Our aim at Dinkies Swim School is to provide a relaxed & welcoming environment where each baby/toddler is given the time to grow their confidence in the water at a pace which suits them.
Our lessons are a mixture of games and song based activities. Children learn through repetition and through sounds, linking actions to songs to enable them to learn the skills they need to swim. Our lessons are fun and friendly, and affordable for parents.
Upon purchasing your gift voucher you will receive an ‘E voucher’ each voucher has its own unique reference number which can then be used on our website to book lessons, each code can only be used once.
If you have any trouble with your voucher number please email your local Dinkies leader.
Thank you again for choosing Dinkies Swim School for your swimming lessons.
My LG had the best time ever. She usually takes quite a while to take to new places and groups but Kat made her feel comfortable from the start and she gained so much confidence in one lesson. The games that we did were great and made it feel like it wasn’t even a lesson at all.
Leanne WalkerKatrine is extremely professional, friendly & polite. My daughter thoroughly enjoyed her lessons and Katrina made her feel at ease at once. She is brilliant with young learners - highly recommend!
Kate GreenKate is a fab teacher. We love Dinkies and would highly recommend Dinkies for learning not only to swim but how little ones learn to be safe in the water.
Katherine RamshawMy daughter is 2 and a half years old and today managed to do roughly 20 seconds lying on her back with her neck on a noodle in a star fish position and jumped in from the side of the pool and kicked her way back up to the surface without me catching her!! I could cry at how well she does at swimming! Honestly Dinkies is the best money we spend all month! Absolutely fantastic instructors who get the best out of Emily every single week! Thank you!! Xx
Ashlee CairnsLovely friendly lessons. Kate is so patient, and it's lovely seeing my little boy gain confidence every week!
Elizabeth Middlingabsolutely love dinkies! I have been taking my daughter since she was a tiny dot. she's now 8 months old and loves nothing better than her swimming lesson on a Monday night. Kate is a brilliant instructor and Lorna's face lights up every week when she sees her. I have learned a lot too in regards to water safety and feel confident with Lorna in the water 😊
Becca NicoleI Absolutely recommend Dinkies Swim School! I’ve been going with my little boy since he was 5 months old and he is so confident in water which is unbelievable. Kate is amazing with the babies and so patient and reassuring with every new learning objective. We make sure to practice our swimming out of lessons too and Jonah always remembers what he was taught in class. If you’re thinking about swimming classes for your baby/ toddler/child please don’t hesitate booking in at Dinkies. You won’t regret it. 😁
Khanyie SowerbyCould not reccomend Dinkies Swim School enough! Especially Kate the swimming instructor. I was nervous when I first took my daughter swimming but that didn’t last long. Kate is so understanding and very patient, she is great with the little ones and always goes at their pace. My daughter is 1 and from start to finish she smiles and giggles (and so do I). It is such an interactive class and you start joining in with the songs because they are so catchy and addictive. My daughter has came on amazing since starting, she now loves going swimming.
Lisa CarianneCould not reccomend Dinkies Swim School enough! Especially Kate the swimming instructor. I was nervous when I first took my daughter swimming but that didn’t last long. Kate is so understanding and very patient, she is great with the little ones and always goes at their pace. My daughter is 1 and from start to finish she smiles and giggles (and so do I). It is such an interactive class and you start joining in with the songs because they are so catchy and addictive. My daughter has came on amazing since starting, she now loves going swimming.
Lisa CarianneI have 2 children in different sessions with Kate at Glendale and have been really impressed with their progression over a relatively short period of time. Very friendly sessions where they can develop at their own pace; would recommend
Laura MartinI have been going to Dinkies with my little girl for a few months now. I started when she was 7 months old but I wish I’d known about Sophie’s classes sooner. My baby absolutely loves her swimming sessions. Sophie is a fantastic teacher and we love all the little songs, & even sing them at home in the bath! I have recommended Dinkies to so many people as I think they are the best value around for swimming lessons! 💙
Grace ElizabethSophie has been so patient and kind with George. He was terrified of getting in the water his first session and 2 terms later he can't wait for his swimming lessons and his water confidence has improved so much. Have already recommended to family and friends.
Briony DochertyDinkies swim school are superb. Sophie is so friendly, makes the children relaxed and adapts the lessons to suit each child's ability. My daughter loves the lessons every week!
