Should DC go on the school residential when he can't swim?

[Thoughtfulgolondrina]

The Year 8 Residential is coming soon and most days water sports/swimming is the activity of the day. Due to COVID shutting pools and stopping swimming lessons for a couple years of primary and then living abroad for a couple more years of primary, my son can't swim. We have tried to get him into swimming lessons now but all in the area have unending waiting lists or won't teach older children because he is outside the age range for the national swimming programme implemented in England. The end result is my DC doesn't want to go on the residential but will miss the fun with his friends on the other parts of the trip. For my part, l am worried about his safety. While abroad, he almost drowned at a beach. I don't feel his teachers really understand 'he can't swim'. Therefore, l worry about whether the vigilance will be there. Also, my DC, rightly so, wonders what he will do instead. There are whole days of water sport (boogie-boarding, surfing) and other days of hiking to a pool to spend the afternoon swimming. What should l do?

If he can't swim then he shouldn't attend a residential where the vast majority of activities are centred around being in or near water.

That said it's not too late to find private lessons and do a crash course. Even if not in time for this residential I would be making it a priority to get him competent in the water especially given he's nearly drowned once already.

Talk to the school or the activity centre they are going to
On water sports activities I've been involved with the children have all word those big thick jackets that keep them afloat ...

Does your child want to go ?

He shouldn't go to the residential, but you should book him private swimming lessons so he is safer and this doesn't happen again.

I’m a big fan of school trips as think children get so much out of them and all my best memories from school are such trips. However, in this situation I would question if he should go. I would ask the teachers for a timetable to see exactly what was on each day to see if it is as much water activity as you think. I would ask if any other children cannot swim and what the plan is for them. I would also ask about life vests etc. only if it really was all water based activities day after day and all other children could swim would I not let him on the trip.

Is the ability to swim a prerequisite. If so, it will say so. Talk to his teacher. They will have encountered children who can't swim before. They will provide him with a suitable buoyancy aid for each activity and the activity leaders will all be aware.

My ds went to PGL before he could swim reliably and had a blast.

They will have encountered children who can't swim before

I used to teach water based activities to children, they all had to pass a very basic swim test (50m) before participating even if lifejackets were used for the activity itself.

Thank you for posting. I agree he shouldn't attend. DC is worried about the swimming but also feels bad because he wants to participate in general. He feels bad being left out. Re swimming lessons l have been actively searching for 2 years, willing to pay the extortionate cost for private lessons not on the government's swimming progression by age. However, availability in my part of the country and waiting lists have foiled me every time. He is too old to swim with little ones with comparable lack of skill. Therefore, the standard swimming lessons won't take him. Needless to say we are both very frustrated. All that is available to him are costly adult lessons which are hard to get enrolled on and come with a hefty price, albeit l am willing to pay it.😐

Can you push the school for the full list of activities and what the set up is for each? There’s a good chance that a lot of the water sports activities will have all the kids in life jackets regardless of swimming ability. Whilst complete non swimmers are pretty rare in Y8 I don’t think the school can assume they’re all going to be strong swimmers so I would hope they have something in place for those thar aren’t otherwise it just doesn’t sound safe.

Get him back in lessons though- our leisure centre does adult beginner lessons that a teen could possibly join or what about private swim schools that are 1:1 and it’s usually borrowing a school pool out of hours or a pool in someone’s house - if he did a crash course there he could make quite quick progress.

He absolutely can’t go boogie boarding and surfing if he can’t swim. It’s just not safe.
a big pool complex could be dangerous too, there will probably be lots of water slides and things that are fine, but also pools and splash pools at the ends of slides that won’t be fine. If his friends are used to everyone there age knowing how to swim, they might not realize it’s very dangerous to clown around and for example, push your son into a pool as a joke.
I know you’ve been trying to get him into lessons and the pickings are slim, but I would be making it a priority this summer if humanly possible. It’s going to continue to have a negative impact on his social life.

Unless your DS is in a small private school, it is very likely that he is not the only child in his year that cannot swim. My DS has hypermobility and isn’t great in the water - however when he did school swimming lessons there in year 5 he was in the top group as some of his class hadn’t ever been swimming before.
is it a residential for the whole year? It seems like it must be a expensive trip if they are expecting everyone to attend. - I imagine there will be many others who don’t go.

