British Swim School at 24 Hour Fitness – Potrero Hill

Alyssa has been absolutely outstanding as a kids’ swim instructor, especially when it comes to her customer service. From the very first interaction, she greeted us with a warm and welcoming attitude, making both the children and parents feel comfortable right away. She took the time to answer every question thoroughly and always made sure that we understood the schedule, safety rules, and progress updates. Her communication was clear, kind, and professional, which really set the tone for a positive experience.

We have been coming for two years now. One kid started two years ago as a starfish and is now Shark 1. The other kid has just recently started as a Starfish. British swim school has many great instructors who are really patient with kids. Both of our kids took some time to get acclimated to the water and the required skills. We really appreciate how the instructors were able to deal with them! Shout out especially to Maddy and Eduardo, but also to many instructors whose name I am forgetting now. We also love the make-up class flexibility. Compared to the Ocean Ave location, this location has more light, always parking (a nightmare at Ocean Ave), and slightly less background noise. This is our favorite BSS location in the Bay :) as in it’s the most convenient. The gym environment pool itself is just okay. Restrooms etc could be cleaner.

Maddy is incredible! She’s always so bubbly, patient and flexible with my toddler. My child was comfortable enough to jump straight into the water onto her arms during the first session. She sings and keeps the kiddo on her arms at all times to keep the kiddo safe in a playful way. We are so lucky to be working with her! Highly recommending getting on her schedule whenever possible!

BEWARE – Hidden Billing Rules, Rigid Policies, and a Crying Toddler 😡💔 We took our toddler to British Swim School in SF thinking we’d try ONE class and then decide. Instead, they charged us for three right away. From day one, our child cried his heart out the entire time. We asked to be in the water with him to help — they said yes… then changed their minds the next class saying. Later, they told us to be completely out of sight. Each time, he screamed at the top of his lungs, and my heart broke watching it. 💔 Here’s the kicker: after those classes, when we wanted to cancel, they suddenly mentioned a “one-month cancellation notice” buried in their terms. I was NEVER shown this before paying. Classes are non-refundable and non-transferable, so we’re now paying for classes we will not use — and they’ll still charge us again. This has been mentally exhausting — not just for my child, but for us as parents trying to protect our child’s well-being. Also, I am surprised to see the progress report after every class: it says my child is learning whereas I can see from my own eyes that its not true AT ALL. Our toddler came away from these classes with increased fear and anxiety around swimming. Parents, please learn from us: demand every policy in writing before you pay. And think twice before trusting a place that’s quick to charge but slow to listen to a child in distress.

This school is probably fine for kid classes but as an adult not a great choice. Pool is small, and 2 instructors with kids sharing the lane so no way of swimming a full length, it might be ok if you are new to the water and trying to get comfortable but definitely not if you can swim already are looking to improve technique as you can’t really do drills, oh, and the facility is pretty disgusting. The instructors were nice.