Learn to Swim

Norwich swimming lessons

swimming school lessons

About the Swim School

Swim Safe, Build Confidence, Create Lifelong Memories.

Swimming is a life skill that provides confidence, safety and lifelong enjoyment. Regular lessons can improve fitness, coordination and strength while giving both children and adults the skills to stay safe in and around water.

At Sportspark Swim School, our Learn to Swim programme offers a range of options to suit every swimmer:

  • Junior Group Lessons – build confidence and develop swimming skills in a fun, supportive group environment.

  • Adult Group Lessons – learn new techniques or refine your strokes in a friendly group setting.

  • Private Lessons – personalised coaching to focus on your specific goals and progress at your own pace.

Swimming lessons are not just about learning to move through the water; they help develop confidence, coordination, and personal safety, making them one of the most important life skills children and adults can gain.

Adult Swimming Lessons

  • Older lady in swimming lesson swimming breastroke.

    Be Water Confident

    For nervous swimmers or those new to swimming that want to improve confidence.

    This session is about gaining the confidence to enter the pool safely. It also covers the ability to move around the pool with confidence and to achieve basic core aquatic skills. These are entries, exits, buoyancy, balance and aquatic breathing.

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  • Older man swimming with floating aid in pool.

    Be a Swimmer

    Giving swimmers the skills necessary to start swimming independently over short distances without support or swimming aids.

    This session should give you the necessary skills to start swimming independently over short distances (5 to 10 metres). You won’t need support or floatation equipment.

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  • Man swimming a length of swimming pool.

    Be a Better Swimmer

    For those that can swim 25m or more and would like to improve technique and build on their stamina.

    This session should give you the ability to swim up to 400 metres independently. You’ll also have the confidence to try other pool activities, such as Aquacise or lane swimming.

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  • group of young women in pool hanging on to the edge.

    Be a Master Swimmer

    For avid swimmers looking to perfect their stroke techniques and explore all the strokes in depth, build and develop stamina for competitions and events.

    Having completed these sessions, you should be able to confidently enter the Masters section of a swimming club. It’s about more advanced swimming skills to enable you to compete at different levels and in different sports such as triathlon, open water swimming and lane swimming.

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Junior Swimming Lessons

Our Learn to Swim programme is divided into Stage 1 – 10 awards, designed to help your child develop the essential skills needed to be confident, competent, and safe in the water.

Each stage has clear learning outcomes, so you and your child can track their progress as they master new skills.

Please note that at this time we are not offering stages 8 – 10.

To see a full description of each stage and its outcomes, see the Swim England framework.

Group Session Timetable

Our Learn to Swim group lessons give both children and adults the opportunity to build confidence in the pool, learn new skills, and improve upon current skills and strokes.

Swimming Lesson Booking and Payment

Payment for participation is administered via Direct Debit, calculated on the annual amount split evenly across 11 months (with a payment break every August). Monthly payments will remain the same irrespective of the number of sessions carried out in that particular month.

  • All 30-minute courses: £28.25 per month

  • All 45-minute courses: £32.00 per month

Please note that payment on joining will fall in line with the deadlines and cut-off dates in place for our other Direct Debit payments. Full details can be found in our Terms and Conditions of Membership.

To register, all participants will need to complete a Direct Debit Instruction in person at reception during their initial registration. Continued participation requires a valid bank account with sufficient funds at all times. Unpaid amounts will effectively assign a leaver status to the participant, and the space may then be offered to someone on the waiting list.

Private Lessons

Private lessons are available for adults and children of all abilities at the Sportspark. For further details on private lessons including dates and times please contact our swim school coordinator via spswimschool@uea.ac.uk.

  • Male swim instructor and older lady standing in pool smiling at camera.

    1-1 Lessons

    £23.50 per 30-minute lesson | £47 per 60-minute lesson

    Payable in advance in blocks of 4, 8 or 12 sessions. Top ups can be made at Reception, by calling 01603 592398, or via the Home Portal. If top ups are not made before that date and time of your last session, you will need to rebook at Reception in-person or over the phone.

