Question 1

How long will it take for my child to learn to swim?

Accepted Answer

The number one question any swim school is asked is: How long will it take for my child to learn to swim? 
Every child is different and therefore it is impossible to give an exact answer to this question. But the good news is that practice and exposure to water are the keys to learning to swim. If you want your child to learn quickly, they will need to visit a swimming pool regularly. How regularly? We recommend once a week in a lesson and at least one other swim per week as a family. While your child can learn basic swimming skills like breath control, floating and propulsion quickly in lessons, parents should be under no illusion, mastering good swimming technique and water safety skills will take years to accomplish.
 
Now I can hear your mind ticking over…. yes, you’re right, you’re going to invest hundreds of pounds on swimming lessons. Notice I said invest, trust me, it is the best investment that you will make.
Not only will it make your child safer in the water, it truly is a gift that will last a lifetime. Your child can go on to enjoy a huge range of either competitive or recreation activities around the water including swimming, diving, sailing, fishing, and surfing just to name a few.
 
Another bonus is that teaching your child to swim actually makes your child smarter. There have been several studies on early years swimming that prove that those children who received swimming lessons in the early years were more socially, emotionally and physically advanced that those who were not given the opportunity.
 
So now that you know that you’re going to have to make both a financial commitment and a time commitment to your child’s learn to swim journey, let us give you some tips on how you can enhance the process.
 
    1      Arm yourself with knowledge
Get all the information you need on the learn to swim process. This will help you understand what your child is learning and how you can help when you swim as a family. There are huge variety of free articles available online but your best resource are our swimming teachers, feel free to talk to them and ask questions. Paul, our Swim Coordinator, is available and more than happy to help. He will be able to explain what the teachers are doing with the children in lessons and why.
 
    2      Don’t have a break over winter
A lot of people drop out of swimming lessons during the winter months. This only results in disappointment come the following summer when children are back to square one and need to revisit skills previously learnt. Winter is actually the most important time of year for swimming lessons because children have less exposure to play situations around water like the beach, lakes or during any other recreation swimming activity.
 
    3      Use holiday intensive courses to speed up children’s learning
Intensive courses are a great opportunity for fast skill progression because the children get to practice every day. Parents always notice a huge improvement in their child even in just a week. For this reason if children are frightened, have plateaued in their learning, or need to master a specific stroke/water safety skill; it will certainly give them a kick start. Intensive courses can sometimes be financially discounted and therefore prove to be great value for money in terms of price and progression. Even family holidays around the pool can make huge improvements to a child’s swimming progress.
 
    4      Enjoy family time around the water
Exposing children to a variety of play situations in different aquatic environments is essential for their learning. Parents can help children learn about the different dangers that exist in different environments. Through play under strict adult supervision, children can also learn their limitations and boundaries. Children love having dedicated play time with parents, the water provides a perfect and unique opportunity.  Parents can access some free resources from the STA website to help teach their children about water safety. https://www.sta.co.uk/news/2016/06/03/sta-offer-top-water-safety-tips-for-parents/

5      Don’t rush the process
If you want your child to have good swimming technique that will last a lifetime don’t rush the process. Good swimming teaching is about building good swimming skills. Focusing on the basics like breath control, submersion, floating and propulsion is the key. Swimming skills must be repetitive, and it is vital to develop good skill execution. Lots of repetitive swimming drills are necessary to develop good muscle memory. Swimming short distances with good technique is much more important than swimming long distances with poor technique.
 
Now that we have given you some tips, I hope you are ready to enjoy the learn to swim journey with your child. You are giving a gift that will last a lifetime and potentially save your child’s life.

Question 2

Do you offer trial lessons?

Accepted Answer

At Little Wave Swim School we do not offer trial lessons, these are often used by other swim schools to get customers in through the door. We believe that children learn quicker and are happier in a comfortable and safe environment. This can only be achieved in lessons where the child is able to build a strong relationship with their teacher and the environment, they are swimming in. This cannot be achieved after one 30 minute lesson and as a result we feel that trial lessons to do not offer a true representation of our swim school or the lessons we provide over the whole learn to swim program.  We understand that choosing swimming lessons is an important decision and one that we do not take lightly. We invite any prospective customers to come down and watch our lessons before signing up. We will do everything we can to make you and your family welcome and take the individual needs of the children in to account. If you have any concerns about your child’s needs, please feel free to talk to us and we will be able to explain the whole learn to swim process and how we can best aid your child on their journey.

Question 3

Will my child have the same teacher each week?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We always aim to allocate one teacher per group for the whole term. Holidays and sickness are the exception to this rule.

Question 4

Do I need to get in the water with my child?

Accepted Answer

No, all of our beginner children’s lessons (Group 1 and 2) are taught with a teacher in the water. Parents can sit and watch the lesson from poolside remaining dry.

Question 5

Can parents bring younger children to the pool to watch?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you are welcome to bring young ones to sit and watch with you. Please bear in mind that children must be supervised at all times and must not be too close to the waters edge for their own safety.

Question 6

Do the children work towards badges and certificates?

Accepted Answer

Yes, the children work towards The STA's Learn to swim scheme. Badges and certificates are given once they have been achieved.

Question 7

What can I do to help my child progress?

Accepted Answer

Have Fun! If possible, take the children to the pool have fun and let them explore what they are capable of in the water. If you are interested in practicing specific skills with your children talk to their teacher or our pool manager. They will be able to suggest skills to practice and what to look for. It is important that children practice good technique when performing certain skills so as not to build bad habits. Your child’s teacher will be able to advise you on what to practice and what to look out for.

FAQ

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