Intro

With thousands of swimmers taking part in our programmes each week across London, Surrey and Somerset, we've seen firsthand how differently children can progress, even when they're the same age. Progress depends on more than effort or natural ability; confidence, technique, stamina and the time needed to master new skills can all play a part. In this article, we will explore some of the most common reasons why swimmers may not always progress as quickly to the next swimming stage. We will also cover how we recognise when progress plateaus and how our coaches can help your child progress to the next stage in our ten-stage swimming programme.

The Most Common Reasons Children Get Stuck Between Swimming Stages

In our experience, swimming progress rarely follows a straight line. Children may make rapid gains before reaching a stage where a particular skill takes longer to master. Periods of rapid improvement are often followed by times when progress slows. Swimmers often take longer to progress at different stages of our programme. At Swim Generation, we will not progress a swimmer until our qualified coaches feel they are ready. Placing a swimmer in a programme they are not ready for can be counterproductive and demoralising, affecting confidence and enjoyment. Here are some of the most common reasons swimmers stay at a specific level a little longer.

Individual Learning Rates

Our small coach-to-swimmer ratios let our coaches closely monitor swimmers and see how their skills develop. One clear observation is that children develop at different speeds. For new skills, some swimmers need to practice once, while others need more practice and repetition before mastering the technique. Some swimmers start off slow, however, once they have gained confidence, their progress continues to increase rapidly. These variations are normal, and some skills take longer to master, such as controlling breathing with the correct stroke technique for longer periods. Our coaches are trained to recognise when a swimmer is struggling or needs more time to master a new skill.

Swimming Technique

Mastering a new technique can often hold back progression. At Swim Generation, swimmers will not progress to the next stage until they can confidently and consistently perform the required skills.

Rushing swimmers who aren't ready can create difficulties later on and place unnecessary pressure on them. The aim is to help new skills become consistent and natural before progressing.

‘Parents sometimes ask why their child is finding a new technique more difficult than expected. As swimmers progress, strokes require greater coordination between breathing, kicking, arm movements, body position and timing. Some children need additional practice to bring these elements together consistently, and that is a normal part of learning to swim.’ Christopher Whitworth, Founder at Swim Generation.

Read the insight article on why Backstroke is a stroke that children often struggle with.

Inconsistent Attendance

Regular attendance gives children more opportunities to practise and reinforce their swimming skills. In our experience, children attending at least one lesson a week without lengthy breaks tend to progress more steadily through our ten-stage programme. Regular attendance also builds the fitness and stamina needed for longer distances and more complex skills. When children take longer breaks, their fitness often drops, which can slow progress until they rebuild it.

For more information, read our recent article, ‘Does a child lose swimming skills after a break?’

Lacking Stamina

Coaches assess both technical skills and swimmers' fitness levels before deciding whether to move to the next level. Fitness and stamina are vital aspects of swimming. It matters because:

• Many of our stages require children to swim specific distances continuously while maintaining good technique. For example, Stage 5 (Beginners 3) requires swimmers to complete a 30m warm-up plus 30m front crawl, 30m backstroke and 30m breaststroke.

• Stamina helps swimmers maintain correct technique consistently. Coaches can easily spot fatigued swimmers. Common signs include lifting their head and using less defined strokes.

• Lacking stamina can also slow progress later, when stages introduce more demanding work such as turns and longer multi-stroke sessions.

• Building stamina can also help children feel more comfortable completing longer swims, so they can focus on technique rather than getting tired.

Example: A swimmer may be able to perform front crawl arm movements during a short drill but struggle to maintain technique over a longer distance. In this situation, a coach may break the stroke down into smaller elements, work on breathing and body position separately, and gradually build the distance back up.

Some Stages Take Longer

Progress through Swim Generation's ten-stage programme is not based on time spent at a particular level. Coaches assess whether swimmers can demonstrate the required skills consistently before moving them on. Some stages naturally take longer because they introduce more demanding techniques, longer distances or several new skills at once.

Why do some Swim Generation stages take longer to complete?