Angela HeapWe cannot recommend Sophie’s classes enough! My little boy absolutely loves Sophie and enjoys the lessons so much. We have been attending for over 9 months and my LB has grown so much in confidence and loves the activities with other babies 🥰 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Leah PiperThoroughly recommend Dinkies. Great teacher, very patient, lots of fun and all lessons adapted to different abilities. My son has really enjoyed his first term and I'm delighted with his progress with teacher Kate.
Hannah M-jWe have nearly completed our very first term and it's been brilliant. The team are friendly and made me feel welcome from our very first session. The sessions are fun and Oscar is loving them. he has never been swimming before and his confidence is growing each week. I can't recommend these classes enough. we can't wait for the next term already!
Carly DunnMy son looks forward to seeing Sophie each week. Sophie always gives us a warm welcome and her sessions are fun, professional and educational. Highly recommended ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sophie WalkerThank you so much for a wonderful lesson today. My daughters first swimming lesson back after an 18month covid break. She had a brilliant time and then had a lunchtime nap for the first time in weeks so mummy is pretty delighted as well!
Shona WoodBrilliant first lesson! Learnt so much already 💦
Steff MBWe have almost completed our first term with Dinkies and have loved every session!! Not only are the teachers brilliant but they also make each session fun, enjoyable and educational. Isla had never been swimming before starting and she is now confident in the water including wetting her face and going underwater. Can’t wait for our next term and learning loads of new skills. I would highly recommend taking all little ones to Dinkies to build water confidence and have fun doing it 🙌🏼
Abi WatsonKirsty has been an incredible mentor for Erin and helped her become confident in the water. Erin was terrified in the first few weeks and has had a phobia of water for a while to the point where a bath was a huge challenge. Now she loves the bath and she is becoming more and more confident every week in the pool. Kirsty’s delivery and patience is perfect to enable kids to learn at their own pace. Thanks for everything so far, and can’t wait to keep learning!
Stephen FarrellWe had our first Dinkies session with our just turned one year old this morning! She loved it! Thanks so much Kirsty! Looking forward to the rest of the term! Xx
Laura BarnettHighly recommend Dinkies. Great for little ones to learn to swim and also how to stay safe in the water. My little girl loves the classes, as do I. Friendly service from booking, queries and lessons and at a reasonable price too. So pleased dinkies is part of our week. Thanks Karen and dinkies team xx
Katherine RamshawThankyou so much Karen, Amelia is over the moon she is swimming by herself, best thing we did was joining your swim school, her confidence in the water is amazing! thanks again xx
Vicki GilmoreCan’t recommend Karen and dinkies enough. Ivy absolutely loves swimming lessons and is so confident and happy in the water! She loves the after swimming snacks too!
Georgia HollyToday was my first lesson with Thomas. Absolutely fantastic teacher who made us feel welcome and the content in the lesson was fab. I would recommend Dinkies to anyone who wants to get their babies in the water as soon as they can xx
Melanie YoungReally fun and structured lessons. Our instructor is great and there was no pressure to do anything my son wasnt comfortable with 😊
Amy BrownIt took us a long time to make a decision on where to take our 14 week old daughter for her swimming lessons. We definitely made the right choice. Kirsty took the time to message us and answer every question before we did our trial. We booked up for the term in the carpark straight afterward! We feel so comfortable following Kirsty’s instruction, she is kind and knowledgable. Thank you so much Kirsty!
Char RoseMy daughter absolutely loves attending Dinkies and is so comfortable with Kirsty! We are currently in our second term and I'm so glad we joined as she has come on so much in such a short space of time! Would definitely recommend anyone to try a Dinkies class!
Sam RaineMy daughter absolutely loves attending Dinkies and is so comfortable with Kirsty! We are currently in our second term and I'm so glad we joined as she has come on so much in such a short space of time! Would definitely recommend anyone to try a Dinkies class!
Sam RaineLessons are booked in monthly blocks and are a continuous roll. Lessons can be cancelled when your new invoice is emailed – which is usually 7 days before the next month starts and the payment is due to be taken. Once the money has been taken for the Direct Debit, Dinkies swim school no obligation to give any refund to a cancelled space.
If any sessions are missed throughout the term then unfortunately these can not be refunded or replaced. In order to keep our lesson cost as low as possible we ask for all lessons to be booked in monthly blocks this is to ensure that all our pool hire is paid for.
