Swim Scotland levels and approximate ages

[HowYouSpellingThat10]

Is anyone able to give me a rough indication of what age your children were for the Swim Scotland levels, especially levels 3 and 4.

We missed formal lessons with COVID and massive waiting lists so my kids have by passed the lower levels.

Managed to get the youngest assessed and he's gone in at level 3 (although it seems a lot of pool noodles and not much swimming).

My 11 year old is a better swimmer but would benefit from coaching on stroke technique. Finally some places have opened but I was a bit worried he might be a lot older than the others and everything I can find online shows me Swim England which seems to be in 7 stages and doesn't correspond. I'd think he'd be level 3/4.

Have I missed the boat for lessons or are your late primary kids still going?

Tbh I'd look for some of the private swim schools usually found in hotels, private schools, gyms etc.
I found council lessons very slow progress.

My eldest son was finished with the Scottish swimming levels at age 6, my young was a COVID kid so he was nearly 8 by the time he finished. Both were with the local council lessons.

Also they started lessons as babies with me in the pool with them, then group lessons with other kids around 2 and half and they only stopped during lockdown.

Neither of them moved onto club-ready swimming as they didn't want to, and eldest would have needed to wait until he turned 8 for our local club anyway.

I would say the important thing is that they can swim and get themselves out of difficulty if needed. Stroke technique is only important if they really want to progress and compete, otherwise get just need to be safe to enjoy the water.

Honestly it could be embarrassing for your 11 year old to be in with 6-8yr olds. Perhaps find a swim school that will also group by age, if that exists? My ds said when they did school swimming there were some kids who couldn't swim and it was mortifying for them, another boy just flapped about on circles 😞.

Here's the Scottish swim levels
www.scottishswimming.com/learn-to-swim/stages-2

They must be way behind up here because my youngest is the smallest in level 3 at age 7 and there are definitely much bigger kids in the lower levels. I was quite surprised as this is our first experience with proper lessons.

There's no availability for private swimming and very little pool time available even if you can get it.

I'm just conscious they can't move onto junior lifeguards etc without having passed level 4 even though he's a pretty decent swimmer.

We have 6 levels. It's a real mix, my ds is in level 5 (must pass before jnr lifeguards) with p4s-p7s, there's a level 6 after this which not everyone stays on for, there are a couple of s1 kids determind to finish it though, so although your 11 year old would be one of the older ones, they wouldn't be out of place at our pool.

Thanks @Glitterandmud. I've managed to get him a swim test so we'll see what level they put him at - or what levels they actually do as they all seem to call it something different.

He's a decent enough swimmer. Will do lengths while I'm swimming but he'd really benefit from input beyond me on his strokes and I want him to have the option of what comes after, especially as his younger sibling will.

It feels a bit now or never as once he's at secondary it will be too late.