The Swimtime Brand: A Journey of Excellence in Swimming Education

Swimming is a life skill that offers countless benefits for people of all ages—whether it's improving health, boosting confidence, or simply offering a fun way to stay fit. Yet, learning to swim, especially for children, can often feel intimidating without the right guidance.

From helping young children take their first splash to assisting adults in overcoming fears of the water, Swimtime has built a reputation for being a supportive, professional, and trustworthy swim school and we are beyond proud that Swimtime is a name that has become synonymous with excellence and quality swimming lessons across the UK.

Over the years, Swimtime has successfully carved out a reputation as one of the leading swim schools in the country, thanks to its commitment to delivering high-quality lessons for people of all ages and abilities. Whether you are a beginner, an advanced swimmer, or someone looking to refine your skills, Swimtime is the place to be.

In this blog post, we will take a closer look at Swimtime— our origins, our incredible journey, the loyal customers who have been with us for years, the benefits of joining Swimtime, our mission and values, and some of our key achievements. We will also explore why we believe Swimtime is the best swim school to be part of and how we continue to stand out in the crowd.

A Legacy of Excellence: How Swimtime Began

Swimtime was founded with in 1998 when founder Linda Price, a swimming teacher from Greater Manchester, and her husband Barry saw a gap in the market for a more personalized, high-quality approach to swimming education and had a clear vision. They understood that swimming is an essential life skill and their goal was simple: to create a swim school that could provide high-quality instruction for swimmers of all ages and abilities with an emphasis on safety, fun, and measurable progression, unlike many traditional swim schools.

Their exciting new brand began as a small operation, offering lessons in local community pools and gradually expanded as word of mouth and customer satisfaction led to an ever-growing client base.

From the very beginning, Swimtime focused on creating a positive learning environment where every swimmer felt supported, whether they were a nervous beginner or an experienced swimmer looking to improve technique.

After spending 20 years developing Swimtime from a start-up into a successful nationwide brand with 19 franchisees, Linda and Barry made the decision to move on from Swimtime and it was taken over in 2016 by Theo Millward.

On stepping down Linda and Barry said, “We are very proud of what we've achieved and it will of course be sad to not be a part of the daily running of the business.

However, we're confident that Theo is the best person to drive Swimtime forward and are pleased to hand over the reins to such an enthusiastic and competent business owner."

Linda and Barry remained on board as consultants during the handover period to ensure the smoothest transition for the franchisees, parents and swimmers, customer satisfaction and the continuation of the high standards they stood for being the top priority. Theo and his team have maintained a strong relationship with Linda and Barry and Linda remains a brand ambassador for Swimtime to this day!

Shrewsbury based Theo was formerly chief executive of the Swimming Teacher Association and already had years of high-level management experience in the leisure sector under his belt, and he had ambitious plans to invest significantly in new operations to help grow Swimtime into the thriving company it is today.

Fast forward to 2024 and Swimtime now has 35 franchise territories operated by 22 franchisees, hundreds of instructors with access to hundreds of pools across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and big plans to make the brand even bigger and better!

Since day one, Swimtime has operated under the guiding principle that learning to swim is not just about learning the strokes; it's about developing vital skills that last a lifetime within a fun and supportive environment which instils safety and confidence for all our learners. This enduring philosophy has made Swimtime the first choice for parents, schools, and individuals who are serious about honing their skills in the water.

Over the last two and a half decades, Swimtime has grown into a recognised and trusted name in the industry, offering fun, informative and engaging swimming lessons to thousands of swimmers nationwide every single day. From its humble beginnings to its current position as one of the UK’s most well-respected swim schools, Swimtime has always been committed to improving and evolving its services to meet the needs of its customers. This unwavering dedication to excellence has been the foundation of its success.

Brand overhaul; the big reveal!

Swimtime underwent a significant make over with a complete branding overhaul in 20**, introducing a whole new logo, colour scheme and mantra of “Safe. Fun. Success!” Not only this, we launched our own unique Learn to Swim programme with fun, whimsical aquatic characters created to lead swimmers through the stages of their swimming journey in a fun and engaging way. Allow us to introduce you…

The Swimtime Mission: More Than Just Swimming Lessons

Swimtime’s mission is simple: to provide high-quality, accessible swimming education that allows every swimmer to achieve their personal goals; whether that’s learning the basics and gaining water confidence, passing a swimming test, improving their technique, forging a pathway into competitive swimming or simply having fun in the pool.