Not necessarily, NHS guidelines say babies can swim before they are vaccinated. Thousands of babies across the world have been taken swimming before being immunised. Babies can swim from only a few days old but please be mindful of the pool temperature, all pools we hire are at a temperature to keep babies safe and comfortable. Some local pools are below this so please check if you plan to take your little one swimming outside of our lessons.
This is a big moment in your child’s life. Either parent/guardian, or even grandparents can take your little one in to the pool. Please note that the person swimming with your child must be a responsible adult! Due to teacher/lifeguard : pupil ratios we can only allow one adult in to the pool at any one time – you are welcome to swap each week. Please check your booking email for more information on this or drop us a message / email. Your teacher can take photos of you and your little one in your first lesson as we know this is a big step for you all.
Classes can be booked through the website and are on a first come first served basis. Once you have a space in our lessons your space is yours until you tell us you no longer require it or your fees are not paid at the required date. We do have waiting lists for some of our classes, please click here to contact your local teacher and pop your name down on a waiting list.
We recommend trying to feed your child 2 hours before our swimming lessons to avoid upset stomachs when in the pool. Swimming can be thirsty work for your little ones so come prepared with a good snack and water for after! When taking my daughters swimming they used to love a banana after swimming!
All children must wear a disposable or reusable paper swim nappy underneath a neoprene nappy. To ensure our next class of Dinkies enjoy their visit, can you please ensure you always take away your used nappies!
All children who attend our lessons must wear a neoprene nappy cover until they have been toilet trained for over 1 year. Children who are toilet trained do not need to wear a disposable nappy cover however we do ask that the neoprene is worn just to be extra cautious so an accident does not happen. We know children do not wish to wear nappies after using the toilet so we recommend that you refer to your little ones’ neoprene as their ‘Swim Pants’.
Babies and toddlers often get colds. If you think they are fine within themselves and acting normally then they will be fine to swim. If they are not happy in themselves or have a high temperature then we don’t advise you to bring them along. If you are unsure what to do you can always contact your doctor.
Our lessons start at the allocated times given and last 30 minutes. So we don’t get overcrowded, we suggest arriving 15 minutes beforehand, leaving enough time to get changed and make your way to the poolside.
Here at Dinkies Swim School we are committed to looking after the safety of your child. We take every aspect of their safety very seriously. We aim to provide an environment in which all our Dinkies swimmers have a safe, positive, fun and interactive experience.
As you are aware, we need to hold information on file about our Dinkies swimmers and their parents/guardians. We take great care of your and your child’s data and won’t pass it to anyone who doesn’t need it. We take full responsibility for yours and your baby’s personal data at all times. See our data protection policy.
Hello there and Welcome to Dinkies Swim School. It has been a lifelong ambition to run baby swimming lessons for new-born babies and toddlers way before I had my children and started taking them swimming. I swam from a very young age and wanted my children to be confident around water the same as I am. I put both my children through local private swimming classes, as well as my husband and I taking them swimming at every chance we had and we loved every second of it. From seeing their shocked faces when we first put them under the water, to watching them confidently jump into the pool at such a young age on summer holidays is absolutely priceless.
Our aim at Dinkies Swim School is to provide a relaxed & welcoming environment where each baby/toddler is receiving the necessary time to grow their confidence in the water. This is at a pace which suits each individual whilst making it affordable for parents, many of whom are on maternity leave. Our lessons are a mixture of games and song based activities. Children learn through repetition and through sounds, linking actions to songs to enable them to learn the skills they need to swim. Our lessons are fun, friendly and very interactive. Within our lessons we teach children not only how to swim but how to stay safe in and around the swimming pool.
All of our teachers are trained to the highest standard and all take time out of their lesson to get to know you and your little one. More parents than ever are enrolling their infants in swimming classes, some at just a few days old. A recent survey by the Swimming Teachers’ Association (STA) showed an 84% increase in the number of babies under the age of two having swimming lessons over the previous two years. They estimate that more than 300,000 babies and toddlers in the UK are now taking classes. *All of our lessons start from 12 weeks old, we suggest that this is when you start lessons as this is when a baby can regulate their own temperature to enable them to stay comfortable in the water.
Our lessons can be booked through our Book Lessons Tab on our website. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to get in touch with your local Dinkies Swim School area by clicking here. Alternatively each area has their own Facebook Page Thanks for all your love & support Dinkies Swim School.
