Ever wondered what makes us different to other baby and child swim schools?
We have spent many years carefully developing our progressive lesson plans; our teachers adapt activities to suit each child. Our baby-led swimming approach ensures that your child's needs are expertly fulfilled – never forcing development, but nurturing confidence and unlocking their potential to swim.
All our teaching is consistent with research developments in infant physiology and infant psychology and with technical advances in swimming. This not only keeps us ahead of the game, it means we have to be prepared to change when new developments are brought into the mix.
Getting babies and children to be comfortable and confident under the surface of the water is a key part of this progressive swimming journey. For a few years now, we have worked closely with Birthlight and the STA on the best and safest way to submerge children so that they feel empowered and never forced. The answer is simple; the child decides.
- Children love to mimic their parents; our little ones love to copy us. They initiate the activity when they are ready and it’s no surprise that this leads to independent swimming sooner than adult-led activities. We see babies as young as 8 weeks of age copy their parents by putting their mouths and faces in the water – the first step in swimming head down.
- Surface swims are lots of fun and they lead to independent swimming – our little ones glide through the water, gently supported by their parents. There is no pushing or pulling and the child decides whether they want to submerge themselves – which they often do!
- We have never forced our children under water – we have always used a signal, listened and looked for any negative reaction and stopped if necessary. Submersions are encouraged at every possible opportunity but no child is ever forced to go under the water. The end result is that the baby is relaxed, never put in a position where they feel uncomfortable or shocked and chooses to place their face in the water as and when they are ready.