No, we have a teacher and two assistant teachers in the water with the non-swimmers classes.

No, we have all the equipment for the children to use. You need to bring your child's swimwear and towel.

Your child's first latex or polyester swimming hat will be given to you free of charge when you arrive. Subsequent hats can be purchased for £5.

You will pay for a term of lessons, before the start of the term. The price of the term may vary depending on the number of the weeks.
You will receive a digital booking form that will be sent as a text message to your mobile number. This message will include a link to your digital booking form. Once you open the link, before you can view your booking details, you will be asked to enter your mobile number and will be sent a verification code to confirm your identity. You will then be shown your class, time, day, and venue for your lessons. You must complete the booking form and make your payment before the date shown to confirm your space. You can pay online using credit/debit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay. You can also pay by check or bank transfer using the details provided on the booking form. You must complete a booking form for each child attending the lessons.

Your child should wear swimwear that they are comfortable and confident in. We will not stop any child from swimming due to their choice of swimwear, unless it is dangerous. When choosing swimwear, please consider the following:
Long sleeve swimsuits can help with outdoor swimming and modesty but they aren’t ideal for indoor swimming lessons. They cause a lot of drag in the water and also don’t keep children any warmer in the pool. It can actually make them feel colder when outside of the pool due to the damp clothing around their body.
Baggy shorts are not ideal for swimming lessons as the pockets fill with water and inflate the shorts behind the swimmer creating a drag in the water which makes it harder to swim.
Bikinis don’t always fit that well and cause a distraction for children trying to adjust them whilst swimming.
Wet suits with built in buoyancy will assist your child in the water but create a false sense of their swimming ability and your child will not swim as well if they find themselves in a situation where they are not wearing the suit.

The best swimwear for boys is above the knee tight shorts. These are made of a proper swimming material and minimise drag.
The best swimwear for girls is a double strap swimsuit or a boy leg swimsuit. These are also made of a proper swimming material and minimise drag.
It is best to avoid adding a swim top.

Goggles are not necessary for beginners as they won’t be putting their face in the water very much as part of the lesson. They are usually more of a distraction than a benefit. Once your child progresses to the more advanced group, goggles are useful. These should be good quality, one-piece goggles. Large scuba diving type goggles are not suitable and goggles with lots of parts which can become detached are to be avoided.
Please see the examples below.

We have a maximum of 12 children in the beginners class with one teacher and two assistants in the water with them. We have a maximum of 10 swimmers in the more advanced classes with one teacher on the side.

Each class is 30 minutes long.

We run our own awards and distances scheme that your child will be tested for through the term as they develop new skills. You will have the opportunity to purchase certificates for your child’s achievements when they are awarded them at the end of each term.
Visit out awards and distances page to learn more.

We welcome children from around 4 years old. If you are unsure whether your child is ready, please get in touch and we can advise based on their age and confidence in the water.

We run lessons at two locations. Our Saturday lessons take place at St. Edwards Primary School in Romford, which has a shallow pool. Our weekday lessons are held at Coopers Co. & Coborn School in Upminster on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings. Both venues have a viewing area so parents can watch their child's lesson and are convenient for families from Romford, Hornchurch, Gidea Park, Upminster, Cranham, Harold Wood and the surrounding Essex area.

Paddlers Swim School has been providing children's swimming lessons for over 30 years. Many of the children who started with us as nervous non-swimmers have gone on to swim competitively for local clubs.

You can add your child's name to our waiting list by contacting us using the form below. Please let us know your preferred location, day and your child's age. We will get in touch as soon as a place becomes available.

We are unable to offer refunds or replacement lessons for missed sessions. If a lesson is cancelled by Paddlers, this will be reflected in the term fee.

For our non-swimmer and beginner groups (Class 1) we have a teacher and two assistants in the water with the children throughout the lesson. This gives children more confidence and allows our teachers to demonstrate and guide them more easily.