Caitlin-McDermott-swimexpert-private-swimming-lesson-instructor

Caitlin M

Hi, my name is Caitlin! And swimming has been a huge part of my life from a young age, a way to relax and rewind.

I started helping out as an assistant instructor in 2019 at a local pool, and since then I’ve gone on to qualify as a lifeguard gaining my NPLQ qualification and as an STA Level 2 Swimming Teacher.

I love working with swimmers of all ages and abilities, especially those who are new to the water and feeling a little anxious. Seeing not only their confidence but passion grow lesson by lesson is truly a special thing.

As an autistic teacher, I have a personal understanding of SEND needs, and this really helps me to shape my approach. I’m able to adapt lessons to suit each individual as well creating a calm and supportive environment where every swimmer can learn in a way that works best for them.

Whether it’s helping someone take their very first steps in the pool or guiding them as they refine their technique, I’m passionate about making swimming enjoyable, accessible, and a source of joy for everyone.

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Qualifications And Professional Memberships

  • Qualified for Over 5 years
  • STA Level 2 Swimming Teacher
  • NPLQ Lifeguard
  • Enhanced DBS Checked
  • Fully Insured

Expertise

  • Experience with SEN children
  • Teaching Children Through Play
  • Nervous Beginners
  • Teaching Adults
  • Building Water Confidence
  • Technique Development

My Customer Reviews

Our teachers are experts in their field, but don’t just take our word for it.

See some recent Trustpilot and Google reviews from my happy swimmers!

Trustpilot Review

Caitlin M - Derby branch

I’ve had the pleasure of being coached by Caitlin M. at Swim Expert (Derby branch) for around two months, and the experience has been excellent. She is patient, kind, and creates a very relaxed atmosphere during lessons, which makes a big difference when learning. I started with zero previous experience, and she has helped me progress massively in a short amount of time. Her approach makes you feel comfortable while still pushing you to improve. The initial phone call with Swim Expert was also very straightforward, and the setup process was smooth. They’ve consistently communicated well via email, keeping me informed of anything I need to know. I would highly recommend Caitlin to anyone looking for swim lessons !

SA

Trustpilot Review

Caitlin is absolutely brilliant

Caitlin is absolutely brilliant- she has looked after our needs so well- very very accommodating- many many thanks

Mrs mahmood

Google Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my swim lessons delivered by SwimExpert instructor Falah (and sometimes Caitlin). As a beginner who could barely swim 10 meters without almost collapsing, I'm amazed at how quickly I improved in endurance, stamina and in techniques on front and back crawl as well as breaststroke and butterfly in 10 hours of lessons. It is a testament of how effective the instructors were. Falah's emphasis on good techniques and his encouragement helped me build confidence and learnt to stay relaxed when swimming. I'm looking forward to my next batch of lessons in the near future to build on what I learnt so far. I will certainly recommend SwimExpert to any one keen to improve his/her swimming techniques.

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Swim faster, smarter and more confidently with 1-to-1 instruction from the UK’s leading swim specialists

  • Private 1-to-1 Lessons for focused learning
  • Tailored Coaching Plans based on ability
  • Expert Coaches across premier UK venues
  • Locations all over England

We pride ourselves not only on delivering exceptional swimming lessons, but also on delivering them in a safe environment

FAQs

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TrustScore 4.6/5

Excellent

TrustScore 4.6/5 - Excellent

Transformative

Matthew is helping my son regain confidence as a swimmer after not enjoying swimming at school. Individual lessons are well worth the investment. He is a calm and encouraging teacher. I like the way he shows different techniques until he finds the right one for the child.

marie-adele murray

Matthew has been an amazing swim instructor

Matthew has been an amazing swim instructor for our autistic 5-year-old son. Our son is non-verbal, and Matthew has shown incredible patience, understanding, and skill in helping him learn to swim. He creates a calm, supportive environment and has built a wonderful connection with him. We are so proud of the progress our son has made and it’s largely thanks to Matthew’s dedication and encouragement. Seeing him grow in confidence and do so brilliantly in the water has been fantastic. We can’t recommend Matthew highly enough. Thank you !

