Manor House Barn

As we head into summer and many families start spending more time around pools, beaches and on holiday 🏖️✈️, water safety becomes more important than ever.

At Manor House Barn Swim School, our swimmers take part in a dedicated Water Safety & Lifesaving Week every 5 weeks because learning to swim is about so much more than strokes and distances 🏊‍♂️🏊‍♀️ — it’s about knowing how to stay safe and what to do in an emergency 🚨

During our lifesaving weeks we teach important skills including:
🛟 Floating on their back to stay calm and conserve energy
📣 Shouting for help confidently
🤝 Understanding how to help someone in difficulty safely without putting themselves at risk
🌊 Building confidence in deeper water and different situations
👕 Swimming in clothes to understand how water can feel different in a real-life situation

These are skills that could one day save their own life or somebody else’s ❤️

Water can be unpredictable, even for strong swimmers, so giving children the knowledge, confidence and awareness to react safely is just as important as learning to swim itself 💙

With parts of the country reaching 29°C today, please share our Summer Water Safety advice to help keep your community safe around water.

⚠️Stay safe:

• Enter the water slowly and carefully
• Stay within reach of others
• Swim in supervised, lifeguarded areas

🛟In an emergency:

• If you fall in or become tired, stay calm, float on your back, and call for help
• If you see someone in difficulty, throw them something that floats
• Call 999
• If you're at the coast, ask for the Coastguard

Take 5 minutes to read our essential summer water safety advice, it could make all the difference in an emergency: www.rlss.org.uk/summer-water-safety

Wrapping up this series with Billy🎸

If you want a lesson that feels like a trip to outer space, you’ve found the right teacher! 🚀🪐 Billy is a master at using creativity to help kids master core aquatic skills, ensuring they leave every lesson feeling braver and full of wonder. ✨💫 Whether you’re playing his famous “Alien Game” 👽 or blasting off like a rocket 🚀🔥, you’ll be building real skills while having the absolute best time! 🏊‍♂️

When he’s not in his goggles smashing out a powerful butterfly set 🦋💪, Billy is usually spreading joy on dry land by performing in a band with his brothers! 🎤🎸🥁 (He’s a total rockstar!) 🎶

He’s a massive fan of the pool 🏊‍♂️ (thanks to his water polo days! 🤽‍♂️) and loves a cold plunge 🧊❄️ to keep his mind and body sharp.

His favourite sea creature is the Loch Ness Monster 🐉🌊 because he loves encouraging kids to explore the water with curiosity and a bit of mystery. 🕵️‍♂️✨ His golden rule? “Don’t worry about being perfect—just focus on the fun, learn those important life skills, and get more confident with every splash!” 🌊💙🌟

Let’s get to know Katharine 🐬

If you’re looking for a teacher who truly cares, Katharine is your go-to! 🤗 She makes it her mission to ensure every student feels happy and safe, always starting her lessons with a friendly check-in to see how your day has been! 👍

She’s also an expert in water safety rescues, making sure our swimmers are as smart as they are skilled. 🛟
Just like her favourite sea creature, the dolphin, Katharine is incredibly chatty and loves to get to know her students! 💬🐬

When she isn’t in the pool perfecting her front crawl, she’s likely out on the trails—she loves to run, and run, and run! 🏃‍♀️💨 Katharine’s golden rule is simple: “Don’t worry! As long as you try your best, that’s all that matters.” ✨🌈

Here’s Meadow 🥰

Meadow is all about building strong, safe swimmers. She believes that learning to float and tread water early is the key to staying safe and having fun! 🏊‍♀️ With her “never give up” attitude, she is an expert at helping students find their confidence one step at a time. ✨👣

When she isn’t in her goggles practising her front crawl, Meadow swaps the pool for the gym to stay fit and healthy. 🥽🏋️‍♀️ She’s a total beach lover who dreams of being a dolphin playing in the waves. 🏖️🐬

If you’re feeling nervous, Meadow’s advice is simple: take it one length at a time and keep on trying—she’ll be there to cheer you on! 📣👏

