AQUATOTS Houghton

SCHOOL INFO

Lessons are taught in an indoor heated pool and swimming lessons happen throughout the year. The pool temperature is also kept at 32C.

Classes are available from Mondays to Fridays. The pool is 9m. There are private changing facilities and classes can be watched comfortably around the pool or you can relax outside.

The client base is a diverse group including religious Jews and Muslims, all races and languages and also many ex-pats. The clients are loyal and every child we have had has sent along with a sibling or referred to a friend or family member. Clients feel comfortable to ask to advise which is given in this supportive environment of teaching you to teach your child to swim.

We have a full-time security guard on duty, ensuring that your vehicles are safe during swimming lessons.

WHAT AGES DO WE TEACH?

AQUATOTS – 6 months -3 years

Parents accompany their child in the water. They participate in group classes and the babies and toddlers learn water safety skills and learn how to swim through play and having fun. Toys, songs and Rhymes are all used as props in the water.

Learn to swim classes:

Children from 3 years no longer need to be accompanied by a parent in the water. They are taught in groups of 2-4. Children are put into groups of similar ability and age. We still use lots of toys, songs and rhymes to make the lessons fun and exciting.

Stroke correction:

Once a child can swim confidently they are then taught the four different strokes. Once a child has mastered all four strokes then we suggest they go to a bigger pool so they can do swimming training.

Adult swimming lessons:

Suitable for beginner adults and beginner strokes.

MEET THE OWNER

Jean Bester is the Owner of AQUATOTS Norwood. She opened her own swim school in 1998 and then in 2003 she expanded and opened up an Aquatots Franchise. Jean is a qualified Junior and Pre-Primary teacher and also a remedial teacher. She taught at various schools for 18 years. During this time she was Head of the Junior Primary phase and Deputy principal of a primary school. Jean has always worked with children and while teaching also taught swimming lessons part-time.

Jean has a vast knowledge and understanding of children and their development and applies this to her swimming pupils and her teacher’s. She loves her job – working with children and the interaction with parents. She likes to follow the progress of her pupils some of whom have gone on to swim provincially.

She has also attended many workshops for Applied Aquatots which gives her the knowledge of working with special needs children and adjusting the Aquatots program to accommodate children with special needs.

Jean has always been a keen sportswoman and loves a challenge in many different sports. Jean is a very keen swimmer and has always loved being in the water. She plays underwater hockey and has represented South Africa at the world championships on five different occasions winning a gold medal twice at the world championships.

She is presently the coach for the Under 23 ladies South African underwater hockey side going to the junior world championships in 2019. This is not the first time she has coached a South African side. She has done so on two previous occasions winning a gold medal in a Southern Hemisphere Championships.

Jean loves the Aquatots philosophy – to teach through play. What better way to learn while having fun at the same time.