Swimming Lessons
Lessons for All
Our Swim School takes swimmers on a journey, from swimming lessons that build water confidence from the first splash, to a lifetime knowledge of water safety and enjoyment.
Based on the Swim England Learn to Swim framework and Programme, our lessons run for 45 weeks of the year – providing approximately a 2 week and 5 week break during the Christmas and Summer holidays respectively. This excludes our Adult and Child Classes which run term time only.
Our lessons are taught by experienced instructors who provide high standards of tuition, are fully DBS checked and hold a safeguarding qualification. The programme offers continuous assessment, allowing you to join at any time and to progress through the stages at your own pace.
Our standard Group Lessons comply with Swim England recommended ratios. Those looking for more intensive teaching can opt for Premium or One to One lessons. Premium lessons are available for Stages 1 to 4 and provide a 1:4 teacher-to-pupil ratio.
Class Types
All Lessons take place in the Teaching Pool
Our Adult & Child lessons aim to build water confidence, develop coordination, muscle strength and motor skills. Lessons give you the opportunity to bond with your little one and teach the basic core aquatic skills through fun and games (term time only).
- Adult & Child 1 (4-12 Months): Nurture a love of water with your baby in a positive, fun environment. Parents or carers attend with their babies providing reassurance and confidence.
- Adult & Child 2 (1-2 years): Working on basic water skills, as well as the introduction of independent travel with aids through structured play, fun and games.
- Adult & Child 3 (2 years+): Developing independence and group confidence in preparation for instruction without an adult/carer.
Perfect for pre-school children, these 45 week lessons build the beginnings of a lifelong love of water. Swimmers swim without you, but will be in the pool with a teacher.
Pre School 1 (3 years+)
Developing basic water safety awareness, basic movement and travel throughout the pool and gaining water confidence.
Pre School 2 (3 years+)
Introducing safe entries, jumping in and rotation. Working towards travelling around the pool with fewer aids, the next step towards independent swimming.
Our junior swimming lessons are for school age children following the Swim England Learn to Swim Framework, offering a fun and challenging environment to learn new skills and improve their swimming technique.
Stage 1 (4 years+): The aim of this class is to travel 5m with aids on their front and back with confidence and be able to float independently without aids on their front and back.
Stage 2 – (4 years+): These classes will help to continue to develop water confidence and develop the ability for your child to travel 5m both on their front and their backs unaided. Additional skills being developed are rotations and push and glides.
Stage 3a: If your child can travel 5 metres on their front and back unaided, then they’ll need to enrol in our Stage 3 lessons. Here, the aim is working towards travelling 10m, and swimmers will be working on skills such as treading water, rotation and gaining the Water Safety 1 Award.
Stage 3b: Once confident in deeper water and swimming out of depth, the Stage 3b class will continue to develop essential swimming skills and all four strokes, in a fun lesson environment. The aim will be to achieve Swimming 5m front crawl and backcrawl to a Swim England standard and be working towards swimming 10m front & back without the use of buoyancy aids.
Stage 4: Creating confident swimmers in deep water. At the end of this stage the aim is for your child to have mastered the correct kicking techniques for all four competitive strokes, and to complete the 15m award on front crawl and backstroke. In addition, they will be able to travel 5m breaststroke and butterfly to the Swim England Standard. Please note this stage is held in deep water.
Our junior swimming lessons are for school age children following the Swim England Learn to Swim Framework, offering a fun and challenging environment to learn new skills and improve their swimming technique.
Learn 2 Swim 7 Years+: These lessons run exclusively for non swimmers 7 years plus. They aim to improve water confidence, introduce movement in the water, water safety, submersion, floatation and for the participant to be able to complete 5m front and back without aids.
Our junior swimming lessons are for school age children following the Swim England Learn to Swim Framework, offering a fun and challenging environment to learn new skills and improve their swimming technique.
Stage 5: At this stage swimmers are working towards developing all strokes to a Swim England standard over a 10m distance, achieving the Water Safety 2 Award, as well as working towards the 25m award.
Stage 6: At this stage, swimmers will be improving their stamina by swimming over increasing distances. Your child will be aiming to achieve their 50m award as well as developing effective techniques for all four competitive strokes. They aim to focus on correct breathing and timing and achieving 25m to the Swim England Standard for front crawl and backcrawl. Swimmers will also continue to develop their water safety skills through swimming whilst wearing light clothing.
