Have a question? Below you’ll find answers to the questions we get asked the most!
Yes! British Swim School is a franchising organization with over 450 schools operating in 37 states with international locations in Canada. We are always looking for passionate, driven franchise owners and will provide you with the support you need to open your business. If you’re interested in opening a British Swim School in your area, please visit britishswimschoolfranchise.com for more information.
At British Swim School we are proud to have a specialized program focused on the abilities of each child in our program. Please speak with your local British Swim School for more information.
We do have a fantastic adult program which is organized to focus on the needs of the individual swimmer. Please contact your local British Swim School for more information.
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!
Please speak with your local British Swim School team about their cancellation and make-up policy.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
The maximum ratio for our Tadpole and Stroke Development classes is 6:1 (students to instructor). All other classes are maximum 4:1. Please note, student to instructor ratios may vary by location.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.