Orlin Swim School has been teaching in the Riverbend area for over fifteen years. We run graded group lessons from the first splash all the way through to confident distance swimming, plus adult classes for anyone who missed out the first time round.
Orlin Swim School started with two evening classes in a borrowed pool and has grown, slowly and deliberately, into a timetable of around ninety lessons a week. We have stayed small on purpose. Our teachers know which child is nervous about putting their face in, which adult is working towards a holiday, and which teenager is quietly two weeks away from swimming a length without stopping.
Everything we do is built around one idea: people learn to swim faster when they are comfortable. That means warm water, calm sessions, groups small enough for everyone to get regular turns, and teachers who explain the same thing three different ways until it clicks. We do not run competitive squads and we are not a club. If a swimmer eventually wants to join one, we will happily tell them what to expect.
We teach at Meadowbrook Leisure Pool, a four-lane indoor pool with a separate shallow teaching area. The main pool has a moveable floor at one end, which means beginners of any age can stand comfortably while they learn. The building has step-free access from the car park to poolside, a family changing village, and a viewing gallery with seating for around forty people.
Term lengths vary slightly between terms. Exact dates for the coming year are published on the noticeboard and sent by email to everyone on the register.
Every swimmer joins at a level rather than an age. If you are not sure which one fits, book a free ten-minute assessment and we will place them for you. Moving up happens whenever a swimmer is ready, not only at the end of a term.
A gentle thirty-minute session in the shallow teaching pool with a grown-up in the water. Songs, floating on the back, gentle movement through the water and lots of holding on to the side. No pressure and no expectations — babies who sleep through the whole class are not unusual.
30 minutes · up to 8 pairs · shallow teaching pool
The first class without a grown-up in the water. Ducklings is about being happy in the pool: walking, blowing bubbles, splashing, getting hair wet, kicking with a float and letting go of the wall for a moment or two. Teachers are in the water for the whole lesson.
30 minutes · maximum 4 children · teaching pool
Ten metres of front crawl and back crawl without a float, breathing to the side, and a proper look at leg kick. This is the level where swimming starts to look like swimming. We also introduce treading water in the shallow end of the main pool.
30 minutes · maximum 6 children · main pool shallow end
Front crawl and back crawl over 25 metres, plus a first look at breaststroke timing. Swimmers work in the deeper half of the main pool and get used to swimming a full length. Turns at the wall are introduced towards the end of the level.
30 minutes · maximum 8 children · main pool
A 45-minute lane session for teenagers who can already swim but want to keep going. Structured sets, a mix of strokes, and gentle work on stamina. There is no timing and no galas — it is closer to a fitness class than a squad.
45 minutes · maximum 12 swimmers · two lanes
For adults who cannot swim at all, or who can manage a width and no more. We start in water where you can stand, at whatever pace suits the group. Nobody is asked to put their face in on the first day and nobody is asked to go into deep water until they choose to.
45 minutes · maximum 6 adults · teaching pool
A six-week course for adults who already swim regularly and want one stroke tidied up. Each course covers a single stroke chosen by the group at the first session. Small numbers, plenty of drills, and a short written summary to take away at the end.
45 minutes · 6-week course · main pool lanes
Five consecutive weekday mornings during the longer school holidays, thirty minutes a day. Daily repetition suits some children far better than a weekly lesson, particularly those who are close to swimming independently and just need momentum.
5 × 30 minutes · maximum 6 children · teaching pool
Book a free ten-minute assessment. A teacher will get in the water with your child, or watch you swim a width if you are an adult, and recommend a level the same day. Assessments run on Saturday mornings and on Wednesday afternoons in term time. There is no obligation to book afterwards.
This is a representative term-time timetable. Availability changes week to week, so please treat the status column as a guide and confirm with the office before making plans. Holiday timetables are shorter and are published separately.
