I found exactly the same with clapham leisure centre, a shame as it’s local.

My girls always do Kimberly swim clinics too, which are an intensive swim clinics held during the school holidays, to be honest they learn more and improve there techniques much more doing it daily, thrn they did attending the leisure centre. Maybe have a look at doing that, it then frees up having to go swimming every week!!!
kimberleyswimclinics

Enable Sports & Leisure do great lessons at Burntwood school on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

I found the same. Classes are relatively inexpensive there but not good value for all the reasons you mention. We switched to 1:1 lessons at the same place which were still cheaper than most and that worked well but they didn't start them back up again post-Covid for some reason.  So now we're with South West Swim School who run out of a few of the senior school pools in the area.  Costs an arm and a leg but our kids have come on leaps and bounds and there is a real structure in place so you see them progress.  Max they do is 3:1 lessons and that helps massively.

Our son progressed really well with Puddle Ducks and then Swim Academy at Aspire Centre. He’s now swimming with school, has lots of confidence in the water and really enjoys swimming.

My girls go to Latchmere Leisure Centre, really happy with it. 

Have a look at Latchmere leisure centre, I have been very impressed with both weekly classes and their crash courses there.

Hi Everyone,

Can anyone recommend a place with good swimming classes for kids?

My daughter has been attending the Better swim classes at Clapham Leisure Centre and to be honest I find the classes a bit useless. Totally oversubscribed, there are too many kids for only one teacher and my daughter spends most of her time at the side of the pool waiting for her turn to swim/paddle across, she gets almost no attention from the teacher and minimal instruction. After 6 months of attending I don't think she's learned much more than blowing bubbles! The price is very cheap but I guess you get what you pay for.

I'd be grateful for any information on local swim classes where your children have had a good experience and made progress with their swimming within reasonable time.