How we teach

Children

Our lesson scheme for children is based on Swim England guidelines and awards. To ensure high quality swimming lessons we feel it is very important to teach children in small groups; and to ensure confidence, skill and stroke technique develop fully we assist beginners with teachers in the water and the use of buoyancy aids.

All our teachers are experienced and qualified ASA (Swim England) teachers who continue to learn and develop their own teaching skills. Each member of the team has their own specialism and additional qualifications and areas of expertise include; lifesaving and lifeguarding training and assessing, disability swimming, competitive swimming and coaching, synchronised swimming and water polo.

The safety of our swimmers is paramount and therefore all swimming teachers hold a valid pool lifeguard or pool rescue qualification and have a current DBS certificate at enhanced level and are members of the Institute of Swimming.

We teach using Swim England best practice and develop fundamental movement skills and core aquatic skills early in a child’s swimming journey to ensure progression to good stroke technique is achievable. We have high standards and progression through our lesson scheme is achieved when children repeatedly show they can master skills and strokes to the required standard. This gives children the skills, stroke technique and opportunity to progress from beginners, through to coaching and life saving courses, and the ability to continue swimming throughout their life.

Children can start lessons when they are five years old, and will then progress through the development scheme at their own rate. We acknowledge that all children are individuals and therefore progression is related to skill and stroke ability level and not age. There are no rules for how long it takes a child to learn to swim and whilst continuous progress is sought, children will usually spend a number of terms in each stage of our development scheme, successfully achieving new skills and developing strokes each term, till they are ready to move to the next group.

Adults

Our adult swimming lesson scheme offers lessons for complete beginners, improvers and advanced swimmers. We teach groups of similar ability with an informal structure so swimmers have time to practise and develop their own swimming. Adults are encouraged to try all swimming strokes and skills and we are happy to help adults achieve their personal swimming goals.

For Everyone

The majority of our swimmers, both adults and children, learn in groups, and we believe that the social interaction, emotional support and collaborative nature of a group swimming lesson is the best environment for all swimmers. However, we do offer one to one lessons, on our recommendation, for swimmers with particular needs if required.

We believe swimming lessons should be fun, inclusive and motivating, giving everyone the opportunity to fulfil their potential as a swimmer.