Start with what you want to understand
If you are unsure how your child’s swimming is progressing, prepare one clear question before speaking with the coach. You might want to understand a repeated activity, the support your child still needs, or how the current lesson goal connects with the next stage. A short note helps keep the conversation specific.
Penguin’s private-lesson guidance asks families and coaches to consider the learner’s confidence, ability and progression goal. This worksheet turns those topics into prompts you can use at a review. It is a personal discussion aid. Ask the team which progress records and communication arrangements apply to your lessons.
Arrange a suitable moment to talk so the coach can give the conversation attention while supervision remains covered. Keep questions about payments, package dates or rescheduling for the operations team through the school’s official channels.
Write down an observation before drawing a conclusion
Choose one thing you saw or heard in a recent lesson. Record the activity and the support involved. For example: “My child started the task after the coach demonstrated it again.” That gives the coach something concrete to explain.
You can also record your child’s own words, such as “I liked that game” or “I wanted more time.” Ask how that feedback fits the teaching plan. A brief poolside view may miss the purpose of an activity, so leave room for the coach to add context.
Keep the note about your own child. Comparing siblings or classmates can distract from the skill and confidence your learner is developing. If something worried you, describe the event plainly and raise it through the school’s contact channel.
Ask how the current skill is developing
Ask which skill the coach is working on and what improvement they are looking for. Follow with: “What can my child repeat now, and what help do they still need?” This can make a broad comment such as “doing well” easier to understand.
An activity may look different when the coach changes the explanation, support or setting. Ask which conditions your child has practised in before assuming a skill transfers to every part of the pool. Let the coach choose any demonstration and its supervision arrangements.
If lessons include a named programme or assessment pathway, ask how today’s goal relates to its applicable requirements. Readiness for a formal assessment belongs with the qualified assessor and programme process. A parent’s worksheet does not certify a stage.
Agree one next goal you can describe
Choose the next goal with the coach and invite your child’s view in language they understand. A useful note names the skill, what support is appropriate and what the coach will look for before changing the task. The goal should fit the learner’s current comfort and development.
Illustrative discussion: “We would like to understand how the breathing activity is developing. Which part is the focus now, what help is useful, and what change will you look for next?” Your coach should supply the actual teaching plan.
Ask when it would be useful to discuss the goal again. Avoid turning a chosen review point into a promise of a badge, distance or completion date. If the goal is still difficult, the next conversation can examine what needs adjusting.
Copy these prompts into your own note
My question: the part of my child’s learning I want to understand.
My observation: the activity, approximate lesson date and support I noticed.
My child’s view: what they said felt enjoyable, uncertain or difficult.
The coach’s explanation: the current skill and the progress they have observed.
Our next goal: the agreed focus and the support the coach recommends.
Our next conversation: when and through which school channel we will review it.
Keep the note brief and private. Use your existing lesson records to check attendance or package information separately. Leave other swimmers’ names, photographs and personal information out of your worksheet.
Clarify what support is appropriate between lessons
Ask whether there is anything useful to reinforce between lessons and what supervision it requires. The coach may suggest a conversation or another suitable activity. Follow the actual guidance for your child and the pool’s rules.
Keep the progress discussion separate from decisions about water safety. Completing lessons or a skill does not remove the need for appropriate supervision. Ask the school directly if you are uncertain about an activity or the arrangements around the water.
For a new Penguin enquiry, share your learner’s age, current confidence, goal, preferred pool and available times. The team can discuss a suitable lesson format and coach match before confirming availability. For an existing learner, use the school’s contact page to ask how best to discuss their current progress.