Information at Balfour Swimming School
Booking a place for your child
If you are interested in enrolling your child at the swim school, please complete the booking form which can be found HERE.
Waiting List
Our sessions are popular, especially for beginners groups. It is likely that new starters will be placed on a waiting list, and you will be informed as soon as a place becomes available. New starters only begin at the start of term.
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In your child's first lesson they will be assessed regardless of any previous experience. The teacher will then move them to the correct time slot or ability group if necessary.
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The first lesson will always be in the 9am timeslot for Saturday swimmers and 15:30 for Thursday swimmers.
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Children are continually assessed throughout the year to monitor their progress.
Badges and Certificates
When your child passes a stage or achieves a new distance, you may purchase a badge and certificate. These cost £3.50 each and are a fantastic way of marking their development.
Swimming DevelopmentÂ
We follow the Swim England framework, supported by the ASA. To find out more about the awards that we help the children work towards, you can visit the Swim England awards overview HERE.
Swimmers are divided into three ability groups:
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Foundation - lessons are 30 minutes
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Pre‑Squad - lessons are 45 minutes
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Squad - lessons are 1 hour
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Our foundation classes are divided into two groups Beginners and Intermediate. These classes are designed for children who are new to swimming or still building confidence in the water. We focus on developing essential skills such as floating, kicking and basic water safety. These lessons provide supportive environment where children can learn at their own pace.
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Our Pre-Squad classes are ideal for swimmers who have mastered the basics and ready to develop more advanced techniques. We work on improving strake efficiency, stamina and overall water confidence. This programme prepares children for the next level.
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Our Squad classes are for confident swimmers who are ready for more structured training. Sessions focus on developing technique, strength and endurance while keeping lessons enjoyable and motivating.
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Within these groups are stages 1-10, which help track each child's development throughout the year.
You can download the My Learn To Swim app to your mobile device from the Swim England website HERE.