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Friendly Otter Swim School

Swimming instructor

"Friendly Otter Swim School teaches at numerous primary schools and international schools, and also provides public and private lessons right here in Singapore.

Coaches are registered by Sport Singapore and MOE. Lessons are according to the SwimSafer National Syllabus, which is recognised widely and officially.

We teach children in the most effective and friendly way to master swimming and enjoy themselves safely. For parents, we charge reasonable and transparent fees, to ensure your money doesn’t go to waste.
We pride ourselves on putting both the children and parents at the center of whatever we do. Contact us for Otterly-Fantastic Swim Lessons."

Monthly Visits
0
2025/4
Address
80 Genting Ln, #06-10, Singapore 349565
Located in: Ruby Industrial Complex - Genting Block
+65 9125 3073
Website Facebook Instagram

Extra Info

Title: Home - Friendly Otter Swim School


URL Source: http://www.friendlyotter.com/


Markdown Content:
Home - Friendly Otter Swim School
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Image 2: Friendly Otter Swim School



Image 3: Home


Welcome to the Friendly Otter Swim School!


We believe in putting both the children and parents at the centre of whatever we do. That means providing effective instruction to children in a safe and friendly environment, while giving the most flexible and fair policies to parents.


Children are taught in a friendly yet effective manner. Most children will see significant improvements in just the first month. We are here to impart confidence, high skills, and a love for the water.


Parents on the other hand, will love our competitive pricing and family-friendly policies. With rainy day protection, flexibility in rescheduling, frequent feedback on their child’s progress, and more, we aim to keep parents delighted.


Want to know more? Click to know more about our coach, fees, location, social media, and FAQ.


Have a question? Reach out to us easily through email or WhatsApp!


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Have been working on the website www.friendlyotter Image 4: Have been working on the website www.friendlyotter.com these past few weeks. Changes: - Refreshed photos. I don't like to use pictures of my actual students as I feel a bit embarrassed to be asking. I know some places just do it, but it doesn't feel right. Have paid for a premium stock photo subscription to get my photos, hope it works - Added a new SwimSafer page with a lot of information. Most parents don't really know about SwimSafer and why its important. Fees and explanations are added. - Added more info under our Fees page. We don't follow traditional monthly or term pricing, and its more of a per lesson basis. I have always felt this is the fairest way to charge. But as such, our way of invoicing is also different from others. Made clearer in this version. I personally serve as the webmaster, social media manager, customer service, accountant, coach, besides other roles. This lets me directly and quickly fix anything that comes up. It is quite a lot of work as compared to simply teaching at a school, but I enjoy the range and autonomy to do what is right for the parent and student.


Why get a SwimSafer Certificate? I am still surp Image 5: Why get a SwimSafer Certificate? I am still surprised by the number of students I encounter who despite years of swimming lessons, have no SwimSafer certificate at all. Without a certificate, their primary school can't be sure of where they can place the child for school swimming lessons. For swimmers who spent hours learning already, they should spend their time and energy where their past efforts are accounted for Only a minority of swim coaches are qualified to teach and assess the Swimsafer curriculum. There are only about 800 coaches who can teach SwimSafer, and only about 300 of those are also Assessors (examiners). Coach Andrew is one of the 300. I believe it is an instructor's responsibility to ease students through their swimming journey and provide nationally recognised milestones. That's why we strive for every primary age student with the Friendly Otter Swim School to attain a SwimSafer certificate within a year of enrollment. #swimsafer #swimminglessons #singaporeswimming


Pictures of otters may be used in lieu of actual s Image 6: Pictures of otters may be used in lieu of actual students as we respect the privacy and wishes of parents and their children. Over 40 students and their parents choose FOSS for their swimming journey and we are immensely grateful. We and our students are not actual otters. Hope that clears up any confusion!