To be honest, you need to throw money at it now and get some private crash course lessons. You have been pretty negligent letting him get to Year 8 as a non swimmer and he’s nearly drowned due to this negligence once already! Not only dangerous but embarrassing for him. Living abroad and Covid are poor excuses - it’s been years since pools reopened!

Can’t you teach him yourself to at least a certain level? I’m not in the UK. School swimming lessons here were practically pointless. Once a year. But they learnt in the pool with me. I swim for fitness so they paddled/ splashed and eventually swam 3x week.

Yes he wants to go. Activity centre for the water sports l expect will wear life jackets because they are in the sea. However being in the sea is the part where psychology has a role. He had to be rescued from drowning in the sea while abroad. Regarding, the hikes to the local swimming pool to spend the afternoon swimming, he just feels like he would look stupid sitting out or wearing a life jacket in a pool.

If you can't get swimming lessons just take him to the pool? He'll pick it up quickly enough and then won't miss out.
Sorry, COVID was 5 years ago now. Plenty of time to have learnt either before or since.
(Unless there are like 50/500 kids going in which case just let him miss it, but still get him swimming)

Can you teach him yourself? Look on YouTube? Spend as much time as you can at the pool? It’s not difficult and it doesn’t have to be the perfect stroke.

I'd get him the one to one lessons. He probably won't need that many.

All that is available to him are costly adult lessons which are hard to get enrolled on and come with a hefty price, albeit l am willing to pay it.😐

Unfortunately it's going to cost money but I'm genuinely really surprised you haven't prioritised it especially given the incident abroad.

He may want to go but he he cannot swim and they won't let a non swimmer take part, a life vest isn't enough to keep him safe.

Focus on making it a goal to get him swimming by the end of the year. There will be other trips and it's a life skill he needs asap.

Teach him yourself

Your post is the reason l was hesitant to post here. 😣 Before we left England, poos had been shut and schools had no lessons for 2 years. We were abroad in a developing country who don't have the privileges that citizens of this country have. Thus, no swimming lessons for love or money AND no public swimming pools l could take him to teach him myself. As l said in my original post, l have worked diligently to find private swimming lessons that will take him here. I have spent many hours on the internet and on the phone. There is no availability in my area. As l also said, the money is not the issue. I consider swimming a life skill and essential.

I think having a life jacket on for sea-based activities is a bit like having an electric bike instead of a standard push bike. It shouldn’t be replacing the ability to swim but providing extra buoyancy and allowing the wearer to swim for longer and cope with waves more confidently that without a life jacket. Also the term ´life jacket’ gets used a lot but actually it’s quite likely that they will be using buoyancy aids for water sports and not life jackets. Real life jackets have collars that will keep your head out the water even if you’re completely incapable of swimming or semi-conscious. Buoyancy aids just help you float, you still have to be able to orientate yourself in the water.

Is there not even a private lesson waiting list? I know a couple of private swim teachers in our main pool and lessons are booking two months ahead.

Are there any schools or colleges with pools? They may have 1:1 private lessons with availability.

As l said in my original post, l have worked diligently to find private swimming lessons that will take him here. I have spent many hours on the internet and on the phone. There is no availability in my area.

If you posted the area I bet people on here would be able to help you find something.

My son tried surfing lessons for a while and he had to be able to swim 50m before he could start. I’d double check but my guess would be he won’t be able to go this time.

I’m sorry but I find it very hard to believe that no lessons can be found. I could book in for 1-1 lessons from tomorrow at my local Nuffield Health - probably the same for most gyms.

Feel free to let me know the area you are in and I’ll happily find you some!

As for the excuses again…Covid was 2020. Your DS would have been 8ish. Why on earth didn’t he learn before then?

You need to do whatever it takes. Move mountains to teach this child to swim.

COVID was 5 years ago. People who 'live abroad' still learn to swim.

He has already been rescued once. Next time he might not be so lucky. Swimming is the one activity that can actually save your life, or someone else's. It's non negotiable.