AquaSkills at Croydon High School
AquaSkills runs pay-per-lesson group and private swimming lessons for children from 4 upwards and adults, in the pool at Croydon High School in Selsdon, six days a week plus Sunday private lessons.
Who it suits
Parents in South Croydon and Selsdon whose child is old enough for named ability levels rather than a baby class, and adults who want evening 1-to-1 or small-group coaching rather than a set-price term.
Why it stands out
- Instructors are in the water for every Non-Swimmer and Beginner class rather than teaching from poolside
- Lessons are priced by length and format rather than a flat termly fee, so a 30 minute group lesson is £13 but a 90 minute Elite session is £18
- Levels run from Beginner 1 through to Elite 2, described on site as working towards a 1600m set and starts and turns ready for competition
- Small group private lessons are capped at three children per instructor, at £21 per child for 30 minutes
- Adults get a dedicated Tuesday evening Width Session as well as 1-to-1, 2-to-1 and 3-to-1 slots on Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Our verdict
AquaSkills suits a child who already needs proper stroke-by-stroke progression, not a first splash, since Beginner 1 is written for four year olds who cannot yet swim unaided rather than babies or toddlers. Paying per lesson rather than a lump termly fee is unusual and worth it if your child's attendance is patchy. Do not book expecting a cheap adult group option, since the only non-private adult slot is the Tuesday Width Session; every other adult booking is 1-to-1, 2-to-1 or 3-to-1 and priced like private coaching, from £23 to £46 a session.
What it is
AquaSkills is a small, family run swim school that trades as Aquaskills Limited and teaches its main programme in the pool at Croydon High School, a private girls’ school off Old Farleigh Road in Selsdon. It is not the same business as the similarly named Aqua Skills Swim School that partners with Croydon Sports Club elsewhere in the borough, so it is worth checking the venue before you book if you have seen both names mentioned. At Croydon High School, AquaSkills runs six days of after-school and weekend classes plus Sunday morning private lessons, covering everything from a child’s first structured lesson at four years old through to Elite squads training towards a 1600m set with competition starts and turns.
Who should book
This is for a child who is ready to be placed on a named ability ladder, Beginner 1 through Elite 2, rather than a loosely graded toddler splash session. Instructors get in the water for every Non-Swimmer and Beginner class, which matters if your child is nervous rather than simply new to lessons. Adults are catered for too, but only through 1-to-1, 2-to-1 and 3-to-1 slots or the Tuesday evening Width Session, so this is not the venue for a cheap weekly adult group class.
What stands out
The pricing structure is the most distinctive thing about AquaSkills. Instead of a termly package, every format has its own per-lesson rate published on the site: £13 for a 30 minute group lesson, up to £18 for a 90 minute Elite session, and £21 to £84 across the private and small-group options depending on length and how many children share the instructor. That transparency, band by band, is rare among the local alternatives, most of which only quote a price once you start a booking or enquiry. The venue itself runs most days of the week, with Beginners and Intermediates on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Advanced and Elite squeezed in around them, and Saturday mornings given over almost entirely to Beginners and Intermediates before an evening Advanced and Elite session.
The verdict
Book this if your child needs real technique work rather than water confidence for a baby, and if you would rather pay lesson by lesson than commit to a term up front. It is a weaker fit for a nervous adult beginner looking for a low-cost group class, since the only shared adult session is the Tuesday Width Session and everything else is priced as private coaching. Families with a child under four should also look elsewhere, since Beginner 1 assumes basic movement skills are the starting point, not a first-time-in-water baby class.