1. More complicated skills are required that take longer to master, for instance, the bilateral breathing in front crawl often takes swimmers a while to fully perfect. Children need to time their breathing with their arm strokes and body rotation while keeping their head low. Most can get comfortable breathing to one side fairly quickly, but switching sides consistently usually needs more practice before it feels automatic.

2. Swimmers' progress often slows after the first few stages because the focus shifts more heavily to execution and technique.

3. Later stages are physically more demanding (due to the distances swum) and may require additional time for swimmers to build fitness and stamina.

4. Some stages introduce several new skills at once. Stage 5 (Beginners 3), for example, requires continuous 30m swimming in front crawl, backstroke, and breaststroke, plus a 30 m warm-up and the introduction of basic butterfly. Most children take extra time here because they're learning multiple new skills at once.

Read more about how Swim Generation coaches assess and progress swimmers and the skills children need to demonstrate at each level.

How Do Our Coaches Identify Progress Has Plateaued?

Because our classes are small, often 1:1 or 2:1, and we coach in-water for many swim levels (up to Stage 6), coaches can quickly identify when a child’s progress begins to plateau. We share all progress with swimmers and parents on the online portal, along with designated feedback after every lesson.

Typical signs a swimmer’s progress is plateauing include:

• A swimmer repeatedly makes the same technical error. One common example is lifting the head. This raises concerns for our coaches because it usually indicates the skill is not instinctive. Coaches address persistent technical errors before progression, as repeatedly practising an incorrect movement can make it harder to change later.

• As swimmers progress, they should become more confident and independent as they master core swimming skills. If a swimmer continues to rely on frequent prompts or assistance from their coach, it may indicate that certain skills need further practice or that their teaching approach needs adjusting.

• A change in a swimmer's confidence is another sign that progress could be slowing. A swimmer who previously attempted new skills or techniques becomes more reserved and shies away from anything challenging.

• Difficulty transferring skills in practice into structured routines. A common example is a swimmer performing a stroke technique perfectly in practice. When asked to perform the technique over longer distances, they struggle.

• Progress slows over several lessons, even with regular attendance and opportunities to practise. This prompts coaches to review which skills are causing difficulty and whether they need to adjust their teaching approach.

How Swim Generation Helps When a Swimmer's Progress Plateaus

At Swim Generation, when a coach identifies a plateau in a swimmer’s progress, they immediately work to determine what is causing it. Once identified, we tailor coaching to support swimmers, rebuild their confidence, and help them progress.

Our approach draws on lessons learned from teaching more than 2,000 children each week. Read what we've learned from teaching thousands of children to swim.

Depending on the swimmers' needs, coaches may include any of the following steps.

• Small classes make it easier to pinpoint issues. Coaches use close observation and their coaching experience to identify areas of difficulty.

• One of the main advantages of in-water coaching is that coaches can deliver immediate, hands-on corrections. Swimmers can closely watch coaches demonstrate techniques.

• Tailor lessons to each swimmer's needs. For instance, some swimmers may need extra time to grasp more complex skills. Swimmers should not feel pressured and should enjoy their lessons.

• Break lessons down into more manageable and focused drills. For instance, practise skills that require multiple actions (breathing, kicking, timing, etc.) separately until swimmers master them and feel fully confident.

• If confidence is an issue, coaches can provide more frequent positive feedback and recognise improvements. A simple technique is to make tasks less difficult until their confidence returns.

What Can Parents Do?

Parents often ask coaches what they can do to help when they feel their child’s progress has slowed. At Swim Generation, we view parents as an important part of a swimmer's development

Parents can also support their child's development outside lessons. See our advice on how parents can help improve their children's swimming.

Below are some steps a parent can take to help continued progress:

• Review the online portal with your child after every lesson to reinforce what the coaches teach.

• Swimming attendance is important for a swimmer's progression. Prioritising their child's swimming lesson can make a huge difference.

• Share feedback with the coach, especially if there are any concerns or information that could help the lesson format. Coaches are always happy to adjust lessons to better suit swimmers' needs.

• Watch the lesson from poolside. This not only encourages swimmers but also helps parents understand and reinforce what is being taught.

If you're looking for swimming lessons that support your child's individual development, explore our children's swimming programme to learn more about our stages, coaching approach and progression.