Kicking off the weekend is Liv 🧜‍♀️

If you’re looking for a real-life mermaid, you’ve found her—she even has the fancy long nails and mermaid hair to match! 🧜‍♀️✨

She is a master at making kids giggle and turns every lesson into an adventure with her fun pool games. 🎈🌊 Whether you are sorting toy sea creatures or practising your mermaid skills, Liv ensures every child feels safe and supported. 🦀🐚

When she isn’t in her goggles gliding through her front crawl, Liv is usually chasing after her 14-month-old daughter. 🏊‍♀️👣 She’s at her happiest when she’s by the beach and is a firm believer that a hot shower is the best way to end a pool day. 🏖️🚿 Her golden rule for students is simple: “Perfection isn’t the goal—bravery is!” 💪🌟

Today’s team member is Gareth 🐙

Gareth is our resident expert at wrangling our wildest, most energetic swimmers! 🤪 With his “just keep smiling” attitude and talent for making everyone laugh, he’s the ultimate “jokester of the sea”—just like his favourite sea creature, the octopus! 🐙

He also brings that high energy to the surface as our Aqua Aerobics and Float Fit instructor, so you can catch him leading a fitness session just as often as a kids’ class! 💪💦

When he’s not in the water (or taking a brave cold plunge! 🧊), Gareth is likely exploring deep underground—he loves caving on his weekends! 🧗‍♂️🔦 Whether he’s wearing his snorkel 🤿 or his caving gear, he knows that mastery takes time. His advice to all his students? Keep practising, because every single attempt brings you one step closer to perfection! ✨🏊‍♂️

Next up is Gina 🐬

Gina’s mission is simple: she wants every student to love the water as much as she does! 🌊 Specialising in confidence building for our youngest swimmers, Gina turns “scary” skills into games. If you’re in her class, expect to master the “Sausage Roll” and leave feeling excited for next week! 🥨

When she’s not being a human dolphin in the pool, Gina is usually hiking the Saddleworth hills ⛰️ or hunting for the best piece of cake in town! 🍰

She is a total beach lover 🏖️ who never forgets her snorkel 🤿 so she can spot all the little fishes. After a day of exploring, she loves a hot shower 🚿 it’s the only way to finish a swim. Her advice for nervous swimmers? “Be brave, try your best, and remember—I’ve got you!” 🤗💖

At Manor House Barn, we believe the best swimming experiences start with a great connection!💙 🤝

To help our wonderful families and new swimmers get to know us a little better, we’re diving into a brand-new series: Meet the Team!🏊‍♀️ ✨

Every day this week, we’ll be profiling a different member of our amazing staff—sharing everything from their top swimming tips to some quirky fun facts you might not know!
🌊 👋 🌈

We couldn’t start this series anywhere else but with the person who keeps everything running swimmingly... Meet Izzy!🌟 ✨

Whether she’s greeting you at the door with a big smile or overseeing things poolside, her passion for swimming is what makes our school so special!🐬

If you want to master the “how” and “why” of swimming, Izzy is your go-to coach!🧠 🏊‍♀️

She has a magic touch for the little details and loves helping swimmers turn technique into real-life skills—usually with plenty of fun and a few laughs along the way.✨ 😄

Her teaching mantra is simple: “Once it clicks, it sticks!”🧩 ✅

While she’s a pro at teaching the rhythm of butterfly (the closest you can get to feeling like a mermaid!), Izzy’s spirit animal is a Great White Shark because she is focused, powerful, and always moving forward.🦋 🦈

When she isn’t poolside, you’ll find her in a coffee shop with her earphones in, at the cinema, or enjoying a long walk in the sun☕ 🎧 🍿 ☀️

💕 Happy Valentine’s Day from Manor House Barn Swim School 💕

We love being part of your swimming journey and watching our swimmers grow in confidence, skill, and smiles every week 🏊‍♀️💦

Wishing all our wonderful families a day full of love, laughter, and fun! 💙

Thank you for being such an important part of our swim family 🐬