When did your child stop swimming lessons?

[NeedHelp000]

My 6 year old son has been doing swimming lessons since water babies as a newborn!
He is very confident in the water and can swim well. Currently nearly completed his stage 3 award.

He has lately been saying he doesn't want to do swimming lessons anymore.
I've always thought of them as a necessity tbh, a life skill!

So my question is, now he knows how to swim will it be silly to stop the lessons ?
When did your children stop their lessons?

Thank you

Mine were about 10 when they stopped and could swim quite a few lengths. They could have both done with a bit more practice on their positioning etc but had had enough.

i figured they could swim, save themselves etc and I had spent years paying for and traipsing to lessons so was happy to stop too.

Stage 3 what scheme? In swim England that wouldn't even be proper strokes yet for example...

I stopped when they could swim a length... would have continued longer but they were constantly being cancelled and the lessons weren't that effective. They could learn more endurance and safety in family swimming.

They were 9&10 then (bit delayed due to Covid then waiting lists after)

I would stop but try to go as a family

10 lengths - so 330m - using at least 2 strokes.

Both started lessons at 3yo (though we took them swimming weekly from about 6mo). They did weekly session via the council at the local pool.

Dc1 completed all seven stages by the time the very first lock down hit - she was 9.

Dc2 has just completed stage six, but our local pool has no stage seven slots so we've cancelled the lessons. He is 8.

Dc1 had weekly school swimming years 5 and 6. Dc2 is just starting school swimming now in Y4 and will also get them in Y5 so he will basically finish off what's needed for stage seven at some point during them.

We told ours they could stop when they completed all the stages.

I've been wondering this, DD (9yo) doesn't dislike swimming lessons but she'd stop if given the opportunity, however I think it's such a good skill to have and a good all round exercise to be able to do that I want her to be proficient.

She's just gone into stage 6 of the learn to swim Swim England scheme and they only have 7 stages so I think we'll finish out the scheme then I'll give her the option on just going with me every week to keep it up or picking a different sport activity to fill it's spot.

Definitely make sure they can swim several lengths with ease, at least. If they stop lessons after completing a length their skills will drop off a bit and then they won't be safe in the water.

I made dd pass stage 7, (which with hindsight was just endless lenths). She then did rookie lifeguards which she loved. I think she was yr 5 when she stopped lessons. But she can swim beautifully.

Ds has just passed stage 4, i think ill be happy for him to quit once hes completed stage 6, i might get him to do rookie lifeguards after just for water safety/first aid/general fun.

DD stopped this year, she was 9. She completed stage 6, and whilst we could have gone up to 7 or 8, it was just the same thing but for longer, e.g. further distances. She can already do those further distances in each stroke, but the lessons were group 6/7 combined, so wouldn't have been tested to that level quickly enough.

She's a strong, competent swimmer so we felt ready to stop.

Depends on what you define as being able to swim isn’t it? I don’t think stage 3 is being able to swim. I want my children to swim better than me and it wasn’t until DC1 was some way into stage 6 she is better.

i would look at how good the strokes are executed, especially front crawl and breaststroke.
l

DS was desperate to stop when he was about 7 or 8. I made him demonstrate he could comfortably swim a length and tread water for a couple of minutes, then let him stop. He still does some awful mixed strokes, but is quite confident when we go snorkeling or swimming on holiday, which is the only time he swims now.

Dts just got stage 7 when covid arrived so we obviously stopped and they never expressed a desire to go back for stage 8.

They swim regularly now for pleasure.

I wouldn't have stopped them at stage 3.

Stage 3 doesn't involve swimming strokes so they will not be proficient at breaststroke yet. It also does not include treading water if I remember right. The required distance is also something as small as 10m

I would want my child to be comfortable treading water, swimming front crawl, back and breaststroke competently and swimming 100m before considering stopping

If they want to be able to do things like outdoor inflatable courses they need to show they can confidently swim 50m out in open water. I don’t think a child who has just completed stage 3 will be able to do this and when they stop their skills will lessen over time.
My ds enjoyed lessons and stopped age 9 after stage 7 because of lockdown. My dd is dyspraxic so struggled to pass stage 4 at age 10 so I let her stop then.

My general rule is when they start lessons at school so year 4 so however far they get in that time

Thanks all for your replies, really helpful!
Stage 3 in Swim England yes.
He can confidently tread water and can swim a length.
He can do front stroke and back stroke.

From your replies, I will try and complete the stages before we stop the lessons

We stopped private lessons at aged 5, about the same ability as your DS but they swim weekly at school from reception so the extra lessons were just a push on our part to get to the not a liability on holiday phase.

Once they could swim lengths competently. Mine didn't have many formal lessons, I taught them

Just after her 11th birthday, she can swim a few lengths and I am comfortable that she can be safe in the water without parental supervision.