Choosing the right swim school for your child is very important and should not be rushed. It’s crucial to find a swimming school that promotes skill development, builds confidence, and makes the experience enjoyable. In this article, we will share our insights as a private swim school and outline key questions to ask during the selection process.

Facilities and Safety

Your child’s well-being is vital, and it's crucial to fully understand the swim school's safety protocols and facilities. It helps to build trust and ease potential anxiety.

Supervision

• • What is the student-to-teacher ratio?

  • Are the teachers in the pool all the time?

  • What happens when you need a substitute teacher?

  • How are swimmers monitored constantly?

Pool Standards

• • What is the water temperature?

  • How often is the water tested for chlorine levels, pH, and backwashed?

  • Do the pools have non-slip surfaces for walking?

Pool facilities

• • Are there changing facilities?

  • Can parents sit in a viewing area?

  • Is there parking close by?

Emergency Situations

• • Does the pool or swim school have an Emergency Action Plan (EAP)?

  • What emergency staff training is available?

  • How is parent communication handled in the event of an incident?

Instructor Qualifications

The calibre of instructors will greatly influence skills development and swim progress. Some questions related to instructors that you might ask to assess experience could include:

Background checks

• • Does your swim school conduct background checks on all instructors?

  • What is the vetting process, and how often are they updated?

Teaching experience

• • How many years of teaching experience will the instructor have?

  • How much experience do they have in your child’s age group?

Qualifications

• • Find out what relevant swimming qualifications the instructor holds.

    • Swim England Qualification.

    • Swimming Teaching Association.

Specialised expertise

• • If your child needs specialised skills, check whether the swim school has instructors with specific training.

Class and Teaching Methods

It is important that the swim school’s class structure and teaching methods align with your child’s needs and learning style.

• What are the class sizes?

• Age groups catered for.

• Swimming school teaching methods and programmes.

• What are the Lesson formats?

• Do they offer any customisation for your unique needs?

Safety Policies

As a successful swim school, we understand that safety is paramount. Gain a complete understanding of all safety procedures and policies.

• What are the pool rules on entry & exit?

• What are class rules, and how are they enforced?

• What is the incident process, and who is notified?

• In the event of a serious incident, what are the emergency procedures?

• Does the swim school hold relevant insurances, such as public liability?

Reviews, Endorsements

Look for online reviews from other parents, check their website to see who they are affiliated with and if they have won any awards. Dig deep and look back at least a year to gain an in-depth understanding.

• Look online: Look at reviews from Google and Facebook.

• Accreditations: Have they been accredited by a relevant swim-related organisation such as the RLSS, Swim England Qualification (SEQ) or the Swimming Teacher’s Association (STA)?

• Testimonials: Look for recent testimonials and specific details on class sizes, instructor patience, class format, etc.

• Parent references: Request details of current parents whose children are enrolled in the classes you're interested in.

Schedules, Location & Costs

Another important factor is convenience and the cost of lessons. Most of this information should be easily found on their website.

• Where are the swimming pool facilities located?

• What times are classes available and how often?

• What are the associated costs, and what is the initial outlay?

If you have any further questions or concerns, please contact Swim Generation.