• Private Class of Three
  Semi private lessons allows your child more individual attention.
• Heated enclosed pools - 32 degrees Celsius (max)
  Provides a comfortable learning environment. Special roof blocks out 100% UVA and UVB, yet allows in heat.
• Parents viewing room
  Separate Private Parents viewing lounge. This allows parents and other members of the family to experience the lesson from a safe, dry, quiet, and humidity free viewing area.
• All Ages are Welcome
  Babies, toddlers, pre-school, school age, stroke correction and adults. (Aqua aerobics at selected centers).
• Friendly, Qualified Teachers
  All teachers are AUSTSWIM qualified and the owner/operators undergo  extensive and ongoing training. All Shapland Swim Schools are Swim  Australia Certified. 
• Life-Long Life Saving Skill
  Learn to swim the correct way from the start and you’ll have a lifesaving skill for the rest of your life.
• Free Make-up System
• Tailored Payment System

CEO Statement

My vision was to supply smaller more personalized specialist learn to swim centers throughout south east Queensland where we could offer semi private lessons so that your child could get more individual attention. My family have leased public pools and owned indoor heated pools where the atmosphere (humid and odoriferous) and environment  (large classes and lots of classes in the pool at any one time) was not ideal to teach children and adults their Personal Aquatic Survival Skills. 

In 1973, after twenty six years in the swimming industry, my parents "Bernie" and "Tuppy" Shapland  opened the first of these specialised swim schools, (which still operates very successfully), on which all the other Shapland Swim Schools were modelled.

By using franchising as a tool I was able to deliver this dream (smaller more personalised centers) as our franchisees are able to supply the most important ingredients for a successful swim school, stability, 100% commitment and passion for making a difference in childrens lives.

Chris Shapland  

"Pop" Shapland with Chris Shapland 1948

Six Decades of Teaching

My grandfather Thomas “Pop” Shapland was teaching swimming in Toowoomba in the late 1930’s.

His son Bernard “Bernie” Thomas Shapland and Dorothy “Tuppy” Shapland (my parents) secured the lease of the Toowoomba Municipal Baths; an old fill and drain pool; in 1947. From that date on there has always been a Shapland teaching or coaching swimming as a profession. Over the last sixty years we have developed what I consider world’s best practices for swim schools.

By franchising my family business Shapland Swim Schools then had access to lots of fresh minds and ideas. So not only do we have six decades of Shapland experience we now have sixteen years of input from our very talented and committed franchisees, which when combined, gives Shapland’s a tremendous advantage in the industry because we supply stability, commitment, continuity and passion.

Swim School Information

Common to all Shapland swim schools are the following:

1. Three pupils per class with a maximum of two classes in the pool at any one time.
2. Exactly the same pool design featuring eight different water depths.
3. Enclosed heated pool - 32 degrees Celsius all year round.
4. Free lesson make up system.
5. Separate parent/sibling viewing area mostly heated or air conditioned according to the season.
6. Tailored payment system. Normally a monthly payment system however some Shapland swim schools offer payment for up to three months.
7. Because we do not run our programme by the school term we are able to offer a seamless swimming programme. This means once you have a secured a spot in a Shapland swim school, this becomes your permanent spot and you never have to rebook at the end of each school term. The only time you should need to change your lesson time is if your circumstances change e.g. your child is going to prep, your work days change, sleep times change etc..