Sabine

Excellent Triathlon Swim Coaching with Hollie

I’ve been having swimming lessons with Hollie while training for a triathlon, as I wanted to improve my freestyle technique and feel more confident in the water. Hollie has been brilliant, she has a great eye for detail and was able to quickly pick up on areas I needed to work on, giving clear, practical feedback that made a real difference. Her coaching style is encouraging and very focused on technique, which has helped me understand what to improve and how to improve it. She has also given me specific training drills to work on outside of lessons, helping me build my fitness, improve my technique and make my training more structured. I’ve come away from the lessons feeling much more confident in my swimming and better prepared for my triathlon training. Highly recommend Hollie to anyone looking to improve their swimming, whether for fitness, technique or event training.

Amandeep B.

Highly efficient …brilliant…

Highly efficient …brilliant locations….excellent customer service very accommodating. The instructors are professional punctual excellent at what they do. Highly recommend Christian T my girls love him he’s fun and kind but gets them to somehow do the hard work in a enjoyable way. They LOVE their swim sessions…best part is their gaining the skills and reaching milestones at a steady pace.

Faiza Khan

Great 1:2:1 swimming Teacher

We could not be happier with Chester as a swimming teacher for our 5 yr old daughter. She had really helped grow her confidence in the water.

Mineral Man

SwimExpert: Chester (Kam Sau Y) instructor

Chester (Kam Sau Y) has been a brilliant instructor. My son, Jack, and we as parents were extremely impressed during the trial session so much so that Jack immediately asked if Chester could be his swimming instructor. She was originally fully booked, and the only available slot was 5:30–6:00 pm on Sundays, which didn’t work for us. Despite this, she was incredibly kind and adjusted her schedule to start earlier so she could accommodate us. That alone shows her dedication and commitment. Jack has now completed his fifth lesson. He loves and keeps looking forward to his every session and we can already see a noticeable improvement in both his skills and his confidence in the water. We especially appreciate that Chester incorporates life‑saving techniques, such as what to do in an accidental fall into the water something particularly important given the recent news during the hot weather. It truly shows how much she cares about her students’ safety and overall development. What we value most about Chester is her focus on building strong foundations. Whenever Jack performs a technique incorrectly, she stops him immediately to correct it, ensuring he learns the right way from the start. This level of attention and professionalism makes a huge difference, as it prevents bad habits that would be harder to fix later on. So thank you Chester!

Brenely Smith

Excellent Swimming Instructor – Highly Recommend Marius

I started swimming lessons as a complete beginner, and Marius has been an excellent instructor. He is patient, professional and explains techniques clearly, making them easy to understand and put into practice. Each lesson is well structured and I can see a noticeable improvement in my swimming ability since I started. Marius is encouraging, knowledgeable and genuinely invested in helping his students progress. I would highly recommend him to anyone looking to learn swimming or improve their technique.

Soffiaa Anglo Charles

Marius has been really amazing

Marius has been really amazing teacher to my Autistic Son. He knows how to tackle the situation and go through his interest along with teaching him to be confident in water. I am very happy and satisfied.

Susma Rana

Mel B Swim Expert Basingstoke - got my son swimming in 6 sessions

Mel B has been fantastic in getting my 10 year old son to swim. I honestly could not believe my eyes, seeing the rapid improvement in my boy’s ability. We’d tried group lessons at the town pool when he was younger. I spent £400 there in total and he’d learnt nothing. So I thought I’d give 1-2-1 lessons a go. The change in my son’s attitude was instant. Before getting into the pool with Mel B, he was a boy who wouldn’t put his head back in the water. Within 15 minutes he was floating on his back! Yesterday, after his sixth session he swam his first length! Mel B teaches in a methodical way, making it fun too, so my boy doesn’t realise he’s being gently encouraged to do more and progress. Her attention and focus on their learning is 100 per cent. Thanks so much Mel! (Apollo Hotel, Basingstoke)

rhiannon hoskins

Matthew has done a fantastic job

Matthew has done a fantastic job with our 5-year-old son. He has made tremendous progress in the last few weeks and had a lot of fun too. Highly recommended.

David Williams

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