❊ Swimming Lessons in Patcham
Lessons for children and adults in Patcham, Brighton
Structured, safety-first swimming lessons at Patcham High School pool. We teach children from 4.5 years and adults of all abilities — in small groups with experienced, qualified teachers.
👶 Children from 4.5 years
Non-swimmer through to advanced
🏊 Adults all abilities
Beginner, improver or recreational swim
👥 Maximum 9 per group
Three ability lanes per session
📍 Patcham High School pool
Mon–Fri, term time only
❊ Children’s Lessons
Children’s swimming lessons in Patcham for every level
Every child starts where they are and progresses at their own pace. Each level has a clear structure, defined goals and recognised awards.
Level 1 · 30 minutes · £8.00/lesson
Non-Swimmer 🐣
From first splash to 10m independently
What we cover
Building water confidence with an aquaplane float
Swimming on front and back with float support
Float removed once swimmer is ready
10m independently on front and back to progress
Introduction to front paddle and back float
Who it's for
Children from 4.5 years old
Must be comfortable standing in 0.9m of water
Complete beginners and nervous swimmers
Children who need to rebuild water confidence
Our approach
Patience first — no child is rushed or pressured
Consistent teaching across all sessions
Maximum 9 children per group
Three ability lanes so children swim with peers at the same level
Parents kept informed of progress throughout
Awards at this level
Puffin
5m
Water Skills 1
10m
Level 2 · 30 minutes · £8.00/lesson
Beginner 🐥
Developing stroke technique and water skills
What we cover
Continued water skills development
Front crawl technique introduced and developed
Backstroke technique and arrow drills
Progression towards front crawl breathing
Advanced beginners work on breathing rhythm
Who it's for
Swimmers who can swim 10m independently
Children building stroke technique and confidence
Three ability sub-groups within each session
Moving up
Children progress to improver when they can swim 20m front crawl with correct breathing
Assessed regularly by their teacher
Moved up when ready — not by age or time
Awards at this level
15m
20m
Level 3 · 30 minutes · £8.00/lesson
Improver 1 🦆
Front crawl and backstroke development
What we cover
Front crawl breathing drills and rotation
Backstroke refinement
Rotation drills: 4 front, 4 back — increasing to 5, 6, 7, 8
Top groups begin circuit swimming
Moving up
Children progress to Improver 2 when they can swim 25m front crawl with correct breathing and backstroke independently
Awards at this level
25m
Level 4 · 45 minutes · £10.00/lesson
Improver 2 🦢
Breaststroke introduced plus water survival skills
What we cover
Breaststroke introduced and developed
Water skills further developed
Water survival skills
Swimming in clothes
The HELP position (Heat Escape Lessening Position)
Floating and treading water without goggles
Submerging and resurfacing
Personal survival techniques
RNLI water safety awareness
Awards at this level
50m, 100m, 200m
Water skills 2, 3, 4
Water safety 1 - 3
Level 5 · 45 minutes · £10.00/lesson
Advanced 🐧
Distance, stamina and challenge awards
What we cover
400m–1,000m per session
Stroke technique refinement across all four strokes
Stamina and speed development
Butterfly introduced — only at this level
Timed swims for Gold and Honours awards
Challenge awards
Bronze — 400m continuous swim plus skills
Silver — 800m plus skills and 100m in 3 min
Gold — 800m in 25 min plus 100m in 2:30
Honours — 1,000m in 20 min plus skills
Beyond advanced
Swimmers achieving Silver or above are eligible to become helpers from age 13+
Helpers learn to assist qualified teachers — the start of PWSG's teaching pipeline
PWSG is non-competitive — no galas or racing
Awards at this level
400m - 5,000m
Water Skills 5-6
Bronze, Silver, Gold, Honours
❊ Adult Lessons
Swimming lessons for adults in Patcham
Whether you've never swum before or just want to improve your technique, we offer adult sessions to suit every ability and goal.
Adult Session Times
Group tuition: Thursday 7:30–8:10pm · Friday 7:45–8:20pm
Recreational swim: Friday 7:45–8:20pm
👥 Group tuition
40-minute group sessions for adult beginners and improvers. A friendly, non-judgemental environment to learn and progress.
£14.00 per lesson
👤 1-to-1 tuition
35-minute private sessions for any ability level. Ideal for nervous swimmers or those with specific technique goals.
£12.00 per lesson
🏊 Recreational swim
Friday evening sessions for adults who swim independently and want pool time in a safe, supervised environment.
£6.10 per session
Ready to get started?
Adult enrolment
Complete our short online form and Rebecca will be in touch to confirm your place and provide payment details. All abilities welcome — just let us know where you're starting from.
❊ Water Survival
More than just strokes
Water is everywhere — pools, beaches, rivers, holidays. The ability to stay safe in it isn't just about swimming lengths. It's about staying calm, knowing what to do, and being able to help yourself and others.
At PWSG, water survival skills are woven into our teaching from the very first lesson. As swimmers progress to improver level they begin earning their Water Safety Awards — a three-level programme developed alongside the RNLI and Royal Life Saving Society.
This is what sets PWSG apart. We're not just teaching children to swim. We're teaching them to survive.
Water Safety Award 1
Awareness & basic survival
Basic water safety awareness and survival techniques — floating, treading water, submerging and resurfacing without goggles. Builds calm and control in the water.
Water Safety Award 2
Swimming in clothes
Swimming fully clothed, RNLI and RLSS safety messages, and the Heat Escape Lessening Position (HELP) — essential knowledge for cold water situations.
Water Safety Award 3
Open water self-rescue
Self-rescue in pool and open water situations, including falling in unexpectedly. The most comprehensive water safety skill a young swimmer can earn.
❊ Awards & Certificates
Something to work towards. Something to be proud of.
Every milestone is recognised with a certificate and badge. Our award pathway gives every swimmer clear goals and a real sense of achievement at every stage.
Rainbow Distance 🌈
5m through to 5,000m — A certificate and badge at every distance milestone.
Certificate + badge · £4.00
Water Skills 1–6 🏊
A progressive set of practical water skills, growing more challenging with each level. Covers floating, sculling, entries, treading water and more.
Certificate + badge · £4.00
Water Safety 1–3 🛟
Real-world survival skills from RNLI awareness through to full open water self-rescue. Earned at improver level and above.
Certificate + badge + pin · £4.50
Challenge Awards 🏅
Bronze, Silver, Gold and Honours — distance and timed swims for advanced swimmers. Rigorous, meaningful and worth earning.
Certificate + badge + pin · from £4.50
❊ Join PWSG ❊
Ready to get started
Check the timetable and prices, then enrol online — or get in touch if you'd like to find out more before committing.