About Wessex Swim School

Chris Rees aged just 18 years old started the Wessex Swim School in July 2004 as a private swim school in Winchester with just 3 teachers and a handful of clients. 
Chris who was a lifeguard and a swimming teacher noted how well children in smaller classes improved at a much faster rate than those in his larger classes and set maximum numbers in every class to just 3 pupils. Unlike other swim schools where helpers are brought in to lower class ratios, Chris ensured that all members of staff are qualified teachers, insured and have an enhanced CRB check.

Now with an impressive 48 qualified members of staff, teaching over 700 pupils in 5 cities and 7 pools, Wessex Swim School is THE swim school for high quality affordable tuition on the South coast.

Whether you are looking for lessons for children, babies, adults for beginners, improvers or those going for gold, Wessex Swim School has the experience, expertise and classes to suit you at a price that suits you.

Wessex Swim School's success in providing high quality tuition at affordable prices, spread via word of mouth rapidly and Chris got to the stage where he simply ran out of teachers to teach, so with one phone call to the tutor that trained him, Chris held the first teacher training course in July 2005. Since then the Wessex Swim School tutors have grown to a 5 strong team with an impressive 98% pass rate and over 500 teachers have successfully gained their swimming teaching qualifications through us.

In October 2006 Chris was asked by the Manager of a Salisbury leisure centre if we could bring our highly successful swim school to the Salisbury area having heard great things about us and so the Wessex Swim School successfully expanded and we now have 2 pools in the Salisbury area.

In August 2008, impressed with our high standards and our rapid rate of success, HendyGroup offered to sponsor Wessex Swim School and have kindly supplied our fantastic micromesh t-shirts that are staff members are proud to wear.

2009 was a big year for the Wessex Swim School and Easter saw the opening of 3 new pools in Southampton and Basingstoke as we continued to expand!

In May 2009 The Dolphin Inn, Hursley became the sponsor for Rees Leisure Ltd the company behind Wessex Swim School and as part of the sponsorship The Dolphin Inn has very kindly provided shorts for all 48 members of staff.

Tri Team Wessex the Winchester Triathlon team was founded in July 2009, open for all abilities from Novice to Ironman the club now has over 40 active members including 4 Ironman competitors and 3 GB status athlethes!

Despite the recession Wessex Swim School has continued to grow and September 2010 saw the opening of our Bournemouth branch.

No matter what your looking for when it comes to swimming Wessex Swim School has it all!

Happy Swimming,

Chris and the Wessex Swim School team.