Joseph Schooling has shown the world that Singapore can be a swimming powerhouse. Our guide to the best swim schools in Singapore will give your kids the best start in the water, mama
Joseph Schooling’s amazing swimming gold medal last week at the Olympics – the first in Singapore’s history – will no doubt inspire parents across our tiny island to get their kiddos into the pool. Of course, long before Schooling outraced Michael Phelps our tropical island was already filled with swimming pools and a wealth of fantastic swim schools and swimming instructors.
Whether you want your little one to simply be comfortable in the water (that’s how Schooling’s parents started out!), or you’ve got a fierce competitor in the making, there are plenty of great aquatic options out there. Here’s our guide to the best swim schools in Singapore, mama!
With the philosophy that swimming is a vital life skill that should be fun, Swish has a lovely setting amongst the lush greenery of Dempsey Hill. They’re the only swim school in Singapore with both temperature-controlled indoor and outdoor saltwater chlorinated pools, which are able to cater to both babies (the water never gets too cold!) and the pre-squad level. Offering Mums & Bubs classes from 6 months onwards, swimming instruction for kids of all levels, a more competitive kids’ squad, and adult lessons, Swish Swimming’s team of AUSTSWIM-certified instructors will make you mermaids in no time.
SWISH Swimming School, 72 Loewen Road, #01-08, Dempsey Hill, Singapore 248848,
[email protected], Tel: (+65) 9832 2522, www.swishswimming.com
French swim coach Christian Anseaume teaches little ones from the age of 2 how to swim safely, confidently and independently with his 3-step method that’ll have them swimming on their own after just 10 hours of instruction. Next it’s on to swimming freestyle (watch out Phelps!); some of his top students have been top competitors in their age groups from 5 years old.
Swim to Fly, [email protected], Tel: (+65) 8112 9162, www.elitecoach.com.sg
Established way back in 1989 with multiple locations across the island, Aquaducks is one of Singapore’s most popular swim schools for little ones. Employing a unique blend of European, American and Australian teaching techniques, their programme is all about enhancing water safety using a child-centred approach. With songs and games, it’s all about learning through play!
Aquaducks Turf City, 2 Turf Club Road, Singapore 287988 (next to Blue House International), [email protected],
Weather hotline: (+65) 9846 3039
Tanglin Village, 29 Harding Road, Singapore 249537 (next to St. James’ Church Kindergarten), [email protected],
Weather hotline: (+65) 9820 2248
Gilstead, 25 Gilstead Road, Singapore 309070 (inside St. James’ Church Kindergarten), [email protected], Weather hotline: (+65) 9648 0744
Nexus, 201 Ulu Pandan Road, Singapore 596468 (inside Nexus International School), [email protected], Weather hotline: (+65) 8500 3273
Orchid Country Club, 1 Orchid Club Road, Singapore 769162, [email protected], Weather hotline: (+65) 8500 3282
Hollandse Club, 22 Camden Park, Singapore 299814, Tel: (+65) 9225 7310 (For any enquiries, please email), [email protected]
Swiss Club, 36 Swiss Club Road, Singapore 288139, Tel: (+65) 9487 5183, [email protected]
Singapore Island Country Club, 240 Sime Road, Singapore 288303 (Bukit Location), [email protected]
One of the oldest swim schools in Singapore, Marsden is the only AUSTSWIM gold centre on the island (meaning every single one of their teachers is AUSTSWIM-certified). Marsden offers classes for babies from 6 months of age from its two heated, covered pools at Turf City/The Grandstand, and also does development classes for older kids along with competitive quad training for children and adults alike from its 50 metre pools at Queenstown, Ang Mo Kio, Jurong and Kallang.
Marsden Swim School, 200 Turf Club Road, #01-33 Turf City/The Grandstand, Singapore 287994 Tel: (+65) 9665 0328 (infants and toddlers) / 64738353 (older children and adults),
[email protected],
www.marsdenswimschool.com
Little Swim School’s founder, Garett Lee, is a swimming veteran with more than 18 years’ coaching experience across a variety of age groups and specialisations. This year the school opened a brand new temperature-controlled, salt-water chlorinated pool that’s the ideal learning environment for infants, toddlers and kids. Little Swim School’s flagship is at Westway on the West Coast Highway, but they also offer classes at Yio Chu Kang and Queenstown, and can even arrange private and group lessons at condos.
Little Swim School, Westway, 27 West Coast Highway, Singapore 117867, Tel: (+65) 6747 5232,
[email protected],
www.littleswimschool.com
Little Swim School East, 920 East Coast Parkway, #01-28/32, Singapore 449875, Tel: (+65) 6747 5232, [email protected]
This popular swim school for little ones offers classes at venues across Singapore with over 300 instructors under their watch. They’ve also just introduced their first indoor heated mineral swimming pool. Whether through private one-on-one lessons or in bigger group classes, your own little happy fish is sure to develop a love of the water!
Happy Fish Swim School, (+65) 6589 8650, www.swimminglessons.com.sg
With Able Aquatic School’s massively experienced team (they’ve been in the biz since 1981!) your littles will be ditching the floaties and upgrading from that paddling pool in no time. Able offers group classes at over two dozen swimming complexes in Singapore, and their teaching is founded on the internationally recognised Swimsafer and Learn to Swim programme. Baby classes start from just four months, and they offer private sessions as well!
Public group lessons range from 45-60 minutes are priced at $60 per month and cater to a maximum of 10 children. See locations here.
Able Aquatic School, 34 Tanah Merah Kechil Road, Singapore 465560, www.swim.com.sg
Founded by two sassy mamas who initially just wanted their kids to enjoy swimming, Aqua Bambinos has blossomed into one of Singapore’s leading swim schools specifically for infants and toddlers. This indoor school has a strictly regulated pool, where the water temperature and chlorine levels are carefully controlled to ensure sweethearts with sensitive skin don’t have any issues. (You won’t have to worry about the weather either!) With the supervision of a parent, the coaches at Aqua Bambino use teaching aids such as kickboards, noodles and bubble packs to make the experience a little more fun – however they’re careful to use them sparingly so that your children don’t develop a dependence on them. With infant classes for 6-12 month olds, a toddler group from 13-36 month olds and a slightly more ambitious class for kiddos 3+.
Aqua Bambinos, 45 Burghley Drive, Singapore, 559022, (+65) 6487 3225, www.aquabambinos.com.sg
Tanderra’s picturesque pool, set amongst the lush greenery of Loewen Gardens near Dempsey, provides families with a relaxed and friendly environment to explore the water. We hear their regular Swim BBQ’s and Race Nights are legendary! Tanderra’s got qualified Austswim instructors and an ASCTA coach to ensure your child learns key techniques in order to perfect their stroke; in the case of the younger members (4 months minimum), instructors enable parents to guide them to feel confident and relaxed in the water. Try out their free trial class for babies under 12 months – you’ll even get a complimentary coffee in their cafe afterwards.
Tanderra, 73 Loewen Road, #01-21, Singapore 248843, Tel: (+65) 6509 3468, www.tanderrasingapore.com/tanderra-swim
Brought to you in partnership with SWISH Swimming School, Swim to Fly, Aquaducks, Marsden Swim School, The Little Swim School, Happy Fish Swim School and Tanderra Swim. Lead image courtesy of SWISH Swimming School.
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