Sue's Swim School. Our Swim School. Your Swim School

At Sue’s Swim School, we believe learning to swim is about far more than technique or distance. It’s about confidence, trust and feeling safe in the water, and that starts with feeling known and valued as an individual.

We are a family-run swim school, built on decades of experience and a genuine love for teaching. Swimming has been part of our family story for generations, and that legacy shapes everything we do. We don’t rush swimmers through stages, and we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all lessons. Every child, every adult, and every family is different, and our teaching reflects that.

Our classes are kept small, calm and nurturing, allowing our teachers to really get to know each swimmer. Progress is encouraged, confidence is built gently, and every achievement, no matter how small, is recognised and celebrated. We want swimmers to feel proud of what they can do, not pressured by what comes next.

We hold ourselves to exceptionally high standards, because we know how much trust families place in us. Our teachers are not only fully qualified, but carefully chosen for their patience, warmth and genuine care. They teach with kindness, consistency and attention, treating every swimmer as they would their own child.

This is why families stay with us for years.
This is why siblings follow siblings.

And this is why Sue’s Swim School has continued to grow, not through shortcuts or volume, but through care, commitment and doing things properly.

Sue's Swim School Under 3's swimming lessons

Continued Development

At Sue’s Swim School, learning doesn’t stop with our swimmers, it’s just as important for our teaching team.

We actively encourage our teachers and assistants to share ideas, reflect on lessons and learn from one another. Our most experienced teachers pass on their knowledge, while newer members of the team gain confidence and skills through close, supportive mentoring.

This culture of collaboration means our teaching stays consistent, thoughtful and up to date, without losing the warmth and care that families value. By investing time in our team, we ensure every swimmer benefits from high-quality lessons, familiar routines and teachers who genuinely enjoy what they do.

Because when our team continues to grow and develop, the experience in the water is better for everyone.

Specialised Training
Alongside our core teaching qualifications, some members of our team choose to develop specialist skills and experience in specific areas of swimming education.

This includes additional training in:

Lifesaving and water safety
Supporting children with additional needs
Competitive swimming development
Teaching adults who are new or returning to swimming

Having this depth of experience within our team allows us to support a wide range of swimmers with care and understanding. Wherever possible, we aim to place swimmers with teachers who have the right experience and approach for their individual needs.

It’s another way we ensure lessons feel confident, supportive and tailored, so every swimmer, child or adult, can progress in a way that feels right for them.

Where We Began

Sue’s Swim School began in 1982, built on a simple belief that still guides everything we do today:
every child deserves the chance to learn to swim in a safe, supportive and genuinely caring environment.

Founded by close friends Roz and Sue, the very first lessons took place at the Princess Alice Orphanage in Sutton Coldfield. From the start, this was never just about teaching swimming. Children were known by name, confidence was nurtured carefully, and progress, however small, was recognised and celebrated.

When the original pool closed in 1985 due to structural issues, the swim school didn’t stop, it adapted. Lessons moved to Perry Common Secondary School, and in 1988 Sue’s Swim School found a long-term home at Cardinal Wiseman School, where it continues to thrive today. Soon after, lessons expanded to Fairfax School in Sutton Coldfield, allowing even more local families access to high-quality swimming lessons delivered with care.

In 1999, Roz stepped away from the business, and Sue continued to grow the swim school with the same warmth, attention and high standards it had been built on. Over the years, Sue’s Swim School became a trusted name across the Midlands, not just for teaching children and adults to swim, but for doing it properly.

In 2018, the swim school faced a heart-breaking moment when Sue passed away unexpectedly. Rather than allowing her life’s work to end, her legacy was carefully and deliberately carried forward by Andy and Matt.

Andy, an experienced school teacher and swimming professional, brought over 25 years of teaching experience and more than a decade as a qualified Aquatic Tutor, ensuring lesson quality remained uncompromising. Matt, with a background in business operations, finance and sports merchandise, took responsibility for protecting and strengthening the swim school behind the scenes.

Together, they guided Sue’s Swim School through one of the most challenging periods the industry has ever faced, including two years of lockdown, without losing a single member of staff and without families losing lessons or credit. That decision wasn’t about profit. It was about people. And it reflected exactly how Sue believed a swim school should be run.

Today, Sue’s Swim School is proud to be the largest private, non-franchised swim school in the Midlands, teaching over 1,300 children and adults every week across our local communities.

Still family-run.
Still independent.
Still rooted in the values Sue built the school on over 40 years ago.

At Sue’s Swim School, we don’t just teach swimming lessons.

We build confidence, independence and life-long skills, and we’re proud to continue doing it the right way, for the families who trust us with the people who matter most.