Otter Tots at Mylnhurst School
Otter Tots, family run since 2003, teaches babies and toddlers at Mylnhurst School's 30 degree pool in Ecclesall, from £156 a term, with New Baby classes on weekdays and Pre-School at weekends.
Who it suits
Sheffield parents of babies and toddlers up to pre-school age who want a small, family run school over a corporate chain, and who can commit to a full term rather than pay by the lesson.
Why it stands out
- Otter Tots was started by Victoria Kennedy in 2003; her husband Alistair and daughters Eleanor and Charlotte have since joined as teachers
- The pool is kept at 30 degrees, warmer than most council leisure pools, inside Mylnhurst School's own building
- New Baby classes run on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings; weekend sessions add Young Toddler, Toddler and Pre-School classes
- Parents choose between a class with a parent in the pool (Water Confidence) and one without, at different prices, on weekend sessions
- Terms are billed upfront with no refund or credit for a missed lesson, though pool closures are rescheduled rather than refunded
Our verdict
This is a small, family run alternative to the national baby swim chains, and the 30 degree pool inside Mylnhurst School is genuinely warmer than most council options. Do not book if you need to pay lesson by lesson or expect a refund for a missed Saturday, since Otter Tots bills the whole term upfront and will not credit you for lessons you skip. Parking is also limited to 18 school spaces at weekends only, so check the timetable before assuming you can drive straight there.
What it is
Otter Tots is an independent, family run swim school that Victoria Kennedy started in 2003. Her husband Alistair joined as a teacher in 2010, and daughters Eleanor and Charlotte followed in 2015 and 2017, and the school now runs lessons across several pools in South Yorkshire and Derbyshire. The Mylnhurst School site in Ecclesall is one of two Otter Tots venues in Sheffield, and it is the group lesson pool rather than the private one-to-one venue the school also runs nearby.
Who should book
Parents of babies from around 10 weeks up to pre-school age. New Baby classes run Tuesday and Wednesday mornings with a parent in the water throughout. At weekends the timetable adds Young Toddler, Toddler and Pre-School sessions, some with a parent in the pool and some without, at £156 and £174 a term respectively. There is no group provision here for children old enough to swim lengths unaccompanied; that side of Otter Tots’ work happens at other venues.
What stands out
The pool itself, at 30 degrees, runs warmer than most council pools that host baby classes, which matters if your baby is small or the weather is cold on the walk in. Because Otter Tots is still run by the family that founded it, the same handful of named teachers, Victoria, Alistair, Eleanor, Charlotte and colleague Tom, show up across the timetable rather than a rotating pool of staff. The trade-off for that continuity is a strict administration policy: lessons are booked and paid for a full term at a time, and a missed Saturday is not refunded or credited.
The verdict
For parents who want a small operation with the same people teaching week to week, Otter Tots at Mylnhurst delivers that, and the warmer pool is a real point in its favour over a standard leisure centre baby session. Do not book if your family needs flexibility. There is no pay-as-you-go option, missed lessons are not refunded, and weekend parking is limited to 18 spaces in the school’s own car park, so a change of plan costs you either the lesson or a walk from the surrounding streets.
More Otter Tots venues
All Otter Tots venuesOtter Tots teach private one-to-one and 2-to-1 swimming lessons for children and adults in a converted summer room pool on Knowle Lane, Ecclesall, from £230 a term, after school or Saturday mornings.