Swimming lessons stage 3

[Mamaofboys5]

Hello. My 6 year old son is in his 2nd block session in stage 3 swimming. I feel he hasn’t made any progress really (instructor isn’t very enthusiastic) he is still using a noodle but when we take him at the weekend swimming he can swim without a float. Is it normal at stage 3 for them to use a floatation device still? Or should I be having a word? I don’t want to tell them their job so would like to know what I am talking about before I say something as I feel he won’t move up again due to no progression made from the 1st time he started stage 3.

Thank you
katie x

My 7 year old is in Stage 3.

I recall that stage one and two where in the 'baby' pool. Stage one was with noodles, stage 2 I can't remember, definitely some floating devices.

Stage 3 is actually a big jump and they have to be able to jump in the 'big' pool and swim unaided, kick off from side and do all manner of diving and retrieving. She was 6 when she started and it was hard for her and we left as she was getting ear infections due to grommets. Maybe she would have been given more floating devices if she had stayed. I don't know.
We returned only a month ago and is finding it much easier (we did carry on swimming daily on holidays etc) and I think she is nearly done all the tasks as last night she swam a length of the pool (10metres) with face going in water and last week was turns and roll-e-poll-e's (sp?) and diving to retrieve an item. Does this sound like what you are doing?
I think she might have used floaters under one arm while swimming using only the other arm, that kind of thing but don't recall her using noodles. You can look up what they should be doing for each stage (I'll see if I can find a link).

Here you go
https://www.swimming.org/learntoswim/learn-to-swim-stage-3-award/
If I log onto my everyone active account I can see what progress she is making. I can see she has 3 left, but I know she has done these (must have a word next week) so think she will be moving up (not least because there are so many level 2 needing to move to level 3 - a real covid backlog!)

I've just been told it is a 25m pool (not sure why she needed to do that...maybe she annoyed the instructor 😀)

I found this...

and now I will leave you alone!

Aw thank you for this! You really have helped me, I appreciate that. I will have a word with his instructor next week after I’ve had a read on that link you sent. Maybe they are really focusing on stage 3 as like you say it’s a big jump. I feel he can swim unaided but they just don’t seem to take the noodle away. Thanks again xx