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  • two people swimming in the deep end of the pool

    1-2 Lessons

    £34.75 per 30-minute lesson | £69.50 per 60-minute lesson

    Payable in advance in blocks of 4, 8 or 12 sessions. Top ups can be made at Reception, by calling 01603 592398, or via the Home Portal. If top ups are not made before that date and time of your last session, you will need to rebook at Reception in-person or over the phone

    Enquire now

Course Closures

Working in line with the Swim England Learn to Swim framework these sessions will run largely in line with the Norfolk County Council term times over 38 weeks per year.

Payments will be made via a monthly Direct Debit (with a payment break in August each year).

Course Closure weeks:

  • 27 October - 2 November

  • 22 December - 4 January

  • 16 February - 22 February

  • 30 March - 13 April

  • 25 May - 31 May

  • 23 July onwards

Re-enrolments

Re-enrolments for each term will not be required and your child will retain their space for as long as they require it. If, due to a progression, the cost needs to be amended then a new direct debit form will need to be completed but all other details will remain constant.

Meet the Swimming Teachers

Our team of experienced and passionate swimming teachers are here to help swimmers of all ages and abilities gain confidence, improve technique, and have fun in the water. Get to know the people guiding your child (or you!) through every stage of their swimming journey.

Male swim teacher in front of pool with name tag reading Martyn.

Martyn Saul | Swim School Coodinator and Swimming Teacher

Speciality Area:

  • First time adult swimmers

  • Nervous swimmers and those with negative water experiences

  • Stages 1-4

Female swim teacher in front of pool with name tag Olivia

Olivia | Swimming Teacher

Speciality Area:

  • 1-1’s lessons

  • Group lessons

  • Child swimming

  • Stages 1- 4

Female swim teacher in front of pool with name tag Georgia

Georgia | Swimming Teacher

Speciality Area:

  • 1-1’s lessons

  • Group lessons

  • Child swimming

  • Stages 1- 4

Female swim teacher in front of pool with name tag Jo

Jo | Swimming Teacher

Speciality Area:

  • 1-1’s lessons

  • Group lessons

  • Child swimming

  • Stages 1- 4

Procedures and Home Portal

With the GoLearn Home Portal, keeping track of your child’s swimming progress has never been easier. We understand it can be tricky to catch your child’s teacher during lessons, so the Home Portal allows you to view and monitor progress from home at any time.

Teachers use the system to update each swimmer’s progress and provide feedback, showing clearly what skills have been achieved and what to focus on next. Parents can even manage multiple children using a single login.

You may notice our instructors using tablets or handheld devices during lessons – this helps them record attendance and progress efficiently, which is then visible in your portal.

The Home Portal also notifies you when your child is ready to move up a stage or earn a swimming award.

Additional features include:

  • Managing online payments and personal details

  • Viewing and accepting progression movements

  • Checking course history

  • Managing passwords

You’ll receive instructions on how to register and access the Home Portal when your child is allocated their swim stage and lesson time, via communication with our Swim Coordinator.

Contact Us

If you have any queries please feel free to contact us directly on:

Learn to Swim Coordinator – Martyn Saul spswimschool@uea.ac.uk

Office Number: 01603 593170

(office hours will vary, please use email if unable to reach via phone)

Sportspark, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7 TJ.

Please use either the Sportspark car park, or UEA car park (free after 16:30)

Frequently Asked Questions

Please see below questions we're frequently asked about our Swim School and Swimming lessons.

If you cannot find the answer to your question, please contact our Swim School directly at spswimschool@uea.ac.uk

Male swim instructor and older lady standing in pool smiling at camera.

No words can thank SP swim school enough for what you have done for me. You're the best.

I will never forget the first time I got in the pool on holiday and waited for my granddaughter to be handed to me. I felt relaxed and comfortable, remembering all the things you had taught me.

Swim School Student | Adult lesson

Children swimming on pool float.
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Learn to Swim