The Swimtime approach to swimming education focuses on:

• Personalised learning: Each of our swimmers is treated as an individual, and lessons are tailored to suit their individual needs and goals. From complete beginners looking to learn foundation skills with no experience up to experienced swimmers looking to develop techniques or swim competitively, Swimtime offers a variety of lessons to suit all ages and abilities.
• Focussed opportunity: Lessons with Swimtime are delivered in smaller groups than our competitors. We believe this provides a more focussed learning experience for our swimmers, meaning they receive more attention and feedback from the teacher which supports a more streamlined learning journey.
• Fun and engaging lessons: At Swimtime, safety is at the forefront of our lessons, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be fun, right? Swimming lessons with our friendly, engaging teachers are not only educational but also lots of fun! Our teachers understand that a positive learning environment is key for success, and they work hard to ensure that each lesson is fun and interactive.
• Qualified and experienced teachers: All Swimtime swimming teachers are fully qualified, to a minimum of Level 2 in Swimming Teacing and bring a wealth of experience to their work. They are passionate about swimming and are dedicated to helping swimmers progress in their own way, at their own pace and that this is both supported and celebrated.
• Comprehensive range of services: Swimtime offers something for everyone, with our wide range of services that cater to each swimmers needs, including one-to-one lessons for a private, more focussed learning environment, group classes that provide peer support and social interaction, and intensive courses when you want to get things done as quickly as possible!

Swimtime Values

Engaging our communities

Recognising local interests – Embracing cultural diversity – Being part of the social fabric

Swimtime is about more than just swimming lessons; we are committed to giving back to the local and wider community wherever possible. Through collaborations with local schools, charities, and other organisations, Swimtime is making waves in making swimming accessible to as many people as possible. We have big dreams to provide swimming lessons for disadvantaged communities and may, for whatever reason, struggle accessing swimming lessons. Our goal is to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to learn to swim.

Socially responsible

Recognising the needs of individuals - Progressive attitude – Socially inclusive

Inclusivity and accessibility are key. With teachers specialising in disability swimming teaching, working with neurodivergent children and the entirely unique needs that comes with each person, working with nervous swimmers or those with extreme aquaphobia, Swimtime strives to provide a learning environment that can adapted to the needs of the individual, ensuring swimmers of all ages, abilities, backgrounds and cultures are given the same opportunity to learn swim.

Raising the standard

Committed to the individual’s potential – Setting the tone of our profession – Championing the highest standards

Our driving principal since the beginning has been that of the provision of excellence. Swimtime aims to be the example of quality, value, professionalism and inclusivity for all.

Swimtime family

Respecting the customer – Create long lasting relationships – Supporting and developing each other

We value each and every one of our customers and it means everything to us to be able to provide the best customer experience possible. At Swimtime, we actively seek feedback and interaction with our swimmers and their families which affords us the opportunity to evolve with the needs of the business. You speak, we listen.

Another integral part of the Swimtime family are our sensational swimming teachers, without whom we would be unable to deliver on our pledges. We strive to provide regular opportunities for our teachers and franchisees to have their say and share their thoughts on how best we can work together to achieve our collective goals as well as recognising their hard work and dedication to the cause.

Customer Stories: Why People Stay with Swimtime

One of the biggest reasons Swimtime has been so successful over the years is the loyalty and satisfaction of its customers. Many have been with Swimtime for years, returning year after year for their swimming lessons, regularly recommending Swimtime to their friends and family. These long-term relationships are a testament to the quality of the Swimtime experience.

Over the years, our expansion has been fuelled by customer satisfaction and consistent recommendations from parents and adults who had experienced the life-changing benefits of learning to swim with Swimtime.

Here is what just a few of our happy Swimtimers had to say about us...

Example 1: Lucy

Lucy and her family from London have been with Swimtime for over ten years. It all started when their eldest child, Lucy, was struggling to learn to swim. She had a fear of water and was hesitant about taking lessons. Her parents were desperate to find a swimming school that could help her overcome her fear in a calm and supportive environment. After hearing about Swimtime’s approach, they signed Lucy up for a one-to-one lesson.

The results were remarkable. Over time, Lucy not only overcame her fear of the water but became an accomplished swimmer. She has now moved on to more advanced lessons, and both of her younger siblings, Max and Sophie, are also enrolled in swimming lessons with Swimtime.

