About us

A family-run swim school, built
around the experience we always
wanted to teach in.

A family-run swim school, built around the
experience we always wanted to teach in.

Read our story

How Jenkins Swim Studio began

A man and woman standing inside a gym or fitness facility with a wooden stack wall behind them and large windows above. The man is barefoot, wearing a black T-shirt and shorts, and the woman is wearing a black uniform with pink slippers.

Jenkins Swim Studio grew from Matt's passion for teaching swimming, and our shared belief that lessons could be done differently. Matt had been teaching for years, and we'd seen first-hand the difference a patient, supportive teacher makes, especially for children who are nervous, lack confidence, or just need more individual attention.

We wanted a swim school without the constraints of a busy leisure centre: small classes, teachers in the water, and the time to properly get to know our swimmers and their families, rather than rushing children through levels.

That vision became Jenkins Swim Studio, our family-run private swimming studio in Cheltenham. We opened in November 2025, after transforming an empty industrial unit into a purpose-built space of our own. It was a huge project, but it gave us the environment we'd always wanted to teach in.

Our aim has never been just to teach the mechanics of swimming. We want children to feel safe and happy in the water, build real confidence, and develop skills that last a lifetime.

Children learn best when they feel safe, supported, and happy in the water.

We don't rush swimmers, and we don't expect every child to learn the same way. Our instructors take the time to get to know each swimmer, build their confidence, and adapt their teaching to the individual.

Strong swimming skills matter to us, but so do water safety, confidence, and a positive relationship with the water.

Built with families in mind

We built our own private studio around the experience we wanted for swimmers and their families. We want the whole experience, not just the lesson, to feel personal and easy for families.

Small classes

Plenty of individual attention for every swimmer.

In-water teaching

Instructors teach in the water at every level, so they can demonstrate clearly and offer support when it's needed.

Our own space

A calmer, less overwhelming environment than a busy leisure centre.

Built for families

A waiting area designed with families in mind, with a live stream of the pool, baby play mats, toys and books. Parents are always welcome poolside if their child needs a little extra reassurance.

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  • A waiting room with five blue chairs against a white wall near a large window, with three people, two adults and one child, sitting on the chairs smiling. There is a gray door with a sign that says 'Staff Only' and a magazine rack in the corner.
  • A young child with short red hair and blue eyes, smiling and crawling on a black carpeted floor in an indoor setting, wearing a colorful floral-patterned long-sleeve outfit, with a white mat and foam blocks in the background.
  • Children playing in a room with large colorful foam blocks stacked in a tower, sitting on a white mat with star patterns.
  • A shoe rack with various shoes, including sneakers, sandals, and slippers, in a room with a white wall and framed children's drawings. A small table on top of the shoe rack has sanitary items and a cardboard box nearby.
  • A Black Gaggia espresso machine brewing coffee into paper cups on a counter.
  • Indoor space with blue and white partition walls on a light-colored speckled floor, wooden stairs with a blue padding, and a ceiling with metal beams and large windows.
  • An empty indoor space with light-colored walls, a window near the ceiling allowing natural light, a white shelf with a small mirror and headphones, and plastic barriers on the floor likely for social distancing.
  • Indoor space with white brick wall, gray carpet flooring, and high windows. Features include a white folding safety gate with bear design, lockers with blue doors, a white cubby shelf with bags and miscellaneous items, and a row of cubbies containing various bags and objects.
  • Children and adults in a swimming pool participating in a swimming lesson, with an instructor wearing a red shirt that says 'SWIM TEACHER' on the back.
  • Collection of colorful certificates, badges, and stickers related to children's activities and achievements, featuring characters from children's TV shows like Paw Patrol and SpongeBob SquarePants.
  • Indoor swimming pool with children enjoying swimming lessons, supervised by a swimming instructor. The pool is surrounded by a wooden deck, with toys and equipment nearby. Bright natural light enters through large windows.
  • Front view of a commercial building with brick and white siding, featuring large windows, a door with a sign, and the number 14. Several cars are parked in front of the building, with a blue car prominently visible. The sky is partly cloudy.

Talk to us before you start

If your child is nervous, has additional needs, or has had a difficult experience with swimming, let us know — the more we understand, the better we can support them from lesson one.

We keep poolside calm and quiet, with minimal distractions, and we're happy to have a parent close by while a child settles in.

We don't use armbands, but a range of teaching aids to build confidence and independence gradually.

Don't worry if your child doesn't join in straight away — we don't expect every child to learn at the same pace. Building trust and a positive relationship with the water matters just as much as the swimming itself.

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