City of Southampton Swimming Club
City of Southampton Swimming Club at Regents Park Community College
City of Southampton Swimming Club runs a weekly Advanced learn-to-swim class, Stage 8 to 10, in the school pool at Regents Park Community College for strong swimmers aged 7 and up.
Who it suits
Children aged 7 or over who have already finished Stage 7 elsewhere and want to keep progressing inside a real swimming club rather than a general leisure centre programme.
Why it stands out
- Entry requires a swimmer to have already completed Stage 7 and be at least 7 years old, so this is a continuation class rather than a starting point
- The school pool is 20 metres by 7 metres, 1.2 to 1.3 metres deep, heated to 32 degrees, with 4 lanes and steps at both ends
- Advanced lessons run a full 1 hour, double the 30 minutes given to most stage classes elsewhere
- A free trial lesson lets the club's coaches confirm a swimmer is actually ready for Advanced before they commit to the monthly fee
- The fee is published on the club's own site rather than sitting behind an enquiry form, and the club has already announced the April 2027 increase to £55.50
Our verdict
Worth booking once a child has genuinely finished Stage 7 and wants a proper hour of coaching a week rather than another 30 minute class; £54.50 a month is a fair rate for that, and it plugs straight into a real competitive swimming club rather than leaving a family to find the next step elsewhere. Do not book if your child is still working through the early stages, because this class will not take a Stage 1 to 7 swimmer, and the club does not publish pricing for those earlier stages on its site, so ask directly rather than assuming what they cost.
What it is
City of Southampton Swimming Club runs its Advanced Learn to Swim class, covering Swim England Stages 8 to 10, at Regents Park Community College’s school pool. This is not a general beginner programme: the club is better known for competitive training, and the Advanced class is the point where its Learn to Swim pathway hands swimmers over to that world, on a pool that is also the club’s main training venue.
Who should book
Children aged 7 and over who have already completed Stage 7, either through this club or elsewhere, and want to keep improving with a proper competitive club rather than staying in a leisure centre’s stage programme. It is not for a child who is still learning the basics. The prerequisite is stated plainly on the club’s site: Stage 7 completed, minimum age 7, and a free trial lesson is offered so the club’s coaches can check that before anyone commits.
What stands out
The pool itself is a real asset for this level of swimmer: 20 metres by 7 metres, four lanes, steps at both ends, and heated to 32 degrees, which is warmer than most competition pools and unusual for a school facility. The lesson length matches the level too, running a full hour rather than the 30 minutes typical of earlier stages. What is genuinely useful is that the club publishes the fee and the coming increase outright, £54.50 a month now, rising to £55.50 from April 2027, rather than leaving parents to find out at sign-up.
The verdict
For the right swimmer, an hour a week inside a competitive club’s own pool for £54.50 a month compares well with paying a private tutor for the same level of coaching. Do not book if your child has not finished Stage 7, because this class is a continuation point rather than a place to start, and do not expect to find out what the standard Stages 1 to 7 lessons cost from the same page, since that pricing is not published and needs a direct question to the club.