| Day | Time | Class | Pool | Teacher | Places | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 09:30 – 10:00Weekday morning | Parent and Baby | Teaching pool | Rowan | Places available | The quietest session of the week. There is room for buggies in the corridor outside the changing village and somewhere warm to sit and feed afterwards. Doors to the teaching pool open fifteen minutes beforehand. |
| Monday | 16:15 – 16:45After school | Ducklings (Level 1) | Teaching pool | Rowan | 1 place left | A sensible first class for children who have just turned three. It falls straight after school for most of the group, so the first ten minutes are deliberately gentle and everyone wakes up in the water at their own pace. |
| Tuesday | 16:15 – 16:45After school | Seahorses (Level 3) | Main pool | Devan | 2 places left | The first class in the main pool for most swimmers moving up from Level 2. The water here is a degree or two cooler, so bring a second towel for the first few weeks. Parents watch from the gallery as usual. |
| Tuesday | 17:30 – 18:15Early evening | Sharks (Level 5) | Main pool lanes | Tomas | Places available | A forty-five minute lane session with noticeably longer sets than the earlier levels. Swimmers need to be comfortable covering a full length before joining, though there is no expectation that they do it quickly. |
| Wednesday | 16:00 – 16:30After school | Ducklings (Level 1) | Teaching pool | Rowan | Places available | The second Level 1 group of the week and normally the easier of the two to get into. Four children maximum with the teacher in the water for the whole half hour, and toys and floats used throughout the lesson. |
| Wednesday | 18:30 – 19:15Evening | Adult Improvers | Main pool | Ines | Places available | For adults who can already manage a length but find it hard work. Most of the term goes on breathing and body position, which is where nearly all the wasted effort hides. Eight swimmers maximum in the group. |
| Thursday | 16:15 – 16:45After school | Dolphins (Level 4) | Main pool | Devan | Waiting list | The busiest Level 4 group in the timetable. Swimmers work in the deeper half of the main pool and build towards full lengths of front crawl and back crawl without stopping. The list tends to move at the end of term. |
| Saturday | 08:45 – 09:15Morning block | Starfish (Level 2) | Teaching pool | Mara | Waiting list | The first class of the Saturday block and the one that fills first every term. Arrive by half past eight if you can, while the car park is still easy. Places do open up occasionally in the middle of a term. |
We run three terms a year, broadly in line with the local school calendar:
Exact start and finish dates are confirmed about a month before each term and emailed to everyone on the register. The pool closes for annual maintenance for around two weeks each summer; no lessons run during that period and no fees are charged for it.
Beginner classes sit in the teaching pool where the water is warmest and shallowest. Levels 3 and above move into the main pool, which is a degree or so cooler but gives swimmers full lengths to work with.
Saturday mornings are the busiest block of the week and typically fill first. If you have flexibility, weekday afternoon and evening classes usually have more space and the pool is quieter.
Families with more than one child in lessons can normally be placed in consecutive slots. Tell us when you enrol and we will do our best, though we cannot promise it in the Saturday block.
The single most useful thing a swim school can do is keep groups small enough that a teacher can watch everyone properly. These are the ratios we work to, and we do not exceed them.
| Class | Maximum per teacher | Teacher position | Additional cover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent and Baby | 8 adult-and-baby pairs | In the water | Poolside assistant present |
| Ducklings (Level 1) | 4 children | In the water | Poolside assistant present |
| Starfish (Level 2) | 6 children | In the water | Poolside assistant present |
| Seahorses (Level 3) | 6 children | In the water or poolside | Lifeguard on duty for the main pool |
| Dolphins (Level 4) | 8 children | Poolside | Lifeguard on duty for the main pool |
| Sharks (Level 5) | 10 children | Poolside | Lifeguard on duty for the main pool |
| Swim Fit (Level 6) | 12 swimmers | Poolside | Lifeguard on duty for the main pool |
| Adult Beginners | 6 adults | In the water (first term) | Poolside assistant present |
| Adult Improvers | 8 adults | Poolside | Lifeguard on duty for the main pool |
Every class is led by a teacher holding a recognised swimming teaching qualification appropriate to the level they teach. A qualified lifeguard is on duty whenever the main pool is in use, in addition to the teacher. Staff hold current first aid certification and refresh it on the schedule set by the awarding body.
All teachers and assistants complete the standard background checks for people working with children before their first session, and we keep a central record of qualifications and renewal dates. Any member of staff whose certification lapses does not teach until it is back in date.
A register is taken at the start of every class and again at the end. Children under eight are handed back to a named adult at the changing room door. If someone different is collecting, let the office know in advance and we will note it on the register.
Please tell us about anything that might affect a swimmer in the water — asthma, epilepsy, a recent operation, a hearing aid, an ear infection. We keep the note on file, share it only with the teachers who need it, and review it with you at the start of each term.
Walk, wait for your teacher before getting in, and stay with your group. That is essentially the whole list. Teachers go over it in the first lesson of each term and remind anyone who needs it, without making a fuss about it.
The leisure centre has its own procedures for the building and we follow them. Anything that happens in one of our lessons is written up the same day and, where a swimmer is involved, we contact the family before they leave the building. We would always rather over-communicate.
Parents and carers are welcome to stay and watch from the viewing gallery, which looks over both pools and has seating for around forty people. We ask that you watch rather than coach — children find it hard to listen to two people at once, and a nervous swimmer will usually look up to you rather than the teacher.
Poolside itself is kept clear during lessons apart from staff and swimmers, with the exception of the open lesson at the end of each term and any swimmer who needs an adult with them for a specific reason agreed in advance.
