Swimmers come first: British Swim School hopes to make splash in Buffalo Grove

British Swim School, a franchise with about 500 locations across the U.S. and Canada, has taken the plunge into Buffalo Grove.

The new location is inside the Four Points by Sheraton hotel at 900 W. Lake-Cook Road. Owner Rajesh Desikan, a Libertyville resident and healthcare executive, rents pool space inside the hotel's fitness center.

“Anywhere where there's a pool, there's an opportunity to have a swim lesson,” he said.

The object, Desikan said, is to put the swimmers first.

“Our mission is to give anybody the opportunity to be a safe and happy swimmer,” he added.

Desikan first encountered the program as a customer, enrolling his daughters at British Swim School’s Libertyville location. The approach to safety stood out, he said.

Unlike some programs that stop accepting students at age 12, British Swim School teaches infants, children, teenagers, adults and people with special needs.

The setting, with small class sizes and a quieter environment, is part of the appeal, according to Desikan.

“A lot of people are afraid of the water. They have anxiety. They need more of a calm space where they can learn to be safe in the water, he said. “We provide all that here.”

The curriculum moves through four stages: water acclimation, water survival, stroke development and pre-swim team training.

Class sizes run from one instructor per four students up to one per six during stroke development. Private lessons are also available. Classes meet evenings on weekdays and mornings on weekends.

Group lessons start at $160 per month; private lessons are $400 per month.

Desikan plans to open a second location in Palatine at The Grand at Twin Lakes, a retirement community near routes 53 and 14.