Swimming in the school day

[Pluto9]

We have just moved into Herts - I’m keen to find a school which teaches swimming to save me getting up every Saturday with my girls? Any ideas?

“When did it become compulsory for school to teach swimming in primary? “ 1988 and before that most LAs had an expectation that children were taught to swim (can only go back to the 60s)

Even if your child is "taught" to swim at school, and I use the term very loosely having accompanied the swim run for years, it is like a musical instrument, you wouldn't just have the school lesson without practising.

My youngest son hasn't had any formal swim lessons but because we go swimming every weekend as a family he has sort of taught himself. We have been going for years. It is important to us.

School did water confidence and then lengths but it didn't really teach him much.

Swimming is an activity we can all do together, whereas dance, karate etc are activities we observe or drop and go.

Swimming is in the curriculum but there is no specified amount of time devoted to it. At my school, because it's difficult to get access to a swimming pool, swimming is only taught for one term in year 5.

Look for a school with a pool on-site as they are likely to have more regular lessons.

From this year, schools will be required to publish how many Year 6 pupils have met the national curriculum requirements relating to swimming and water safety.

Norest, surely that will reflect a mix of school instruction and independent instruction. those children and communities with easier access will look great on paper but the reality may have nothing to do with inschool instruction.

You are assuming that all children actually visit swimming pools outside of school or have private lessons? Definitely not the case for most of our pupils.

sad to hear this Norest.

Parents struggling to feed kids don’t have money to get to swimming pools never mind pay to swim.

My DN's school took them all every week in Reception - great idea, imo (although I bet changing was fun!) At 11, she is a really strong swimmer.

Swimming is compulsory in that children are able to swim a certain distance.
It's also expensive and not funded. The ring fenced money was withdrawn several years ago and then budgets cut.
Schools usually only have one swimming instructor plus classroom teacher/s. It's in no way the same as taking your children to swimming lessons with an instructor if you can afford it.

We had our own pool so every class could go swimming once a week from reception and we could offer before school swimming for Y6. The pool was also used by the community and surrounding villages for swimming lessons and exercise classes. Unfortunately our LA closed nearly all school pools and demolished them.

DS has school swimming lessons, they’re not great (not herts though). He also has music lessons at school - would like be a possibility to free up some weekend time?