FOSS takes great care in the grouping of our swimm Image 7: FOSS takes great care in the grouping of our swimming classes. We try our best to match children of similar abilities and ages, while not compromising on safety and learning. Class sizes are usually only about five students. We do allow 1-2 more students in the total class size if a class is know to have higher absenteeism (which is absolutely fine and acceptable) and where the children have been with us for a while. What I used to dislike about working for swim schools is being thrown children of vastly different skills, together with having an overly large class size. There are compromises to be made in such scenarios. Safety also becomes a problem in large classes. Swimming is one of the rare sports that if you don't watch your students carefully, they will literally die on the spot. This doesn't happen in soccer, netball, or pretty much any other enrichment activities. Even worse, drowning can happen silently and within seconds. So even we have to turn away students and earn less, we won't compromise on quality and will make sure that everyone gets sufficient swim time.


Finishing up the senior swim coach course by Singa Image 8: Finishing up the senior swim coach course by Singapore Aquatics. Going through it, have been struck by how different coaching is now. It used to be enough to just teach swimming, the physical act of moving through the water. Over the years, more emphasis was placed on safety and regulations, after an increase of drowning incidents. And now, there is new focus on the values being taught through sport. Values like resilience, awareness, and sportsmanship. I think as coaches, we do need to constantly learn and re-learn. So I view the new focus on values as good and will be integrating it more with my lessons. For swimming, we grow strength, courage, and a love for the water.


Pleased to have renewed my MOE registration for th Image 9: Pleased to have renewed my MOE registration for the next three years, letting me coach at local primary school swim programmes. This is for hundreds of children from all over Singapore. As you can expect, the requirements and regulation of swim instructors at the schools is pretty high. Just the 'Expectations of Instructors' pdf sent by MOE is 8 pages long! There are quite a few dodgy swim coaches out there. How would parents know if their swim coach has some kind of bad record? MOE, Sport Singapore, and Singapore Aquatics all work together to ensure professionalism and screening of coaches for the protection of children. These are great efforts, and I am happy to be registered with them.


That terrible moment when you have to tell your fr Image 10: That terrible moment when you have to tell your friends you can't swim. Watched the trailer for "Something in the Water", a movie where a group of besties encounter sharks during their holiday. Looks like a classic tale of discovery and friendship. FOSS pro tip: You don't have to swim faster than the shark, just faster than your friends! 👍


Met a young girl during school swim classes. She o Image 11: Met a young girl during school swim classes. She only knew breaststroke, and only breaststroke after two years of private swimming classes. She didn't know freestyle, how to float on her back, and any other water skills that I would have expected of her age and experience. And her breaststroke wasn't even good. At FOSS, we will go through all the major strokes within 6 months. We also teach underwater swimming, diving, deep water skills, and much more. We do so as such skills are needed for survival and the school swim tests. It also keeps it fun and interesting for the kids. I'm training up that girl and within three lessons she can do so much more already.


It may be a small thing, but we are quite proud of Image 12: It may be a small thing, but we are quite proud of our invoicing practices. Payment is upfront for 4 lessons, and then an invoice for completed services is issued to the parent. Not many swim schools or teachers provide invoices with the actual lesson dates, or even invoices at all. FOSS does this so we are accountable and parents can be sure of what they are getting. Due to our generous policy of not charging for rainy days or child sickness, lessons may not always be week after week. And that's ok! Life happens. There are so many other things that parents need to keep track of, and swimming lesson fees shouldn't be one of them.


Renewed Swimsafer Instructor qualifications recent Image 13: Renewed Swimsafer Instructor qualifications recently in Jan 2024 This qualification allows me to instruct and prepare students for Swimsafer, Singapore's water proficiency test for all primary school students. This includes all stages, such as 1, 2, 3, Bronze, Silver, and Gold. This is also a compulsory qualification to teach MOE programmes for schools. I appreciate the refresher and new updates that allows me to teach more effectively. Hope that more and more students across Singapore benefit and improve their lives through swimming


