British Swim School at Embassy Suites – South San Francisco

Our specialized, year-round curriculum is divided into three primary programmatic tiers: Water Acclimation (building comfort and breaking water fear), Water Survival (teaching foundational life-saving floating and breathing techniques), and Stroke Development (mastering competitive swim strokes, speed, and stamina). Within these tiers, we offer targeted programs for infants, toddlers, kids, teens, and adults, alongside specialized adaptive aquatics.

We keep our class sizes small to ensure personalized attention and maximum water safety. Our water acclimation and toddler water survival classes maintain a strict 4:1 student-to-instructor ratio. As swimmers advance into our stroke development and pre-team levels, classes maintain a 6:1 student-to-instructor ratio. This guarantees a supportive, focused environment for every swimmer

Our curriculum is built on a goal-driven, step-by-step progression where students learn at their own pace. Each distinct swim level features five clearly defined safety and skill milestones. Instructors continuously track performance during lessons to celebrate achievements. Once a student masters the five goals of their current level, they transition seamlessly to the next class tier without waiting for a new semester to begin.

What certifications and training do your swim instructors hold?

Safety is our top priority. Every swim instructor undergoes a rigorous vetting process and completes our comprehensive, proprietary British Swim School certification program. Additionally, our instructors hold nationally recognized certifications in Lifeguarding, CPR, and First Aid. This ensures you and your family receive expert instruction focused on water survival skills and life-saving techniques in every single lesson.

How do I find the right swim class and register?

Finding your level is simple. Select your nearest local pool and complete our online swim assessment. This fast tool matches the swimmer’s age and experience with the ideal curriculum level. Once matched, you can view current class schedules, select a convenient day and time, and register online. If you need assistance, our team is just a phone call away.

We do have a fantastic adult program which is organized to focus on the needs of the individual swimmer.

Yes, at British Swim School we are proud to have a specialized Dolphin program focused on the abilities of each child in our program.

Yes, practicing at home will help tremendously! If you have a pool at home, you should practice swimming as much as possible. If you do not have a pool, many skills can be practiced in the bathtub.

Students in our acclimation and survival levels wait their turn on the wall to give breaks and have the opportunity to observe and learn from their peers. Our lessons prioritize child development and learning strategies, and cater our turns to best suit attention spans. Shorter and more frequent turns of a skill, followed by observing the skill by someone at their own level, help to solidify that learning. Our instructors interact with all students in a methodical manner, and there is no wasted time during the lessons.

No problem at all! All British Swim School instructors teach the same method, and it is important for your child to be able to swim with more than one person. Our swim instructors work closely with one another and will communicate anything beneficial to your child’s progress.

We allow courtesy free, UNLIMITED makeup lessons if the absence is reported in advance. More than a 48 hour notice is appreciated.

Yes! Please remember any child under 3, or any child not fully potty trained must wear two swim diapers. One disposable swim diaper and one re-useable diaper on top OR two disposable swim diapers over each other. This ensures the health and safety of all students and instructors should there be any accidents.

• Double diaper* (if needed)
• Goggles* (levels Turtle 2 and up only)
• A British Swim School swim cap is mandatory. Swimmers can opt to wear a second, tighter fitting swim cap underneath if desired.
• Towel – sadly they have to get out some time!

Initially, we teach our students to be water-safe. This includes learning to enter the water, roll over, surface on their backs, and float independently for 20 seconds. These skills are required in the Turtle 1 level. Your child is able to move up from Minnow to Turtle 1 once they demonstrate these skills.

The back float is the ultimate survival skill. A child floating on their back is able to breathe and cry for help. As students advance, this skill is also necessary. If they get tired while swimming, they will know to roll over to rest and catch their breath. Open bodies of water do not have a “side” to get to, so this is the best way to ensure safety. We always teach our swimmers to be fully swim safe in our survival lessons before they can even move on to our swimming lessons!

There is a huge and well documented benefit to getting children into swimming lessons at a young age. We know that children (and adults) learn best with repetition and fun. Repeating activities within our structured swim class, while engaging swimmers, also releases endorphins which helps increase muscle memory. Group classes are also key in teaching young children to swim because typically, they will repeat what others are doing; floating and having fun!

All of our programs for children under 3 years old normally require parent participation. It is important for us to focus on the progression of your child through all of these levels. One of the major goals is creating acclimation to the water for both you and your child. Our first two levels, Tadpole and Swimboree, require a parent/guardian in the water and our Seahorse class requires that a parent/guardian is sitting on the pool deck directly with their child.

British Swim School teaches children as young as 3 months old. If enrolling at that age, please see Tadpole or use the lesson wizard found on the desired school location to determine the correct program level.

Absolutely not! We encourage all of our parents to stay and use the momentum of the water to help calm the child down. We completely understand that children can have bad days. It is our job to keep working with them on the goals of the lesson. We won’t give up on your little swimmer!

For class levels Tadpole through Turtle 1, our class ratios are a maximum of 4:1. Stroke Development Classes are a maximum of 6:1. We also offer private and semi-private classes.

Our instructors are well trained for managing this, and our classes are planned to help all children acclimate to and be comfortable in the water before we work on developing their skills. We work really hard in our lessons to be sure that any fears a student has turns into confidence in the water.

All of our Instructors have completed our intensive British Swim School Instructor training and exams. They also have a national Lifeguard and First Aid Certification.

Our classes focus on learning skills and working on lesson goals in a fun, gentle and progressive manner. During the 30 minute lesson we engage the children through songs and activities to help increase their muscle memory while learning essential survival skills.

You can view your schedule, manage your account, or cancel your enrollment through the British Swim School app.

Download the App on iOS | Download on Android

To cancel your account, log into the app, select the main menu, and choose “Cancel My Account” to then submit the form.

Pricing varies based on how many lessons you take each week and the number of swimmers you enroll. For detailed pricing, please visit your nearest location’s webpage to find all the information you need.