- RLSS UK Approved
- STA Recognised
- CIMSPA Partner
- Swim England Aligned
- 100% DBS Checked
Mill Hill, NW7 · Friday & Sunday evenings · Ages 4–15
Children's swimming lessons in Mill Hill, ages 4 to 15.
If you've been looking for kids' swimming lessons, children's swimming lessons or a swim school near you in North London, this is ours. Swimcore Academy teaches children aged 4 to 15 at Mill Hill School's heated 25-metre indoor pool in NW7, on Friday and Sunday evenings during term time. Beginner groups are capped at four swimmers, and never go above six once children are swimming confidently. They're streamed by ability rather than just by age, and you're welcome to watch from poolside.
The three groups
Grouped by age first, then streamed by ability.
So beginners aren't held back and confident swimmers aren't bored. Every children's swimming lesson at Mill Hill is taught by qualified, DBS-checked instructors.
01
Little splashers
Play-led lessons for children just starting out. Water confidence, floating, breathing and first strokes, taught in a way that keeps four-year-olds engaged for the full half hour.
02
Stroke builders
Technique across all four strokes, plus diving and treading water. This is where most children move from splashing about to swimming properly.
03
Strong swimmers
Refining strokes and building distance and stamina. Suits older children who can already swim but want to be faster, cleaner and more confident in deep water.
After the lessons
At 16, they can train as a lifeguard.
Plenty of the children who learn with us keep going. From their sixteenth birthday they can take the RLSS UK National Pool Lifeguard Qualification with us, in the same pool they learned to swim in. It is a proper qualification that pools and leisure centres across the country hire on, and one of the better first jobs a teenager can have: flexible hours, real responsibility, and paid.
We run the NPLQ over five days here in Mill Hill, so a swimmer who starts at four in a group of little splashers can finish as a qualified lifeguard without ever changing pool.
Prices
Start with a trial, then book in blocks of four.
Everyone starts with a paid trial lesson, so we can see where your child is in the water and put them in the right group. After that, lessons are booked in blocks of four or more, as we don't run one-off sessions. Children progress through consistent weekly lessons rather than the odd one here and there.
Your first lesson is a paid trial, booked over WhatsApp, so message us and we'll tell you the current rate and which times are available. After the trial, the minimum booking is four lessons. We don't offer one-off or ad hoc sessions.
When and where
Friday and Sunday evenings at Mill Hill School.
Friday
5:30pm – 9:30pm
Our main teaching night, term time. The pool is ours alone, so there are no public swimmers sharing the water with your child's lesson.
Sunday
5:00pm – 8:00pm
Our second evening, added for families who can't make Fridays. Same pool, same instructors, same class sizes.
Getting there
Free parking on site
Park at the pool, no permits and no hunting for a space on the road. Poolside viewing for parents throughout the lesson.
The pool
A private pool at Mill Hill School.
We hire the whole pool for our sessions, so there are no public swimmers in the water while your child is learning. It's a timber-framed indoor pool set in the school grounds, glazed along one side, quiet, and warm all year round.
Where to go
Mill Hill School, Sports Centre entrance, The Ridgeway, London NW7 1QS.
Swimcore Academy on Google Maps →
Parking
Free parking on site. No permits, and no hunting for a space on the road before a lesson.
Watching
Poolside viewing for parents throughout the lesson. You don't need to book a space.
Why parents choose us
Six things that make the difference.
Four in a beginner class
Beginners are capped at four swimmers, because that is where hands-on attention matters most. Once children are swimming confidently, at Swim England stages 5 to 7, the group goes up to six. Either way it is a world away from a leisure centre lane.
Streamed by ability
We group by age first, then by what a child can actually do. Nobody is stuck in a lane that's too fast or too slow for them.
Qualified, DBS-checked
Every instructor is qualified and DBS-checked. Swimcore is RLSS UK approved, STA recognised, a CIMSPA partner and aligned to Swim England's framework.
A pool to ourselves
We hire the whole pool. No public swimmers, no lane sharing, no shouting over a busy session to be heard.
Watch from poolside
Parents are welcome to stay and watch the whole lesson. You'll see the progress yourself rather than hearing about it afterwards.
A trial before you commit
Your first lesson is a paid trial. We use it to see what your child can already do and place them in the right group, so the block that follows starts in the right place.
Before you arrive
What to bring.
- Swimming costume or trunks
- Towel
- Goggles
- Swimming hat for longer hair
- Arrive five minutes early to change
- Poolside viewing, no need to book
The area we cover
Swimming classes for kids across North London.
Most of the families we teach come from Mill Hill, Hendon, Edgware, Finchley, Barnet, Colindale and Golders Green. If you've been searching for swimming classes for kids near me or swimming lessons for children nearby, Mill Hill is an easy run from all of them, and there's free parking at the pool.
Common questions
Everything parents ask us.
What age can children start swimming lessons?
We teach from age 4. Lessons for under-fours aren't something we run at the moment, so if your child is younger it's worth checking back with us nearer their fourth birthday.
Do you run kids' swimming lessons near me in North London?
Yes. All of our children's swimming lessons run at Mill Hill School pool in NW7, which is a short drive from Mill Hill, Hendon, Edgware, Finchley, Barnet, Colindale and Golders Green.
How much are children's swimming lessons?
A group lesson is £15 for 30 minutes, in a group of four for beginners or up to six at stages 5 to 7. 2-to-1 is £28 per child, and a private 1-to-1 is £38 for 30 minutes or £65 for an hour. Your first lesson is a paid trial, and after that lessons are booked in blocks of four or more. A block of ten 30-minute 1-to-1 lessons is £350.
Do you offer single or one-off lessons?
No. Everyone starts with a paid trial lesson, and after that we book in blocks of four or more. Children make progress through consistent weekly lessons rather than occasional ones, so we don't run ad hoc sessions.
How many children are in a class?
Four in beginner groups. Once children are swimming confidently, at Swim England stages 5 to 7, groups go up to six. Either way they are grouped by age band and then streamed by ability, so nobody ends up in a class moving too fast or too slowly for them.
Can I watch my child's lesson?
Yes, parents are welcome poolside for the whole lesson. You don't need to book a viewing space.
Which evenings do lessons run?
Friday from 5:30pm to 9:30pm and Sunday from 5:00pm to 8:00pm, during term time. We also run intensive crash courses across half-term weeks.
Ready when you are
Get your child in the water.
Message us on WhatsApp and tell us your child's age and roughly what they can do in the water. We'll tell you which group fits and which times are open on Friday or Sunday. Usually a same-day reply.