Fees are charged per term, in advance. There is no joining fee, no annual membership and no equipment to buy from us. Prices below are the standard rates and were last reviewed at the start of the current academic year.
| Class | Length | Per lesson | 12-week term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent and Baby | 30 minutes | $11.00 | $132.00 |
| Ducklings (Level 1) | 30 minutes | $13.50 | $162.00 |
| Starfish (Level 2) | 30 minutes | $12.50 | $150.00 |
| Seahorses (Level 3) | 30 minutes | $12.50 | $150.00 |
| Dolphins (Level 4) | 30 minutes | $12.00 | $144.00 |
| Sharks (Level 5) | 45 minutes | $15.00 | $180.00 |
| Swim Fit (Level 6) | 45 minutes | $14.00 | $168.00 |
| Adult Beginners | 45 minutes | $16.00 | $192.00 |
| Adult Improvers | 45 minutes | $16.00 | $192.00 |
| Stroke Clinic | 45 minutes | $19.00 | $114.00 (6 weeks) |
| Private lesson | 30 minutes | $38.00 | Blocks of 4 or 6 |
| Paired lesson | 30 minutes | $48.00 per pair | Blocks of 4 or 6 |
| Holiday crash course | 5 × 30 minutes | — | $66.00 per course |
Discounts apply to children living at the same address and are applied automatically on the term invoice.
We take bank transfer and card payment at the office. Invoices go out about three weeks before a term starts and are due before the first lesson.
If paying the whole term at once is difficult, ask us about splitting it into two payments. We would rather arrange that quietly than lose a swimmer.
We do not refund individual missed lessons — the place is held whether or not it is used, and the teacher and pool are paid for either way.
Where a swimmer misses four or more consecutive lessons for a medical reason, tell us in writing and we will credit the balance to the following term.
If a lesson is cancelled by us or by the leisure centre — a plant failure, for instance — it is credited in full to the next term's invoice, or refunded if you are leaving.
We text and email everyone affected as soon as we know, usually several hours before the class.
Places roll over automatically from term to term as long as the invoice is settled on time. You do not need to re-book each term.
To give up a place, let us know before the end of the current term so we can offer it to someone on the waiting list.
Popular slots do have queues, particularly the Saturday morning block. Joining the list costs nothing and we work strictly in order of the date you joined.
We will usually offer an alternative slot while you wait so that a swimmer is not sitting out for a whole term.
Nothing complicated. Most families end up with a bag that lives permanently by the front door.
Babies and toddlers who are not reliably out of nappies need a swim nappy plus a neoprene over-nappy. Both are sold at the leisure centre reception if you forget.
We do not sell equipment and we have no arrangement with any shop. Supermarket goggles are fine to start with. If a swimmer sticks with it and wants something better, the teacher will happily say what to look for.
That leaves time to change without rushing. The changing village fills up quickly on Saturdays.
A quick rinse before poolside is house policy at the leisure centre and it keeps the water in better condition.
Each class has a numbered bench at the shallow end. Teachers collect their group from there and take the register.
A short warm-up, one or two main activities, and a few minutes at the end for something the group enjoys.
Children under eight are handed back to a named adult at the changing room door. Older swimmers head straight in.
There is always a minute or two between classes. If you want more than that, email the office and we will arrange a call.
We have eleven teachers and four poolside assistants. Everyone holds a recognised teaching qualification for the levels they take, keeps first aid certification current, and has completed the standard background checks. Below are a few of the people you are most likely to meet.
Head teacher · founded the school
Mara set up the school after years of teaching evening classes and still takes three groups a week, mostly Level 1 and adult beginners. She is the person who will call you back if you have a complaint, and she prefers to hear about a problem early.
Teacher · adults and stroke clinic
Ines runs most of our adult provision. She learned to swim herself at thirty-one, which she mentions in the first lesson of every beginners course, and it changes the mood of the room every single time.
Teacher · baby and toddler classes
Rowan takes the weekday morning Parent and Baby sessions and the youngest Ducklings groups. Songs, repetition and an unshakeable calm when a room full of toddlers all decide to cry at the same moment.
Teacher · Swim Fit and lane sessions
Tomas writes the Swim Fit sets and takes the teenage groups. He swam competitively until his early twenties and is careful not to turn a fitness class into a training squad, which the teenagers appreciate more than they let on.
Office manager
Priya handles enrolments, invoices, waiting lists and the endless small changes to the register. If you email the school, she is the one who answers, usually within a working day and often faster than that.
We take on one or two new teachers a year and are happy to hear from qualified teachers looking for evening or weekend hours. We also occasionally train assistants from scratch — if you are a strong swimmer with patience and an interest in teaching, get in touch and we will explain what the route looks like.
