Welcome to Polam Swim School
Providing excellent facilities on-site, and first class swimming teaching, coaching and supervision, there is no better venue in Bedford to help your child or even yourself, to experience the joy of swimming.
With small class sizes and experienced staff, Polam Swim School in Bedford is ready to help you swim.
Aquanatal
A qualified midwife and swimming teacher offer an exercise, relaxation and informative session for both ante-natal and post-natal swimmers. As your bump grows and body changes, immerse in warm pools for relaxing exercises with soothing music at Polam School's Aquanatal classes.
Discover a stress-relieving, supportive environment where pregnant individuals can find like-minded friends. Aquanatal, led by skilled midwives, aids overall wellbeing, reduces anxiety, enhances sleep, and mitigates common pregnancy discomforts. Sessions run by experienced professionals, offering safe, gentle exercises catered to different pregnancy stages with small class sizes.
Parent and Toddler
Each child is accompanied in the water by a responsible adult. The teacher is in the water with the class and there is a fully qualified assistant teacher on poolside. Babies are required to have had their immunisations in order to participate within the course.
Our popular parent and baby/toddler sessions, designed for ages 12 weeks to 3 years, offer a bonding opportunity in the water. Led by expert swimming teachers, these structured, play-based lessons nurture confidence from an early age. With a maximum of 10 participants, the sessions focus on learning through play while emphasizing safety and progression to independent classes by age 3
Tadpoles
Children from the age of 3 years split into small classes with the teacher in the water. There is a qualified non-teaching assistant on poolside. Children remain in the Tadpole group until they start full-time school.
From age 3 to 5, children transition to independent swimming classes. Led by a teacher in the water and supported by a qualified assistant, small groups focus on water safety, confidence, and ASA Duckling Awards 1-5. With 30-minute lessons, parents can observe from designated areas, fostering a lifelong love for swimming. Children remain in Tadpole groups until starting school, progressing through structured sessions aimed at achieving awards.
Teaching Groups
Once children start full-time school, usually aged 4-5, they progress into our teaching groups. The pool is split into three separate classes according to ability.
We follow a set scheme of work and the children work towards our own Polam Swim School distance awards. They are assessed towards the end of each term. As and when they are ready (at any time between the ages of 5 and 6), they progress to the next stage. As with all our swimming classes, our aim is for the children to gain vital safety skills, learn to swim effectively and with grace, and to develop a love for swimming that will hopefully stay with them for life. Classes run for 30 minutes and we run a wide choice of class times throughout the week (after school) and on Saturday mornings. Parents and carers can watch from our viewing gallery.
Squad
Participation within the swimming squad is by invitation only. Children at the upper age range of the Children’s groups (minimum 8 years) with a minimum of a Polam Swim School 200m certificate may be invited to join swimming team sessions.
Children at the upper age range of the Children’s groups with a minimum of a Polam Swim School 200m may be invited to join Squad sessions. Children from outside the School may be eligible to join but they will need a trial before joining.
Lessons are 40 minutes long and we follow a Scheme of Work including distance awards. Awards over 400m are tested once or twice during the year by appointment on a Saturday afternoon.
Adult Swimming Lessons
We offer swimming lessons for adults of all ages and abilities.
Any ability is catered for, with our experienced providing you with the confidence to overcome any challenge.
The adult swimming lessons are suitable for beginners, improvers or advanced swimmers over the age of 16 and are taught in small class sizes with a maximum of 8 in the pool. Lessons take place in the evening.