Stage 7: Working towards maintaining all strokes to Swim England standard over 25m and increase distances so they can achieve their 100m and 200m award. At this stage your child will be developing skills to move into competitive swimming, as well as performing a range of advanced aquatic skills helping to prepare them for Stages 8-10. They will also work towards achieving the Water Safety 3 award.
Once you develop the core range of skills, you have the chance to take part in Stages 8+, Rookie, Survive & Swim and Swim Fitness.
Stage 8/ 9 & 10: The perfect progression for children who have completed Stages 1-7. In these stages, swimmers look to develop other aquatic skills and focus on maintaining their swimming over greater distances. They will learn to use starts and turns correctly and have an introduction to the club environment. In addition, swimmers will work towards Bronze, Silver, Gold, Honours Awards and distance awards up to 1 mile.
Rookie Lifesaving provides a fun and safe way to learn lifesaving skills and water safety. A natural progression from the Learn to Swim lessons, swimmers progress from Bronze to Gold levels. For swimmers aged 8 to 15 – and at least stage 7 swimming ability.
Survive & Save @ Tonbridge Pool
Following on from the Rookie Lifesaving programme, the Survive and Save is the RLSS UK lifesaving award scheme for anyone aged 12 years and over. The awards are challenging but fun to complete and are arranged into bronze, silver and gold levels to ensure that participants get the opportunity to develop their lifesaving skills as they progress through the awards.
Junior Swim Fitness @ Larkfield Leisure Centre
Having completed Stage 10, a swimmer may like to continue swimming as part of our junior programme to maintain their fitness, technique and stamina.
These lessons are ideal for those who want to learn from scratch, improve water confidence or simply become a better swimmer. We cater for all abilities.
Be Water Confident/ Beginners/ Stage 1: These classes give you an introduction to the pool, helping to build your confidence in the water alongside learning basic aquatic skills. These classes take place in shallow water.
Be a Swimmer: With the goal of you managing to swim a short distance, these lessons help you to develop your confidence both in and around the water.
Be a Better Swimmer: Improve your stamina and stroke technique and gain confidence swimming in deeper water. The goal for these lessons is to support you to swim distances of up to 50 metres on your front and back with good technique.
If you are unsure of which level applies to you, please contact the relevant site swim school coordinator at either Tonbridge Pool or Larkfield Leisure Centre.
One to One Lessons take place at Tonbridge Swimming Pool
Private swimming tuition provides individual attention and a faster learning rate for both adults and children alike. Flexible times are available to suit your needs and to bridge the gap between Swim England stages.
Early booking is advised as sessions are very popular. Please call 01732 367449.
Course Costs to July 2025
You can choose to pay by monthly direct debit (DD) or in 15 week instalments. Those paying by DD receive unlimited FREE swimming during public sessions and a FREE Priority Card which provides discounted activities and 7 day booking rights.
MONTHLY DIRECT DEBIT
Junior 30 Minute - £36.00 p/m
Junior 60 Minute - £43.50 p/m
Adult 45 Minute - £43.50 p/m
ADULT & CHILD COURSES
15 Week Instalment - £95.10
20 Minute - £20.28 p/m
15 WEEK INSTALMENTS
Junior 30 Minute - £158.25
Junior 60 Minute - £188.25
Adult 45 Minute - £188.25
Booking a Swim School Place
If you wish to book a Swim School place, please check the current availability. To secure a course please give us a call - all spaces are allocated on a first come first served basis.
If there are no suitable courses, please join our Swim School News emailing list and we will send you space availability each week.
View Larkfield Leisure Centre Swim School availabilityView Tonbridge Swimming Pool Swim School availabilityTerm Dates 2024/2025
Monday 2 September to
Wednesday 18 December 2024
Thursday 19 December to
Wednesday 1 January 2025
Thursday 2 January to
Sunday 27 July 2025
Manage Lessons on HomePortal
Your Swim School lessons can be managed online using HomePortal. With one simple login, you can manage one or more lessons on your PC or smartphone. Our teachers log monthly progress for each swimmer electronically during lessons, which can be viewed on HomePortal.
Another great benefit of the HomePortal is that when your child is ready to move up to the next level, you will receive an email alert. You can then log on, check class availability and move them to the next level at a time/day that suits you.
Those paying in 15 week blocks can also view how many lessons they have remaining before they need to renew and can top up online.
Already registered? Access HomePortal now. You can also register now if you have your child's card ID. If you don't have the ID number please email us.