Learning to swim is an important safety skill that can lower a child's risk of drowning by as much as 88% so it’s just as important to make sure your child learns this skill from the right person.
Ideally a good swimming instructor should be positive, optimistic, cheerful, authoritative, consistent, and supportive but be sure not to choose based on personality alone. Your child might not hit it off with an instructor, even if they are recommended. You can ask the swim school to recommend a good match for your child's personality.
Every experienced instructor should be encouraging kids on a daily basis to go beyond what is written in the instruction books and manuals.
When choosing a swimming instructor for your child, you should consider things like:
Qualifications
Look for instructors with relevant certifications in teaching swimming lessons for children, lifeguarding, and first aid.
All of the swimming instructors at Swimtime are qualified to internationally recognised standards. They will hold:
- A swimming teaching qualification at a minimum of Level 2 from a recognised Awarding Body such as Swim England or STA
- STA membership
- A rescue qualification
- First Aid training
- Safeguarding certification
Swimtime teachers not only hold UK Government recognised qualifications, they are also trained by Swimtime to deliver an enhanced service. Many of these qualifications are provided from our in house training team at the Skilltime Training Academy. They provide aquatic education not just to Swimtime, but to commercial clients all over the world.
Experience
Consider the instructor's experience, especially in teaching children.
Our Swimtime swimming instructors undertake extensive training when they start out with us, with newly qualified teachers working alongside our more experienced members of the team on mentoring programmes to ensure they are supported in teaching to the same standards we strive for whilst building their experience.
Teaching style
A good instructor should be attentive, patient, supportive, and able to adapt their teaching methods to suit each child, utilising teaching aids and equipment where required.
Our Swimtime instructors understand that each child is an individual and will learn things in a slightly different way. They are passionate about delivering sessions that engage every swimmer in a way that makes the experience fun as well as educational.
Instructor-student ratio
Some children will benefit most from learning in a group environment and some children will prefer learning on a one to one basis or in a smaller group of two or three; a smaller class size allows for more personalized attention and instruction.
Swimtime offers a variety of class sizes, from group swimming lessons for up to six swimmers to private lessons on a one to one, two to one or three to one basis, so we can tailor lessons to your child’s individual learning requirements.
Reliability
A reliable instructor will be available when they say they will be and show up on time which builds trust and confidence.
Communication
A good instructor will be able to communicate your child's progress and challenges to you.
Swimtime uses cutting edge digital technology behind the scenes to help our teachers deliver not just world class lessons, but amazing flexibility in how you interact with them and the Swimtime team, including how you can keep track of your child’s progress in sessions with digital awards.
Personality
Ideally a good swimming instructor should be positive, optimistic, cheerful, authoritative, consistent, and supportive but be sure not to choose based on personality alone.
Your child might not hit it off with an instructor, even if they are recommended, so you can ask us to recommend a good match for your child's personality.
We are so proud of the friendly, supportive and passionate instructors that teach our swimming lessons, we have every confidence that your child will be excited to get to their swimming lessons every week!
Special needs
If your child has special needs, you can observe a few lessons to see how the instructor relates to different children and have a conversation with the instructor and/or swim school owner to discuss your needs and how they can best accommodate this.
Our swimming teaching standards are at the very heart of Swimtime. All our teachers are handpicked and verified to ensure our swimmers receive a safe, fun, and rewarding experience!
Swimtime was founded in 1998. For over 25 years we have developed knowledge and experience that not just complies with internationally respected standards but plays an active role in shaping them and these are the standards we hold our swimming teachers to.
Swimtime is a member of the International Swim School Association (ISSA), helping to shape the educational and strategic direction of the industry. This means, Swimtime is part of a thriving globally community that is committed to improving the health and wellbeing of children all over the globe.
At Swimtime, our amazing teachers are passionate about helping kids learn to swim in a fun, safe, and supportive environment! With their expert guidance, your child will not only build water confidence but also develop essential skills that will last a lifetime.
From beginners to confident swimmers, our dedicated instructors make learning enjoyable every step of the way.
Ready to get started? Book your child’s lessons today and watch them make waves!