Lucy’s success story is just one example of how Swimtime’s personalized approach to learning can make a real difference. Lucy and her family continue to be loyal customers, and they’ve recommended Swimtime to countless friends and family members.

Example 2: Greg

Greg, a competitive swimmer, has been with Swimtime for the past 8 years. Although Greg was already a strong swimmer when he joined Swimtime, he wanted to refine his technique and work with a coach who could help him compete at a higher level. Greg’s experience with Swimtime has been nothing short of transformative.

Working closely with his Swimtime coach, Greg has successfully fine-tuned his stroke technique, improved his stamina, and is working towards his competitive goals. He attributes much of his success to the personalised attention and focussed feedback he has received from his coach. Now, Greg regularly competes in regional and national swimming events, and Swimtime remains a core part of his training plan.

Greg’s story highlights how Swimtime is not just for beginners—advanced and competitive swimmers can also benefit from its unique approach to delivering swimming education. Whether you're just learning the basics or striving for elite excellence, Swimtime’s adaptable lesson styles cater to swimmers of all ages and stages.

Example 3: Sarah and Tom

Sarah and Tom, parents of two children, first joined Swimtime when their son, Ben, was struggling with his swim school. His previous school didn’t offer the tailored support he needed, and he wasn’t progressing at the pace his parents had hoped he would. After switching to Swimtime, Ben quickly thrived in a more supportive and focussed learning environment and his parents were delighted to be able to follow his progress.

Within six months, Ben was swimming independently and confidently. Sarah and Tom were so impressed by Ben’s progress that they enrolled their daughter, Lily, in lessons as well. Both children are now passionate swimmers and love their lessons with Swimtime!

Example 4: Kevin

Another inspiring story is from Kevin, an adult swimmer who joined Swimtime in his late 30s in a bid to conquer his fear of water. Kevin had never learned to swim as a child and, after an accident in his teens, had developed a deep-rooted fear of water. With the help and support of Swimtime, Kevin gradually overcame his worries and learned to swim confidently.

Kevin’s story isn’t just about pushing through the fear; it’s about achieving something that many might deem unachievable. He says, “I came to Swimtime with great trepidation, but the instructors were so patient with me and they never made me feel embarrassed or uncomfortable. Now, I love swimming and regularly head to the pool”

Kevin's success shows how Swimtime's adult programs are not just for technique improvement, but also for emotional and psychological breakthroughs which often filters through into other aspects of life, providing a valuable boost in confidence and self-esteem.

These stories are just a snapshot of the many experiences that Swimtime has been privileged to provide over the years. Whether it’s helping children take their first strokes or assisting adults in overcoming personal challenges, Swimtime is there for it all.

Why Swimtime is the Best Swim School to Be a Part Of?

There are many swim schools and swimming programs available, but Swimtime stands out for a variety of reasons. Swimtime’s reputation for excellence stems from several factors that set us apart from the rest. Below are just a few of the key thing that make Swimtime the best choice for anyone looking to learn to swim, improve their skills, or become more confident in the water;

1. Personalized Attention and Customizable Lessons

At Swimtime, no two swimmers are the same. Swimtime offers a personalized approach to swimming lessons, ensuring that each student receives the individual attention they need to succeed. Whether it’s a one-to-one lesson for more focused instruction or small group sessions for a more social experience, Swimtime tailors its classes to the specific needs and abilities of each student.

This personalized approach means that students progress at their own pace, and instructors can adjust lesson plans based on a swimmer’s unique learning style, goals, and challenges.

One of Swimtime’s distinguishing features from other swim schools is its dedication to personalizing each lesson. We understand that no two swimmers are the same—each has unique needs, progress, and challenges. Whether it's a young child starting to swim or an adult trying to improve their technique, Swimtime offers one-on-one and small group lessons that cater to each individual’s pace and style of learning. This individualized approach ensures that every swimmer receives the attention they need to succeed and build confidence in the water.

2. Highly Qualified and Passionate Instructors

Swimtime’s instructors are the backbone of the school. All instructors are fully trained and accredited by the industry’s leading governing bodies, including Swim England and the ASA (Amateur Swimming Association). Many instructors have years of experience in teaching swimming, and most are passionate about the sport and dedicated to creating a positive, fun, and safe environment for their students.

What makes Swimtime’s instructors stand out is their ability to connect with students and make swimming enjoyable. They understand that learning to swim can be challenging, so they make sure that every lesson is engaging and tailored to the individual’s needs. They are patient, encouraging, and skilled in using different teaching methods to cater to different types of learners.

