Question 1

1. Who Designed the Program?

Accepted Answer

Was the swim program developed by expert swimmers who understand modern, efficient technique?

Swimming technique evolves. The most effective schools are built on current, evidence-based methods — not outdated habits.

Question 2

2. Instructor Quality Matters

Accepted Answer

Look at who the school recruits as instructors.

Many swim schools require only a basic swim teaching qualification (often a weekend course plus limited practical hours). That qualification allows someone to supervise children safely — but it does not necessarily mean they deeply understand swimming technique.

Swimming is biomechanically complex.

To teach it well, instructors must:

• Understand technique at a high level
 • Be able to communicate complex movements in simple language
 • Recognise and correct subtle errors early

At Speed with Style, we only employ current or former squad swimmers who have trained at high levels. They have accumulated hundreds — often thousands — of hours of training themselves. They understand technique deeply and can communicate it clearly.

Question 3

3. Small Class Sizes (What Does “Small” Actually Mean?)

Accepted Answer

Many swim schools advertise “small classes.”

But what does that actually mean?

In our experience, anything above four children per class becomes significantly harder to teach effectively and turns into crowd control.

We guarantee a maximum of four children per class.

This allows:

• More individual correction
 • More feedback
 • Faster progress
 • Greater safety

Question 4

4. Are Children Being Taught Properly?

Accepted Answer

Take a moment to observe swimmers at your current school.

Some of the most common technical issues we see from children coming from other swim schools include:

a) 'Windmilling' Freestyle

Arms simply going around and around with no controlled catch or smooth stroke.

This is exhausting and inefficient and makes it very difficult to swim longer than 50m comfortably.

b) Head Too High in Freestyle

Breathing forward instead of to the side, which disrupts body position and causes children to run out of breath.

c) Poor Body Position

Not swimming flat and stable in the water (both freestyle and backstroke), which creates drag and makes swimming much harder than it needs to be.

A flat, stable body position should be taught from beginner level.

These are just the major issues we commonly see — and they make swimming significantly more difficult and less safe.

Question 5

5. The Level System

Accepted Answer

Most swim schools operate using a rigid level system.

While this seems organised, it often slows progress.

Here’s why:

a) One Small Skill Can Hold Everything Back

If a child fails one element, they often repeat the entire level — even if other strokes are progressing well. This wastes valuable learning time.

b) Frustration and Demoralisation

Children frequently get stuck in levels for long periods. We have seen children stuck for one, two, even three years. This can reduce motivation and enjoyment.

c) Changing Teachers Frequently

Moving levels usually means changing instructors. Each teacher may interpret technique slightly differently, reducing consistency and slowing neural development.

Our Approach

We do not use a traditional level system.

Children remain with one instructor, ensuring consistency and strong skill development.

If a child struggles in one area, we continue progressing the rest of their strokes while working on the weaker skill — so no learning time is wasted.

Progress is typically obvious. However, if you ever have questions, you are welcome to speak with a supervisor during your child’s lesson. We are always happy to provide feedback.

Question 6

6. It Should Still Be Fun

Accepted Answer

Safety is the priority.

But there is no reason children cannot develop a genuine love of swimming.

When children:

• Are taught properly
 • Feel competent
 • See progress
 • Receive encouragement
 • They enjoy swimming more.

Look at your child during lessons. Are they engaged? Are they improving? Are they being corrected thoughtfully?

If you’re unsure, visit Speed with Style and apply this checklist to us.

We’re confident you’ll see the difference.

What To Look For In A Swim School