So what would you think if your primary school says it requires volunteers to teach swimming?

[daftdame]

Just that really. Our primary school says that swimming lessons may have to be cancelled if they don't get enough volunteers to help. I know they have to teach this, as it is part of the national curriculum, although I know the guidelines do not stipulate much in terms of how many lessons they are supposed to teach. I do not like the emotional blackmail aspect though...what do you think?

mrz - well exactly the sort of issue that could arise.

Sorry but swimming isn't part of any TA training. They may know the children if they work with that class but not necessarily

So the TAs may not be trained in swimming but my point is that they are better placed to assist with teaching swimming (than volunteers) as they are trained to be teaching assistants.

I helped out with swimming Year 6. Turns out it was to make up the adult/child ratio on the bus (15:1). Even though I was CRB checked, I wasn't allowed in the changing room, or poolside, never mind the actual water. So I had to wait outside in the cafe for the hour.

On one occasion we got to the leisure center and the (male) teachers realized they had no female teachers to supervise the girls in the changing rooms. Rather than allow me to supervise they had to ring back to the school and get a female teacher to drive down to do it. By the time that happened they got about 10 minutes in the water.

There was only one qualified swim teacher and the other just held up pictures to the children and said do what it shows in the picture. Most of the time one of the teachers was shouting at the kids to stop making a noise because they couldn't cope with the echo in the hall!

It got even more farcical on subsequent weeks...

I still don't understand why anyone has to be in the pool. Are the volunteers physically supporting/manipulating the children? If so, utterly inappropriate for anyone other than a qualified swimming coach. And if they're not having to touch the children, they can do it just as well from the side, surely?

No the TAs will not be trained to teach swimming and swimming lessons don't require the expertise of TAs

Our school gets parents to help, they have their own pool so all children swim once a week from reception right up to the end of yr 6.

Parents must be crb checked and the school provides a training/health and safety talk etc. They generally just supervise change ng etc but with the little ones they are sometimes in the pool.

The actual swimming is taught in small groups by a proper swim instructor but parents help so there is plenty of supervision etc.

When dcs went with primary there were 3 qualified teachers on the side for 30 children. One or 2 TAs and parent helpers to escort there and help with changing.
I was the only parent helper in the pool because knew the swim teachers very well and had my own lessons with them before lunch.
There was one child who was petrified and i used to help her in the water. The TAs sat on the side.

Pozzled, the volunteers watch the ladder in to prevent children slipping, will direct positioning in the water as instructed by the instructor, dole out, retrieve toys/aids.

I now work as a TA and was a teacher.

There will be many many volunteers who would be better placed than me to assist in the pool, even volunteer parents, yes.

I am not a conifdent swimmer at all, I don't really like the water, because of my contact lenses I hate getting my face wet....tbh there is no way I would be getting in the pool as a TA!

Hulababy, there are many parents who feel the same...do you think our lessons may have to be cancelled?

I would think that the school is trying to meet its obligation to teach swimming and is asking parents for help to do that.

Are you saying you don't think they should ask? I disagree with swimming being compulsary in the first place and sympathise with schools who have to try and do it as best they can.

As a parent if my child was learning to swim I'd be very grateful to another parent who was prepared to stand in the pool and scoop up anyone who needed help. I don't think you need to be a qualified swimming teacher to make a worthwhile contribution.

marqueses, I am more concerned that the lessons will be cancelled if no one feels confident enough to volunteer and targets are not reached.

I always feel bad I can't help but I have a toddler at home. Once she starts at preschool I will volunteer to help. I can't get into the pool because of my eczema but will do changing etc.

Our school has a rota for helpers and we do get signs saying if there aren't enough helpers swimming may have to be cancelled but 99% they sort it out. The school has a very active pta and parents are generally pretty involved tbh.

You might find that, if there aren't enough volunteers, the school reverts to the "standard" Year 4 only swimming lessons, which is common in many schools. All our children from Reception to Year 6 swim every week from Easter onwards ( it's an outside pool!!)

There isn't anyone in the pool with the children during our swimming lessons and only the instructor and the class teacher pool side. We stopped taking nursery reception and KS1 because it would have meant finding 8 adults per group to be in the pool with under 7s

5madthings why feel bad if you can't help the school? People can give back to society in may ways - it is the schools job to make provision. Why should they be relying on volunteers for national curriculum requirements?

thanks daftdame, I was slow in typing and cross posted with your later replies.

If there aren't enough volunteers then I guess the school would have no choice but to stop the swimming lessons. It wouldn't be right for them to do it if it wasn't safe.

As I said above I think there are better things to teach at school than swimming and it wouldn't worry me if it was cancelled at my childrens school.

Our TAs and teachers have to be trained to take the children swimming at the local pool (who are cutting down on their qualified staff taking the lessons). Personally, I think this is beyond the call of duty of a primary school teacher (and TA) - many of us didn't go to swimming lessons when younger and have NO IDEA about the right way to do breaststroke!!
So, not only does it become a costly exercise taking up half a day (leave at 9:45 for the lesson at 10:30, back by 11:45), you've also got to teach the bloody lesson as well.

If the parent volunteers are CRB checked and capable of following the instructors instructions tbh I don't really see the issue.

Many schools use parent volunteers to help with the travel and changing rooms, etc.

I can't really see why the being in pool bit is any more a concern than being in a changing room tbh.

ipadquietly I agree it is not ideal. This does not change the N C requirements though.

I had to come along to swimming as a TA to supervise my 1:1 student with SEN, and then I found myself roped in to teach a group of 5-6 beginning learner swimmers at the same time. I was not trained, not pleased, and always felt like I was was doing a crap job.

The 1:1 TA who was with the same child before me actually got into the water with him. I did once or twice but it was a faff and I felt a bit of a fool!

If they cannot get enough volunteers than yes, chances are the lessons may have to stop.

Schools don't have finite finances. They can't afford to pay for the helpers, so have asked for parents to offer to volunteer. If enough parents cannot offer their time to help the children then there may be an issue with lessons continuing.

Hulababy, but you are concerned about being in the pool...many parents have contact lenses etc to worry about too.

I assume they would then not volunteer. Which is fine.

But I still don't think the school is wrong to ask if there are any willing and able parents.