Swimming Pools in West Midlands

Most of the 20 are leisure centres in Birmingham and its suburbs, and the first question for parents is pool depth. Kingstanding Leisure Centre and Beeches Pool & Fitness Centre both get credit from reviewers for shallow ends where toddlers can stand and splash without constant adult support. At the other end, Commonwealth games aquatic swimming pool in Smethwick has a 1.2m minimum depth, so it suits confident swimmers of six and up, and The Sir Doug Ellis Woodcock Sports Centre runs at 1.8m throughout, which means close supervision for anyone still learning.

For lessons, the names that come up most are Wyndley Swimming Baths, with three separate pools including a heated training pool, Harborne Pool & Fitness Centre, where instructors draw consistent parent praise, and Sparkhill Pool & Fitness Centre, which reviewers rate for patient teaching of nervous beginners. Swimming.org's Poolfinder lists Harborne, Ladywood Leisure Centre and Sandwell Aquatics Centre as accessible venues following a learn to swim programme. Sandwell's 50m pool is the one for serious swimmers, though parents warn of parking delays and family sessions that fill quickly.

If the aim is a day out rather than lengths, Waterworld in Stoke-on-Trent runs its slides on rotation across a wide difficulty range, and Cocks Moors Woods Leisure Centre pairs a 25m pool with what its own site describes as a 50m flume, plus a Sunday roller disco.

Northfield Leisure Centre is the one to know for a pool pod and changing places room with hoist. Moseley Road Baths is a heritage swim rather than a leisure pool, and has closed during refurbishment periods, so confirm it is open before setting off.