Can I be charged for National Curriculum Swimming Lessons?

Spendless

There's more info here in this link that someone else referred to earlier.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/jul/01/schoolsports.primaryeducation

~daisy~_2

i work at a leisure centre and we have lots of local lower schools coming for lessons within school time - they all pay for them by cheque from the school
whether that comes from school funds or the budget i dont know but it comes from the school not direct from the council or goverment

Indie_Kid

Janepig wrote: »

DD is starting school swimming lessons next week every day for the next 3 weeks and we have to pay £1 a day for the bus to take them to the pool, but not for the lessons. I'm not sure if this is correct, but I would have thought that it would depend how the school have managed their budget as to whether they can pay for the lessons out of their budget or whether they have to ask parents to cough up.

Jxx

When I had swimming lessons with school, (1998-2000) it was the same for me. £1 for each time and a total of 15 lessons.

tarajayne

Ours is £42 a term every year. All year groups go. First time ever this year I refused to pay, said I was happy for mine not to go as they're good swimmers and wanted them to stay in school for extra work. School said we couldn't opt out!

jackieb

choccybikkie wrote: »

Is it really in the National Cirriculum?? None of mine have EVER had swimming lessons with their schools I have 3 kids of school age yr7, yr5 and yr2.
Is it dependant of where you live?

CB

I remember going swimming with the school back in the late 70s. My children are now 26, 22, 17 and 14yo. None of mine have ever had swimming lessons when they were at school.

zippybungle

My eldest son (in year 3) is doing a 10 week Swimming course with the School, it is free for everyone and there is no transport costs as the pool is just down the road from the School.

Zippy x

bylromarha

OP - ask the head teacher for the school policy on this.

Yes, swimming lessons are compulsory in Key Stage 2 as per the national curriculum - it hasn't changed since 2008!

You may have to pay for transport, but £79 is quite a lot of coach fare. Talk to the school about it and see what they say.

jackomdj

I think it is compulsory to do something silly like 6 to 8 lessons. Also by the end of Y6 they should have learnt to swim (although there may be instances where the child has not learnt)

We are talking about it in our school at the moment, should they do it in Y2 where we can't use a lot of the pool as it is too deep but they are younger so better from a safety viewpoint once they can or leave it till they are in Y4. Also should they do it all year (where the school don't get funding for all of it) or for a shorter time. Also it takes a lot of time out of school for a short lesson (as we have a 15min drive to the pool). Finally the HM said that the funding they receive is bundled into a pot, so they do not see it as an extra bit of cash, just as an element of a larger entity that they have to manage.

phunkles

Does the letter ask for a voluntary contribution towards? (if so you dont have to pay....)

Have heard of primary schools charging for the bus to and from the pool but thats it??

tarajayne

http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/_doc/5885/Swimming%20charter.pdf

See page 11.