For most children, swimming lessons arrive through school. A timetable, a term of classes, a certificate at the end. For families who homeschool, that structure does not exist, and their children can miss out on one of the most important life skills there is.
At Warragul Leisure Centre, the team decided to close that gap.
It started small. A few extra classes added to an existing shift, and a simple expression of interest posted on Facebook.
"We were inundated with messages from interested parents," says Teaghan Mills, Aquatics Co-ordinator at Warragul Leisure Centre. "We were like, okay, wow, we need to put this on."
The classes run in the middle of the day, from 11:45am to 1:45pm, when the centre is at its quietest.
"A lot of homeschool students have additional needs, so they need that quiet hour," Teaghan says.
For one family, that timing is the reason their son can take part at all.
"Thank you for offering these lessons during the day, when the centre is much quieter than afternoons and weekends," the child's parent wrote. "The echo of noise is a huge turn off. During the school day it is so much quieter. It makes swimming lessons possible for us."
Classes are kept small, just five children in each.. Swim teacher Meg leads every session, and the children have come to know her well. That familiarity turns out to be a big part of why it works.
The same parent described what that looks like in the water.
"Meg is an absolutely amazing teacher. She is patient, kind and fun," they wrote. "She allows my son a bit of space from the other children, and he knows to stay above the water while he waits for his turn. This small thing makes a huge difference, because otherwise the children are squashed at the end, and he hates other people touching him."
Much of the feedback is about belonging.
"You see programs for multicultural groups, for children with ADHD or autism, but you see nothing for children who are homeschooled," Teaghan says. "It was exciting for them to be included too."
Before long, parents asked for one more thing. They wanted their children to feel like they were getting somewhere. So the program now runs beginner, intermediate and advanced groups, and as children grow in confidence, they move up to the next one.
Four months in, the program is no longer a trial. The team is looking at more teachers, a certificate system, and the same approach for a new multicultural group.
We are looking to keep these classes running, and to welcome more homeschooling families into the water. Find out more here.
