Aquarius Swim School at The Alan Higgs Centre
Aquarius Swim School, run by CV Life, teaches group lessons from age two and a half through to adult in the Alan Higgs Centre's 50 metre pool, with cheaper rates for Go CV cardholders.
Who it suits
Coventry families and adults from age two and a half up wanting council-run group lessons in a full-length competition pool, especially anyone who already holds a Go CV discount card.
Why it stands out
- Lessons run in a 50 metre pool with a Pool Pod hoist and accessible changing rooms, the only Olympic-length pool any provider in this directory uses
- The programme runs 50 weeks a year with continuous assessment, so children move up a stage as soon as they're ready instead of waiting for a new term
- Go CV cardholders pay up to £5 less a month than the full price, and concession cardholders save further still
- Adult, Aquatots, Daytime Duckling and Female Only sessions can only be booked by phone or in person, not online
Our verdict
A 50 metre pool with a hoist and 50 weeks of lessons a year is a genuinely different offer to a small teaching pool, and the Go CV discount rewards Coventry residents who already hold the card. Do not book expecting a published class size or waiting list, because neither is stated anywhere on CV Life's own pages, and do not expect a separate learner pool either. The Alan Higgs Centre's own materials describe one 50 metre pool alongside a spa pool, with no dedicated shallow teaching pool mentioned, so very young or nervous swimmers are learning in the same water as everyone else.
What it is
The Alan Higgs Centre is a large sports complex on Allard Way, and Aquarius is CV Life’s own swim school brand there, sitting inside a venue that also has a gym, a fitness studio, a 3G pitch and a skate park. The pool itself is 50 metres long with a Pool Pod hoist for accessible entry. If you’re using satnav rather than the postcode printed on CV Life’s own site, the centre’s page tells drivers to enter CV3 1JP, which is the postcode used in this listing; the address as printed elsewhere doesn’t resolve on a standard postcode lookup.
Who should book
Anyone from around two and a half years old through to adult wanting group lessons on a council budget. Pricing runs on three tiers: full price, a Go CV card rate, and a further discount for Go CV cardholders who also qualify for concessions. A 30-minute monthly slot starts at £34.50 without a card. There’s also a 60-minute Multi Aquatics option and a 14-week Daytime Ducklings course for £112.00, though Daytime Ducklings and a few other session types have to be booked by phone or in person rather than online.
What stands out
Continuous assessment across 50 weeks a year means a child who’s ready to move up isn’t stuck waiting for the next term to start, which is a real advantage over providers running strict term-time blocks. The Go CV card tiers are also worth checking before you enrol, since the difference between full price and the concession rate is £5 a month on the standard lesson, which adds up over a year.
The verdict
For council pricing in a 50 metre pool with a hoist, this is solid value, particularly if you already hold a Go CV card. What’s missing is the detail a nervous parent would want: no published class size, no waiting list information, and no confirmed separate teaching pool for the youngest or least confident swimmers, so a first lesson here may feel bigger and more open than a small dedicated learner pool elsewhere in this directory. Families who want that reassurance in writing before they book should look at CV Life’s other venues or call ahead.