General Chat

amazing that its all so different!!

My son is in year three and they have just started going swimming once a week costing the parents 50p a week to cover the coach hire.

My sons school dosen't start swimming until year 6 it is part of the national curriculum i don't have to pay only have to give him 20p for a locker.

GRANDSON AT 7 HAD PRIVATE LESSONS AT DAUGHTERS GYM ONE TO ONE £16 EACH
SIX MONTHS LATER
HOPELESS STILL COULDNT SWIM
TOTAL WASTE OF MONEY
NOW 8
HAVING LESSONS AT LOCAL POOL £60
WHOLE COURSE FEW LESSONS SWIMS BRILLIANT,
JUST STARTED WITH SCHOOL AS WELL £40

nudging for the morning crew

I had mixed feelings about my swimming lessons. I didn't enjoy learning to swim in a group - had swimming lessons from the age of five to eight at one local pool - but I was the despair of my mum because I used to hide away at the back of the group, hoping the session would end before I had to go in.

So I went to a different pool and had one-to-one lessons with a teacher who would get in the pool with me. By the time I left, though, he didn't get in the pool with me any more - I think the "powers that be" deemed it inappropriate. But I learnt to swim and actually enjoyed the one-to-one set-up.

Then I finished there just as I got to Year 4 and had to go back to the first swimming pool for school lessons. I knew I could swim but didn't like having to learn in a group. But I don't remember having to pay. (Could be wrong - it was twelve years ago.)

We didn't work towards certificates in our school lessons, but we were split up into "levels". Level one group were the least able, level five were the most able.

Charlotte and Jamie both went to swimming club with the school last year - they go at the same time as the classes, but are more advanced. Years 5 and 6 only have had the swimming lessons until this year, now they are extending it downwards to make it years 3, 4 and 5 (again, because of the SATs) and there is no longer a swimming club.
It has always been free for all pupils - the majority of parents would be unable to pay anyway.
Maz. XX

My grandson is in year 4 and has just started going with the school. He should have gone last year, but there weren't enough places available. The course is for just 7 weeks until October. The idea is that the children start in year 3 and then improve in year 4. As he doesn't swim at all, I do wonder how he will get on, having missed out on last year's lessons.

My daughter, who is on benefits, had to pay £21 for the 7 week course. This includes coach travel to the local baths about 2 miles away, but I still think it is an excessive amount.

Sue
xx

Swimming lessons, as has already been said, are part of the national curriculum just as PE lessons, Numeracy and Literacy etc and as such any child's class that are going for swimming lessons must attend.

In my school, the only payment taken is a contribution of 40p per child towards the coach. £36 per term is excessive to say the least. There have been children in the past who have had external swimming lessons and are competent swimmers. They still have to attend if their year group are taking swimming lessons. I suppose another way to look at it is this: You may have a child who is able in Literacy, because of that we wouldn't take them out of the literacy lessons. They attend and the work will be differentiated to suit their ability. Children who go for swimming lessons are grouped according to their ability and what is covered in the lesson is tailored to the ability of the different groups.

I would still say that £36 is excessive - what kind of coach do they travel on for goodness sake!? Do they serve caviar and cucumber sandwiches on the journey washed down with Champagne and coctails? lol

Lyn x

Even when I had taught mine to swim at an early age, they still had to do the swimming sessions at school, and I used to help out.....they did not have to pay any money though...

the kids enjoyed it at whatever level, from the absolute beginners to the ones who were good swimmers and were taught life saving, and different strokes...they even won medals.....when I went to school we had swimming lessons too....the kids are really proud of their 25 and 50 metre certificates, and all of them could swim at the end....

I didn't know they had to pay now Penny.....

My son in the juniors has gone swimming with the school in years 3 and 4, he's now in yr 5. This was free, transport provided. My daughter who is now in year 1 went last year for a term and willl again this year and hopefully next year. She paid £1 a week to cover transport but this is because these lessons are in addition to the ones she'll get in yrs 3 and 4, kind of to get ahead a bit. The payment is voluntary but it was stressed that if less than half paid they wouldn't be able to do it - not said in a guilt trip way, just stating facts. The school also does a bit fundraising for costs, raffles at events and such like so parents don't have to pay more. I'm all for it as I'm a poor swimmer myself.

hi

Mine do. only for 1 term per school year.

we have to pay £18.00 for the term.

My eldest has just gone up tp secondary and was tested to see if he could swim the 50mtrs in the2 PE lesson he had. He had to redo it in the last term of primary as they said he wasn't quiet there. LOL he can swim but that did not cost me a penny propably they thought that he hadn't been taught prop in the first place.

At our kids school (and in this area) only the year 5 & 6 children go swimming. We don't have to pay for it, the school pay for transport etc. Children don't have any choice.
My eldest is in year 6 now and at the end of last school year got a basic certificate saying she could do things like swim 20m front and back, jump in etc which was a bit ridiculous to say she was in the 'top' group and had done 800m when she was 8!!

Dawn

Catherine

must admit I can't pay, esp when the twins was going, but thats my arguement too. If it's part of the cirriculum then they can pay for it, i don't pay for maths nor english so i'm won't paying for swimming.

Ours is supposedly to cover the costs of getting to the pool plus the lesson. And to be honest they can find him something else to do, if they say he can't go

why do you pay for swimming if it's part of the cirriculum?


my daughter since the start of jrn's and she's in yr 6 has never paid.

catherine
xx

Thanks for all your contributions.

Ours is £40 per term!

i thought it was free for year 3 and 4. our school was built in the 70's and has a pool, so they start in year 1, only charge about £9 per term though.

Liz

Our School does it too, yr 5 go one term, yr4 another, and Yr3 the final term. Yr 3 have only just started it used to be yr's 4,5 & 6. But they decided it was disrupting the kids before their SATS.

Oh yes and while we started as voluntary contributions it is now £39 per term.....

The trouble is you can't just decide not to send them cos it means they are singled out. Pretty much all of them go so it would make mine different if he doesn't. Kids of 8 and 9 really don't want to feel different, so I pay up even though my son can already swim further than the standard.

Wow £36 a term is very steep !! I don't blame you for feeling peeved. I would too !!! xx