Why Choose Jalan Besar Swimming Complex for Swimmi Image 14: Why Choose Jalan Besar Swimming Complex for Swimming Lessons? JBSC is sometimes a little forgotten as its tucked away behind shophouses and not close to big residential estates. But its a hidden gem for these reasons! 🦦 Lots of parking available 🦦 Three MRT stations nearby: Bendemeer, Lavender, and Farrer Park. It is a little bit of a walk, bus can be easier depending on where you are. But most public swimming pools aren't close to MRTs anyway. 🦦 Not so crowded pool. Some places like Sengkang and Bedok are nuts on the weekends 🦦 Wading, training, and competition pool for all different ages 🦦 Clean and spacious bathrooms 🦦 Great food around. The garlic naan and tandoori chicken around the corner is especially good. I've been to lots of different public pools over the years and JBSC remains one of my favorites. See you there!


Finished plowing through the Swimsafer 2.0 instruc Image 15: Finished plowing through the Swimsafer 2.0 instructor's manual, updated for 2024. 276 pages cover to cover. Oof. Standards have stepped up and the government is conducting more audits to check on coaches and assessors. Only trust a licensed Swimsafer 2.0 Instructor to prepare your child for Swimsafer, the only swim certification recognised by MOE and Sport Singapore. Most swim coaches out there actually don't have this qualification. There is a lot of unspoken details and 'must-see' criteria that non-NROC/Swimsafer coaches simply don't know. I conduct Swimsafer preparations and tests on a near-daily basis. Experienced coaches know who will make it and who will struggle at a glance. Be assured that coaching at FOSS is only of the best quality, regulated by the government, and catered for children and parents.


More about Coach Andrew, creator of Friendly Otter Image 16: More about Coach Andrew, creator of Friendly Otter Swim School (FOSS) and the Rapid Otter Movement (ROM) method - Obtained NROC Swim Coach Qualification in 2007 (aged 24) - Swimsafer 2.0 instructor - MOE Registered Instructor Swim School experience includes: - Speediswim at Singapore Sports School and Orchard Country Club - Indiana University Bloomington Aquatics programme - SAFRA Fins - Singapore Korean International School - Countless MOE Swimsafer programmes at primary schools such as ACS, RGS, St Margert's, St Gabriel's, Bendemeer, White Sands, Pei Chun, etc - Countless private classes for locals and expats I believe in providing a safe and fun experience for children of all ages. Through patient and thoughtful instruction, children will learn how to be safe in the water and develop stroke proficiency. Just keep on swimming!


Throwback to enjoying the water at Uluwatu, Bali i Image 17: Throwback to enjoying the water at Uluwatu, Bali in Dec 2023. Very fun to wade in during the low tide to search for fish and crabs. At sunset, there was a Kecek dance performance with the sky and ocean as the backdrop. Singapore is an island country, surrounded by tropical paradises like Bali and Phuket. These are great family destinations. Many of the attractions involve water. While having fun, do be aware of the dangers and of water safety. For children, it's easy to be caught out of their depth. I am probably biased but I would definitely recommend swimming lessons before venturing out.


CNY Promotion ending 12 Feb 2024! $88 for first 4 Image 18: CNY Promotion ending 12 Feb 2024! $88 for first 4 lessons only! Limited class availability


Coaching a school co-curricular class at MOE Evans Image 19: Coaching a school co-curricular class at MOE Evans pool today. A full class of ten students, the max allowed by law. Swimming CCAs at schools without a pool are pretty rare. It's quite a bit of trouble for the school to arrange the logistics. To deal with the weather, changing clothes, showering, catching the bus, etc. It's really not easy for the teachers. So I can appreciate how much effort parents take to send their kids to swim classes. That's why I try to make it worth their while by providing the best lessons I can. Learning how to swim is well worth it. It's one of the best gifts that parents can make for their children.