Swimtime’s instructors are the backbone of the brand’s success. We employ a team of highly trained, qualified, and passionate swimming instructors who are committed to the success of every swimmer they teach. Our instructors are not only skilled in swimming techniques but also trained to create positive and supportive learning environments.

Each instructor undergoes continuous professional development, ensuring they stay up-to-date with the latest teaching methods, safety protocols, and training techniques. Whether working with children, adults, beginners, or competitive swimmers, Swimtime’s instructors are able to adapt their teaching methods to suit the needs of every swimmer.

3. Wide Range of Programs for All Ages and Abilities

Swimtime offers a comprehensive range of swimming programs for all ages, from babies as young as six months to adults who want to improve their technique or get fit. Our approach is highly individualized, with lesson plans tailored to meet the unique needs of each swimmer. The school also offers lessons for children, teenagers, and even adults looking to refine their strokes, train for competitions or overcome water phobias. Whether you're learning to swim for the first time or you're an experienced swimmer aiming for perfection, Swimtime offers a program that suits your needs.

The Swimtime program also includes a robust progression system, allowing students to track their improvements through their individual achievements. This helps swimmers set goals and gain a sense of accomplishment as they advance through the levels.

For young children, we offer baby and toddler swimming classes, following Tabitha and Terry Turtle and Polly Prawn through the foundation stages of our bespoke Learn to Swim Program which are designed to introduce water play, encourage motor skill development, and promote safety around water with the support of parents in the water. These lessons are fun and interactive, with a focus on building water confidence and making the experience enjoyable.

For older children and adults, Swimtime provides more structured lessons that focus on the swimmer moving from being dependent on floats and swimming aids to building strong foundations, water safety skills and being able to swim independently having developed techniques in the four main strokes: freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly. Whether you're working on your stroke technique, improving endurance, or preparing for a triathlon, Swimtime provides the right training at every level.

For adult learners, including those with a fear of water (aquaphobia), Swimtime offers overcoming fear and confidence building lessons. These lessons are carefully structured to ensure each individual swimmer feels supported and safe while progressing at their own pace. We understand how overwhelming learning new skills later in life can be, but we are passionate about swimming being a skill for everyone, a skill that allows you to be confident in your ability to be safe and have fun when in aquatic environments with friends and family.

4. A Focus on Safety

At Swimtime, safety is our number one priority. Every instructor is fully qualified to teach and trained in CPR and first aid. Our lessons adhere to the highest standards of safety, teaching an awareness of safety in and around the pool from the very beginning.

Swimtime's swimming schools are fully insured, and we work closely with our venues to ensure the facilities are suitable for purpose; safe, clean, and well-maintained.

In addition to pool safety, we teach children water safety skills that can help prevent accidents at home or when playing near open water. We emphasize the importance of safety both in and out of the water, which is something that sets Swimtime apart from other swim schools.

5. Innovative teaching techniques and resources

Swimtime has pioneered several innovative teaching methods designed to make swimming easier and more enjoyable and enhance your learning experience. From underwater video analysis to games, visual aids, floatation devices and specialized equipment where needed, Swimtime’s lessons are designed to be as interactive and effective as possible. This emphasis on innovation allows Swimtime to stay at the forefront of the swim education industry and offer the best possible experience for students.

6. Flexibility and convenience

Another standout feature of Swimtime is its flexibility. The school offers lessons at various locations across the UK, and parents can often choose from a range of days and times to suit their schedules. For busy families, Swimtime’s flexible approach to lesson scheduling makes it easy to fit swimming lessons into a hectic lifestyle.

Swimtime understands that life is busy, and scheduling swimming lessons shouldn’t be a burden. That’s why we offer flexible class schedules, including after-school lessons, weekend options, and even private lessons for those who want more one-on-one time with an instructor. Whether you are a busy parent or an adult with a demanding work schedule, Swimtime provides lessons at times that fit your life.

Additionally, we offer lessons in a wide range of locations across the country, meaning that you are never too far from a Swimtime swimming pool. This wide availability allows us to cater to swimmers from all backgrounds and locations, ensuring that swimming lessons are accessible for everyone.

7. Local businesses

Swimtime is a franchise business. Put simply, this means Swimtime sells the right to an individual, the franchisee, to market and/or trade products and services in a specific area or territory.

