Teaching with tight class ratios, Frankie Frog Swim School runs lessons for water babies from five months old, preschoolers, and school-age children. Instruction is kept deliberately small, capping preschool classes at two children per teacher, water babies at five, and school-age groups at three. Founded by Anne and Gavin Hulley in 1999, the programme focuses on water safety and confidence before technique. Anne, who received the Nan Nevin Master Teacher Award from the New Zealand Swim Coaches and Teachers Association in 2017, receives regular praise from parents for her gentle, patient approach, her ability to adapt to a child's mood, and the visible progress made by toddlers transitioning from hesitant bobbing to swimming full lengths.
Lessons take place on Boon Street in Sydenham on weekdays only, with preschool sessions scheduled between 9:20am and 2:00pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, and afternoon sessions running through to 7:00pm. Bookings are handled via online form or email. We hear school-age classes are fully booked for the rest of 2026, so families looking for after-school spots will need to plan ahead. Our pick in the south of Christchurch for patient, small-group lessons that nurture nervous beginners.