Why choose a National Registry of Coaches (NROC) C Image 20: Why choose a National Registry of Coaches (NROC) Coach? - Only NROC coaches are accredited and recognised by the Singapore education and sports authorities - Only NROC coaches are qualified to teach Swimsafer 2.0, the national swimming proficiency test - Only NROC coaches are allowed to teach local MOE primary school programmes - Only NROC coaches can coach in public pools. Private and condo pools are unregulated and "at your own risk" The journey is get an NROC certification takes years. A candidate has to pass a technical and competitive swim test of all four strokes including butterfly. During my time, more than half of candidates didn't pass. Besides possessing strong swim skills, you have to pass ethical training, safe handling of classes and children, sports science, and many more. Background checks are also conducted by Sports Singapore and MOE. Even after attaining the NROC qualification, there are continuous learning and coaching hours we need to submit to the bodies governing Singapore aquatics. Swimsafer, MOE, and various other certifications are only valid for 2-3 years, before having to be re-checked and renewed. The point being is that a NROC coach is the highest quality coach you can get in Singapore. No question. There is very good reason for such a high level scrutiny and expectations. Children's lives are at stake. This isn't tuition. Swimming is one of those sports where children can die or have serious injuries in seconds. It's a significant responsibility. Non-NROC coaches don't have anywhere close to the same level of training or accountability. Judging from the recruitment criteria (searchable on local job portals), many can barely swim themselves. Many are part-timers, young students, or don't have coaching as their main profession. Before choosing a swim school or coach, ask about the qualifications and experience of the actual coach. Don't just rely on your friend's recommendation or because you saw the coach around the pool. Having a NROC coach doesn't even cost more than a non-NROC coach. We hope that helps you in understanding how to choose a better swim coach!


Great swimming weather recently. The weather wil Image 21: Great swimming weather recently. The weather will continue to improve as we move out of the rainy season into February. Children can look forward to sunny skies and warmer water. The last few months have been one of the wettest in recent memory. Swimming lessons were cancelled throughout Singapore. Parents and children traveled all the way to the pool, only to never touch the water. But yet continue to pay school fees. Unique among swim schools, FOSS monitors the weather and informs parents ahead of time if lessons can't continue. It's a service we feel we have to do to avoid disappointment and wasted time and money for parents. We don't relish cancelling classes either, but there isn't a choice as the pool will be closed for safety reasons. But over the next few months, we expect that the sun will shine and that the children will rapidly pick up invaluable swimming skills.


How can we overcome aquaphobia, a fear of water? Image 22: How can we overcome aquaphobia, a fear of water? The most common way aquaphobia develops is through a traumatizing incident. These include choking on the pool water through improper breath control. Or suddenly being in the deep part of the pool, having water engulf their face and unable to stand. This incidents sometimes develop into lifelong and even crippling fears. Once these fears set in, it is difficult to overcome them. The truth is there is no fast or easy secret to overcoming aquaphobia. It takes time and effort. How we work on it at FOSS is through exposure and play. We take small steps like walking through the water, and asking them to just relax. We ask them to open up and move their hands and legs. We let them have small toys to splash and push around. Progressively, we ask them to put their mouth, then nose, then eyes into the water. Slowly but surely, they can do more. And we praise every new achievement they make. Progress isn't immediate. But its important that coaches and parents be patient and not force the child. Doing so only invites more resistance and tears. But with exposure and patience, children will often see tremendous improvement. They will gain confidence as they learn to control their emotions and fears. I myself gain great pride as I see students move from being terrified of the water to having fun splashing with their friends and family. Don't let fear set in. Consider better Swim Lessons at FOSS.


Introducing the Rapid Otter Movement (ROM) method! Image 23: Introducing the Rapid Otter Movement (ROM) method! https://friendlyotter.com/rapid-otter-movement/ It has honestly been in my head for a long time but have finally written an introduction for it. ROM is a breakthrough method of learning swimming, developed through thousands of coaching hours and students. By focusing on the essentials of swimming such as breathing and buoyancy, children are able to rapidly learn and understand how to move in the water. A lot of focus is also placed on having as much time in the water as safely possible, and avoiding a long queue system. Often times, children will be able to swim a few metres in the very first lesson. While children will have different starting points, we can confidently say that all students will see rapid improvements in the first few months of lessons. Drop us a message to find out more!


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