British Swim School at LA Fitness - Allentown

About

British Swim School at LA Fitness - Allentown offers a unique parent-assisted water safety and swim program for infants from 3 months old, children, and adults. Their 'learn to swim' program focuses on survival skills first, then stroke development, utilizing a fun and gentle approach. Classes are held year-round in an indoor, heated pool at the LA Fitness facility.

The pool(s) at this location are typically heated to a comfortable 84-85 degrees Fahrenheit (29-30 degrees Celsius), ideal for year-round swimming, especially for infants and young children.

What are people saying (AI review summary)? The reviews for British Swim School present a mixed yet generally positive assessment. Many instructors are praised for being caring, encouraging, patient, and knowledgeable, contributing to significant progress for a diverse range of students, including infants, children, and adults with no prior swimming experience. The owner, Andrew, is consistently highlighted as nice, receptive, and accommodating, and the program is often considered well-priced. However, several critical concerns were raised. A primary issue is the frequent rotation of instructors, leading to a lack of consistency and perceived hindrance to student progress due to inadequate communication about individual student levels. Some instructors were observed to be disengaged, frequently checking the clock, or appearing annoyed and impatient, especially with small children. Parents also noted a lack of concrete progress reports and, in some instances, felt instructors were frustrated with their child. Additionally, a facility complaint mentioned insufficient seating for parents, causing discomfort. While specific instructors like Mr. Jackson received high praise, the inconsistency and varying levels of instructor engagement were notable points for improvement, particularly for children requiring extra patience.

Location

Gallery

Amenities

• Accepts Credit Cards
• Accessible Entrance

Reviews

Listing Reviews

July 31st, 2025

Kelly Kowalewski

Edit to my review- we have been in this program for a few months and some things to take away- the instructors change week to week. Lack of consistency which seems to impede progress since instructors don’t seem to report the level of progress each student is at. I am not sure if there is a communication system since the instructor has never been the same person 2 weeks in a row Instructors are constantly looking at the clock or asking coworkers what time it is. Seeming like they just want the lesson to be over. This week we observed an instructor looking almost every 2 minutes at the clock. Some instructors seem more patient others appear annoyed especially with small children. When asked for progress reports there’s no concrete plan or updates. Owner Andrew is very nice, receptive and accommodating however I think if you have a child who needs some more patience look elsewhere. We tried 1-1 it didn’t seem to make a difference as far as progress. Both his dad and I felt uncomfortable most times our son was there. It appeared that instructors found teaching our son frustrating. Lastly there is not enough seating for parents normally I would not mind standing but I am currently in crutches and cannot put weight on my right leg. It is very uncomfortable to stand the whole time they removed a bench about a month ago so there is not enough seating. Prior review—— Some of the instructors have been great- especially Mr Jackson and his teacher this past week. They were both very patient and my son responded well to them.

May 27th, 2025

Kristina Poli

We love our swim lessons with British Swim School of Lehigh Valley! The instructors are caring, encouraging and knowledgeable. My son has made a lot of progress! But they are also patient with him when he’s having a toddler meltdown. So thankful we found BSS!

August 11th, 2025

naynay _berry

I started the program in March 2025 as a 30 year old with no prior swim experience. Prior to the lessons it was difficult for me to relax in water, float, go under water etc. I do 4 lessons a month at 30 mins each lesson. When i first started the course it was hard to overcome but the instructors guided me through and gave me tips on how to relax and breathe in the water. I would practice at least 1-2 extra times outside of classes too. About 4 months later with patience and consistency I went from not being able to swim at all to learning to float, backstroke and currently perfecting freestyle and breaststroke. I never thought i would be able to swim in my life and now im able to. Thank you for your patience and training looking forward to continuing the lessons. - Shanay

May 28th, 2025

Julius Cancel

Highly recommend all ages for British swim school. They treat my kids that are 9 and 5 years of age that started with zero experience of swimming with careful attention, very welcoming and patience.

May 28th, 2025

Ashley Szalku

Great place for swim lessons, my 5 year old and 5 month old have grown so much, well priced and worth it. I love that it is in a group setting, also l that you get to speak to the owner of the company directly if any concerns, And he is very pleasant to deal with and so are the swim instructor’s.