Send a short note about yourself to jobs@orlinswim.example.com. We reply to everyone, even when there is nothing available.
These are drawn from our end-of-term feedback forms, printed with permission and shortened for length.
★★★★★“I signed up for adult beginners at forty-four having never swum a stroke. Nobody made a thing of it. By the end of the second term I swam twenty-five metres and had to sit on the steps for a bit because I got emotional about it. Six of us started that class and five are still coming, which probably says everything worth saying.”
— Adult Beginners, Friday morning
★★★★★“Our son has additional needs and we had a difficult experience elsewhere. Here they asked us what helps before the first lesson rather than after the first problem. Small thing, enormous difference. They gave us the quietest slot on the timetable without us having to ask, and the same teacher every week, which matters far more than anyone realises.”
— Parent, private lessons
★★★★☆“Good, steady progress and clear reports at the end of term so you actually know what they've been doing. Changing rooms get chaotic at peak times but that's the leisure centre, not the school. Both of ours were placed in back-to-back slots on the same morning, which saved us an entire second trip every week.”
— Parent, two children, Levels 2 and 4
If your question is not here, email the office. We will add it to this page if it comes up more than once.
Babies can join Parent and Baby from around four months, with a grown-up in the water. Independent lessons without a parent start at three, though children vary enormously and some are more ready at four. If you are unsure, book an assessment and we will tell you honestly whether it is worth starting now or waiting a term. Starting a few months later costs nothing and often means fewer wasted lessons.
The teaching pool is kept between 30 and 31 degrees, which is comfortable for babies and for anyone standing still for much of a lesson. The main pool runs a little cooler, usually 28 to 29 degrees, because swimmers there are moving continuously. Children moving up from Level 2 to Level 3 sometimes notice the difference for a week or two. A second towel and a warm layer for the walk out solve most of it.
Teachers assess continuously rather than holding a test week. When someone is meeting the outcomes for their level consistently — not once on a good day — the teacher flags it and we offer a place in the next level as soon as one is free. That can happen mid-term. Occasionally a swimmer is ready but there is no space in a suitable slot, in which case we will tell you and put you at the front of the queue.
Regularly, and it is some of the most satisfying teaching we do. Adult Beginners is a small group where everyone is in the same position, which helps more than people expect. The first lesson takes place entirely in water where you can stand comfortably. If a group still feels like too much, a couple of private lessons first is a reasonable way in.
Goggles are optional in Levels 0 and 1, where we want children used to water on their face, and recommended from Level 2 onwards. A hat is required for anyone with hair past their shoulders, mainly to keep it out of their eyes and out of the filters. Any supermarket hat and goggles will do to begin with. Write a name on both, because the lost property box fills up faster than anything else in the building.
The leisure centre has its own car park, free for the first ninety minutes with a ticket from the machine in the foyer. It is busy at Saturday changeover times, roughly quarter past and quarter to the hour. There is a bus stop about four minutes' walk from the entrance and covered bike racks by the side door. Two accessible bays sit directly outside the main entrance and are not used for general parking.
Usually yes, and we will try hard to arrange it — sitting in a viewing gallery for two hours with a gap in the middle is nobody's idea of a good Saturday. We cannot promise it in the busiest blocks. Tell us when you enrol and we will build it in from the start rather than trying to fix it later. Where the levels are far apart it sometimes means one child taking a slightly different day.
Yes. Distance badges and level certificates are given out at the end of term. We keep this fairly low-key — badges are nice but they are not the point, and we have never wanted swimmers chasing the next patch rather than actually swimming better. Badges cost a small amount, added to the term invoice only if one is earned. Tell us if you would rather skip badges altogether and we will simply leave them off.
The quickest way to get a place is to email the office with the swimmer's age, roughly what they can do in the water at the moment, and which days would work for you. Priya will come back with the options that actually exist rather than a form to fill in.
Age, what they can already do, and any health information we should know about.
Ten minutes on a Saturday morning or Wednesday afternoon, with a recommended level the same day.
Or add you to the waiting list with an honest estimate of how long it will be.
Fees are due before the first lesson. After that the place rolls over each term automatically.
On-site car park, free for ninety minutes with a ticket from the foyer machine. Two accessible bays by the main door. Busiest at Saturday changeover.
The nearest stop is about a four-minute walk from the entrance, served by the local town services throughout the day and early evening.
Covered, lit bike racks beside the side entrance. The footpath from the commons is level and lit until late evening.
You are welcome to sit in the gallery and watch a class before committing to anything. Most people who do decide within about ten minutes, one way or the other. Either is fine with us.