Whilst our network of franchisees collectively represents the Swimtime brand, we embrace the individuality of each of them and what they bring to the table. With a wealth of experience in teaching (swimming and otherwise), management, sales, hospitality and much more between them, Swimtime reaps the benefits of this collaboration of minds and we grow together.

Key Achievements of Swimtime

Over the years, Swimtime has achieved significant milestones and recognition in the swimming community. Some of the key achievements that showcase Swimtime's commitment to excellence include:

Industry leading technology

SwimCloud is our bespoke, innovative digital platform, designed to manage every aspect of the customer journey from booking to delivery, including a simple to use online customer portal where parents can follow their swimmer’s progress, and manage their bookings and payments quickly and easily. It also manages all communication, payment, teacher planning, lessons, child attainment, Health and Safety requirements from an administrative perspective too!

Although every single one of the Swimtime team contributed to our success, special credit goes to our talented Digital Projects Manager, Ryan Brown, who masterminded the design, development and implementation of SwimCloud.

It really has revolutionised the way we run our business and transformed our customer experience - we think it’s pretty special!

”Our Swimcloud platform is truly groundbreaking, delivering a world class digital experience to our customers and swimmers helping us teach some 20,000 learners every week. We are the first in our sector to deploy such advanced technology including Machine Learning; to see the implementation and our results be recognised against such an outstanding field of major companies, many with vast budgets was a true honour and something neither I or my team will forget in a hurry.”

Awards and recognition

Best Swim School: Swimtime has won several awards for being the best swim school in the regions where we operate. These accolades are a direct result of our commitment to quality teaching, customer satisfaction, and safety.

Digital Experience Award: Swimtime were over the moon to be nominated for awards which celebrate digital excellence and innovation, recognising the ways digital technology is used to enhance customer experience. We came away the proud winners of not one, but two, Digital Experience Awards in 2019! At a glittering awards ceremony in London, we won Gold in the Transport, Leisure and Tourism category as well as being crowned the Overall Winner on the night. When you’re competing against such prolific household brands as Sky, BT, Virgin Trains and EE, that’s no mean feat for a growing British franchise!

WorkBuzz: Swimtime is extremely proud to have just won 5 stars on the latest WorkBuzz survey for the fifth time in a row! We have achieved this esteemed accreditation nine times in total over recent years and we intend to continue the winning streak into the future! This proves that, not only are we dedicated to the success and satisfaction of our customers, but also our franchisees and employees.

Customer satisfaction

We consistently receive high ratings from customers, particularly for the progress swimmers make in our classes and the professionalism of our instructors. Many parents choose Swimtime because they trust us with the development of their children's swimming abilities.

National growth

Starting as a small operation, Swimtime now has a strong presence in multiple areas across the UK, offering swimming lessons in hundreds of pools. Our continued expansion demonstrates the demand for high-quality swim education and our ability to deliver excellent results.

Affiliations and collaborations

Swimtime is proud to be a founding member of ISSA (International Swim School Association), a non for-profit organisation committed to teaching the world to swim. By supporting swim schools to play their part in reducing the number of people that drown or are affected by drowning each year. By bringing swim schools together from around the world, we can champion best practice, collaborate and improve water safety for all.

ICAP (Institute of Children’s Activity Providers) is a professional membership body for the children’s activities sector; supporting providers through advice and thought leadership, best practice and compliance and education and networking, championing and promoting collaboration in the industry. Swimtime is proud to be a part of the collaborative efforts of this industry driving network.

Skilltime is Swimtime’s in house training academy. With Group Qualifications Manager, Joan O’Sullivan, at the healm, Skilltime provides training courses in swimming teaching as well as first aid, health and safety, education and training and much more to both our Swimtime teachers and the wider community across the UK.

Conclusion: Why Swimtime is the Best Swim School for You

Whether you are looking for a swim school for your child, seeking to improve your technique, or overcoming a fear of water, Swimtime offers a comprehensive, safe, and enjoyable swimming education for all. Our personalized approach, expert instructors, and unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction make us the best choice for swimmers of all ages and abilities.

We’ve built a lasting legacy of trust, excellence, and customer loyalty that speaks to the success and impact of our programs. With over 20 years of experience, Swimtime continues to set the standard for quality swimming education in the UK.

Join the Swimtime family today and start your journey towards becoming a confident, capable swimmer — just like thousands of satisfied swimmers who have been part of our community for many years.