls change together too with only one or two adults supervising maximum. Not sure what your precise concern is - that 2 boys were left to finish off unsupervised or that a lifeguard helped out ? Is this a public pool or private one(ie they had exclusive use )?

It's a public pool. But I don't get why 1 x 5 yo and 1 x 6 yo were left alone in the changing room. Just seems abit daunting, when everyone else has gone. Maybe it is just me being picky. I don't know.

Depends how long they were left for?
Also were they likely to wander off onto the pool side?

Depends how long they were left for?
Also were they likely to wander off onto the pool side?

I wouldn't have liked my child & another left alone in the changing rooms.

It was nice of the lifeguard to help them though

Yes it was fff2. But I don't get why the teacher (don't know which one it was) couldn't help 2 boys finish dressing to speed things up rather than leaving them in the changing room. She only had to supervise 8 boys and 6 of those were ready!

I doubt teachers are allowed to help the children get dressed with all the child protection regulations. Probably have to talk them through it.
I wouldn't worry unless the children were likely to get to the poolside unsupervised. What was going to happen to them?

It could have been 'right you 2 hurry up , everyone else line up' lines everyone up in corridor, stops to tell some one off and by the time teacher has returned the lifeguard has already helped them?
Though if there is only 8 boys the teacher shouldn't be rushing that much

i really dont think child protection issues would prevent a teacher putting 5 year olds shoes on!

NO but they will have been very much encouraged to do their own!

My sisters are classroom assistants & they are discouraged from any kind of physical contact.

My younger sister is with a group of sn kids & wasn't even allowed to help them on with their coats unless another adult was present.

I know my dd would take half a day to get her bum in gear in the mornings if I didn't constantly rush her. I guess the teacher might have been giving them a few minutes to get aorted without the distraction of the rest of the class?

FFF2- What a crap situation!

I am a TA (SN school though) and we have to do all sorts of stuff.Only time people aren't allowed to help with changing/toileting /personal care is when their CRB check isn't though ( and students)

My dds school sends a letter home when they start for parents to sign saying we give permission for our child to be helped if they need changing.But a 5/6yo (Sn excepted of course) is expected to be able tochange themselves and please dress accordingly.

OK

if you were talking about the changing rooms etc at my old charges school i would not have a problem with them being in the changing room while the others lines up outside.

I dont see why the teacher couldnt have just helped them tho.... but then i sort of can... they know that the children need to learn to be independant and they probably thought that leaving them to it (with no other kids to distract while they and the children waited outside) would help them get on with putting their shoes on...

if they help them this time... they will expect help next time.... maybe the others would want help too.... and ultimatley dressing 8 chidlren after swimming is not something i would really want to do if i were a teacher.

Incidently at my old charges school, there was a swimming pool area.... the whole area was fenced off... and then the pool within the area was also fenced off.... so it would mean the children lining up outside a small room not disimilar to a shed, so all children would eb safe and close by. i assume the corridor was literally outside the changing room?

Thanks for your imput. I think I will drop it from my mind. I can see both sides to the situation.

I believe now there was also a parent present as well as the teacher to supervise. I just feel at the age of 5 being left to get dressed whilst everyone else has gone isn't helping anyone.

Spoke to parent helper this morning and apparently as they were in the mens changing rooms and the adult swim starts at the end of the school lesson. There were actually men wanting to use the changing room so the lady teacher and mum were told to leave. Leaving all of the kids on their own with men changing for their swim. hence the reason the lifeguard helped. School are deffo not happy about it and are taking it further with the pool.