Why Swimming Is the Strongest Market in Children's Activities

Swimming is unique among children's activities because it is both a sport and a survival skill. Parents do not just want their children to swim. They need them to. This creates consistent, year-round demand that is less sensitive to economic conditions than almost any other activity.

According to Swim England, around one in three children leaves primary school unable to swim 25 metres, the National Curriculum standard. This gap between parental aspiration and school provision creates an enormous market for private swimming schools.

Swim England Affiliation

You do not legally need to be affiliated with Swim England (the national governing body), but in practice it is essential. Affiliation gives you:

Indoor swimming pool with clear blue water and lane markers — Finding the right pool facility is one of the most important decisions when starting a swim school

Access to the Learn to Swim programme and its nationally recognised framework of Stages 1-7 (plus pre-school stages)
Insurance cover through Swim England's block policy (public liability, professional indemnity, and personal accident)
Use of the Swim England brand and quality mark
Access to CPD training and development opportunities
DBS checking services
A listing in the Swim England pool finder, which is a source of organic enquiries

The annual affiliation fee is modest (currently around £120-£200 for a swim school, plus per-member fees), and the credibility it provides is worth many times the cost.

Qualifications You Need

To teach swimming in the UK, you need at minimum:

Swim England Level 2 Teaching Swimming: This is the industry-standard qualification for teaching children and adults. It replaced the old ASA Level 2. The course takes around 6-8 days plus assessment and costs approximately £300-£500.
Level 1 Teaching Aquatics: A prerequisite for Level 2 or a standalone qualification for assistant teachers.
National Rescue Award for Swimming Teachers and Coaches (NRASTC): A poolside rescue qualification. Many pools require this before allowing you to teach. It must be renewed every two years.
First aid certificate: STA or equivalent, renewed every three years.
Enhanced DBS check with children's barred list.
Safeguarding and Protecting Children course (available through Swim England).

If you plan to teach babies and toddlers (a lucrative market), additional qualifications are available, such as the STA Baby and Pre-school certificate or Water Babies/Puddle Ducks franchised training (if going the franchise route).

Finding and Securing Pool Time

Pool access is the biggest challenge for new swimming schools and will likely be your largest cost.

Types of Pool Access

Local authority leisure centres: The most common option. You hire lane time or whole-pool time. Costs vary enormously by area, from £30-£80 per hour for lane hire to £100-£300+ per hour for exclusive use of a pool.
School pools: Many primary and secondary schools have pools they are willing to hire out during evenings and weekends. Often cheaper than leisure centres, with less competition for slots.
Private pools: Hotels, health clubs, and private estates sometimes hire out pool time. Premium pricing but often a better teaching environment.
Your own facility: Purpose-built teaching pools (typically smaller and warmer than public pools, around 12-15m x 6m, heated to 30-32 degrees Celsius) are the gold standard but require significant capital investment.

Pool Requirements for Teaching

Water temperature: 28-30 degrees Celsius for children's lessons, 30-32 degrees for babies and toddlers
Depth: Ideally a range from 0.6m to 1.5m for a general teaching pool
Changing facilities: Adequate and accessible, including family changing where possible
Poolside access: Sufficient space for equipment storage, parent viewing where appropriate, and emergency access

Teacher-to-Student Ratios

Swim England recommends the following maximum ratios:

Babies and toddlers (with parent in water): 1 teacher to 12 pairs
Pre-school (3-5 years, without parent): 1 teacher to 4 children
Beginners (school age): 1 teacher to 6 children
Improvers: 1 teacher to 8-10 children
Confident swimmers / squads: 1 teacher/coach to 12-20 swimmers

These ratios directly affect your pricing and profitability. Beginner classes have lower ratios (higher instructor cost per child) and should be priced accordingly.

Curriculum and Progression

The Swim England Learn to Swim Pathway is the most widely used framework and the one parents recognise. It runs from Discovery stages (water confidence for babies) through Stages 1-7 (non-swimmer to competent swimmer) and into the competitive and synchro pathways.

Children taking a swimming lesson with their instructor in a pool — Small group swimming lessons allow instructors to give each child individual attention

Using a recognised framework gives you:

A clear structure parents can understand and follow
Defined assessment criteria for each level
Certificates and badges that motivate children (Swim England provides these)
A basis for grouping students by ability rather than age

Track every student's progress systematically. AMES includes skill tracking and assessment features specifically designed for swimming schools, so instructors can record progress poolside and parents can see their child's development through the parent portal.

Pricing Your Swimming School

Swimming lessons command premium pricing compared to most other children's activities, reflecting the essential nature of the skill and the high venue costs.

Group lessons (30 minutes): Typically £8-£15 per child depending on location and class size
One-to-one lessons (30 minutes): £20-£40, sometimes higher in London and the South East
Baby swimming (30 minutes): £10-£18, often at the higher end because of the warm water and specialist instructor requirement
Intensive courses (4-5 consecutive days): £50-£80 per child, popular during school holidays

Most swimming schools sell in term blocks (10-14 weeks) with payment upfront, or offer monthly direct debit. Block booking gives you predictable cash flow and higher attendance rates.

Actionable Takeaways

Register with Swim England now and enrol on the Level 2 Teaching Swimming course if you do not already hold it.
Approach at least five venues for pool hire. School pools are often overlooked and can offer the best value.
Calculate your cost per lesson slot carefully, factoring in pool hire, your time, insurance, equipment, and Swim England fees. Price above this with a margin that sustains your business.
Set up your booking system before you launch so that your first enquiry can convert to a booking immediately.