Parkside swimming lessons or elsewhere?

[frazzled09]

Hi

DS is nearly 3 now. After dithering about and not bothering with baby swimming lessons, I do now want him to start lessons (up to now he's just going with me). Parkside seem to be the cheapest, has anyone used them?

He is a shy child and I don't want him to be put off swimming by me choosing the wrong lessons (I know he'll get over the shyness, but it'd help to have a patient teacher).

I can't pay more than about £6 a week, so a lot of the private providers are out of my price range; but I'd be very grateful to hear any opinions or recommendations of any swimming lessons in Cambridge please.

My sons have lessons at Abbey Pool. It's run by the same company as Parkside. My eldest wouldn't even dip his mouth under the water when he started. He's now doing a confident crawl and backstroke, and spend most of his time dipping himself under. He loves it! My youngest is having a whale of a time, and is also doing really well. I think the pre-schooler lessons are on Mondays, although they may do weekends too. The two teachers the boys have had so far have been fantastic. Lots of my friends' children go to the same lessons.

Hooferoo, I have just been googling trying to find details of lessons at abbey... do you know were I can find information?

My kids have used Seals Swimming and I've found them great. They cost about £80 for a term, so £8 a lesson. This is obviously more than £6 a session, but Seals lessons only happen during term time, unlike Parkside, which I believe run constantly, so over the course of a year, you'd probably pay less. If you're after value for money, IMO Seals is much better. Your kid will spend more time actually practicing swimming (no hanging around, kids are practicing for the whole 30 mins) and so you will end up paying less in the long run. Seals will only take them from 3 1/2 though.

Thanks, am confused.. is seals swimming at abbey pools?

Thanks. I had seen Seals but had assumed it was too pricey, but hadn't thought to do the annual cost as a comparison; thanks for giving my brain a kick-start!

NeverKnowinglyUnderstood: Abbey pools is owned by everyoneactive so if you go to their website, you can select the centre. Unfortunately the swimming lesson times/costs aren't online, I think you can only get them by phoning up.

Also worth looking at Chesterton Sports Centre which is meant to be good, and IMpington Village sports Centre. Both of those do term time lessons. IVC is £68 for 14 week term. Only down side with CSC is that you have to queue up on a specific day to first get into lessons and i think IVC have a long waiting list. Both my 2 dds enjoy their lessons at IVC.

Another vote for Seals here, and as Neolara says, you do pay less overall as lessons are ony in term time. There are 6-8 children in each class, and one teacher plus an assistant. My ds didn't start regular lessons with seals until he was almost 4, but he did a couple of their 'crash courses' before that. They run during sch hols and the kids attend for 30 mins every day for a week. Seals reckon they make more progress doing this, alongside regular swimming with mum or dad for fun, than in weekly lessons at 3.

While we're on swimming, can i hijack the thread to ask where people send their older swimmers to learn/train? DD1 (8) is almost at the top of her lessons and we can't do the new time for the class she has just moved up to. She can swim well and it seems a shame to stop. Thanks.

We go the Leys - which is OK - some teachers better than others.

Hi there,

We go to Swimply the Best. It's a private pool, just past Duxford. It's a little drive from Cambridge but I think it's worth it. There is only 1 group in the pool at a time, which is nice if shyness is an issue, and there are only 3 of us in our group. The classes run term-time and cost £60 for 10 weeks. I go to a baby class with my 8 month old, but they also run classes for pre-schoolers and children. They can be Googled for more info x

Seals are at the Grove School and Linton. Would also recommend them.

Another Seals mum here. My two have progressed in leaps and bounds.

My son is 8 and goes to Parkside, which he loves as he was not confident and his feet still touch the floor. He has made huge progress in a very short time and is incredibly confident now.
Nosleep - maybe Chesterton as it is deep so more of a challenge.

hi, does anyone know of swimming lessons locally for children with mild disability. Oarkside say they are not sure they can cater for DS. He is beginning to learn to swim, but can't walk!