Making the most of the Swimming Lesson 10-minute feedback session

When we set up our Swim Academy swimming lessons, we did so with a listen first approach. After speaking to parents across the country, the desire for feedback came out on top when it came to what people wanted to see as part of the swimming lesson experience.  

On the back of our research, we introduced ‘Splosh’s Chat’ when we launched our swimming lessons – a dedicated 10-minute feedback session at the end of each lesson for parents/guardians to talk directly with the teachers to gain that all important feedback and update on progression.  

In this blog, we share 5 tips on how make the most of those 10-minutes to help maximise your time and support your kids through their swim journey. 

Ask questions 

Our experienced swim teachers are dedicated to building up your child's confidence and ability in the water. The dedicated feedback time is a unique opportunity for you as a parent/guardian to be part of their swim journey and get the detail in how your child is progressing.  

Engaging in the feedback session armed with some short questions that cover what you’d like to know – whether that be related to progress, development, achievement, or next steps – can be empowering for parents. You’re sure to come away feeling confident on how your child is doing, and the best ways that you can support them both in and out of the water.  

Build up that relationship with the teacher 

We take progression seriously, giving you the opportunity for regular and direct contact with your swimming teacher helps to create a strong relationship that can have a positive impact on both you and your child's swimming lesson experience.  The more you get to know the teacher, you’ll become more aware of their teaching and feedback style, what questions to ask to get the most out of the feedback sessions, and a sense of familiarity which can help put both you and your child at ease.  

At Total Fitness, you can have up-to 3 Swim Buddies who can take your kids to their lessons, so spending that time with the teacher can also benefit and support the teacher when giving feedback to multiple guardians as they’ll start to get to know you and your family.  

Include your kids 

Although your kids might be too preoccupied with talking to their friends at the end of the lesson, it’s important that they feel included and understand the feedback that was discussed between parent and teacher. They’ll have a sense of ownership over their swim journey and that feeling of accomplishment and motivation when they reach their next swim stage – all in the knowledge that you helped them to achieve it. 

How you incorporate that will depend on your own preferences as a family; sitting them down and talking about how they found their swimming lesson, what they enjoyed, what they achieved, and the feedback you got at the end can be a really supportive bonding experience.  

Prioritise your time 

As you become more familiar with the lessons, the teacher, and your child’s ability, it might not be necessary to ask questions and interact with the swim teacher on every visit – although that time is there for you if you want it.  

Learning to swim can take time, and although they’ll be following a core framework of activity throughout the lesson, the development from week to week might not be as obvious. 

You might also have other children to watch and care for while the lesson is taking place, so it can be hard to fit this in after every lesson. It’s not necessarily about turning up to each of the feedback sessions – but about choosing the best times to go that work for you and your child. 

• Are they nearing the next stage? 
• Is there something in particular they’re struggling with or excelling at? 
• Would you like an update on their progress? 
• Do you need support in how to continue their learning at home? 

That 10 minutes of feedback time is for all swimmers in the lesson and can be such a useful tool in helping you and your child make the most of the lessons – but making it work for you is how you’ll get the most out of it.  

Don’t just focus on weaknesses  

When you’re asking for and discussing feedback, it’s important to focus on what your child is really excelling in, and not just where they may need a little extra support. It can be so tempting to be drawn to areas of development, but also being able to recognise where your child is doing well and supporting them to perfect this even further can be so impactful in building their confidence both in and out of the water. Your kids are much more likely to want to practice the things that they’re good at – so being able to incorporate and reward these outside of the lessons is great for their overall motivation. 

If you’re not booked onto our Swimming Lessons, you can find out more on our Swim Academy website. We’ve got lessons for babies aged 0-4years and children ages 4+ to support your child in developing positive and long-lasting experiences in the water.