My daughter loves her swim time! But I do want to bring a situation to light. The parents here can be racist and at time prejudice. My daughter attends this location with her father. I have come to only 2 of her practices and both times I had issues for just being who I am! Oh I yelled to loud and I scared a mom so bad she fell over! I tried to park my car so I was yelled at because I scared a family! Like come on!!!!! I no longer wish to join my family during practice and wish more locations were available to choose from! My girl loving this place is the only reason I have not pulled her out! But I have no desire to visit due to the issues I have encountered. read more

Don't go here! The makeup policy is horrendous, it's impossible to use, and you end up losing so much money. Go to the high school or the Brookline rec center instead!! read more

TL;DR: The school charged my credit card without notifying me, and they won't let you withdraw early or provide a refund. Also, ~$1300 later, my toddler still does not know now to float or swim without assistance. I purchased the 6-month package for my daughter for $1,040. After a few sessions in the M2 class, I felt she was ready to move up to M3 and asked if she could be placed there. I was told she was definitely ready, though it felt odd that this recommendation hadn't come from the instructors themselves. Usually, I would expect the teachers to initiate a level change if a child is ready. Still, we moved her up and she did fine. A few weeks later, I noticed an unexpected ~$300 charge from Goldfish on my credit card. I called and emailed multiple times and didn't get a straight answer until someone finally explained that M3 is more expensive than M2, and I was being charged the difference. No one had told me this in advance when I spoke with them earlier about changing classes. Furthermore, the Goldfish website does not state that the $1,040 package is not a flat rate for all classes over the 6-month session. When I asked to cancel the remaining sessions and withdraw early because of this unexpected charge, I was told that refunds aren't allowed and Kya had to finish up her package. My follow-up email was ignored. Needless to say, I'm disappointed in how this school handles pricing and communication. Finally, I initially enrolled my toddler in these lessons so she'd become more comfortable in the water and learn to swim or float. After spending $1,300, she still doesn't like putting her face in the water and hasn't made meaningful progress with swimming or floating. read more

We sign up our son for jump start clinic. He attended it for 3 weeks every day and did not make any progress, despite not being afraid of the water at all. His teachers were changing frequently despite we were promised to have the same one through the classes. Some lanes had one or no children, while others were overcrowded with 4 kids. I'm very disappointed. read more

My son has been taking swimming lessons for a while now at this location but for the past 3 months, we could not attend regularly due to family/health reasons. To ensure we do not lose the swim lessons that was already paid for, I requested for make up tokens, which was granted. Despite being absent for nearly 3 months, this goldfish team kept sending me progress reports on my son's skills. They also kept withdrawing money from my account and had the audacity to send me multiple threatening messages via email over a 24 hours that my son will be dis-enrolled if I do not make a payment for the month of January. However, no one from their team pondered or even considered to check why my som was absent. Today, I told them I would like to have my son start his lessons again to make up for the tokens he lost and they told me he was already dis-enrolled and in order to get the tokens back for swimming lessons that I already paid for, I have to re-enroll him. Best to say this team does not know how to communicate timely and compassionately. Importantly, they could care less about your child's swimming skills. They only want money- their bottom line.... read more

Our son Riley started taking class the day after he turned 4 months old, and has been going 2-3 times a week since then! He absolutely loves Goldfish swim class (Mini 1), And we go to open swim on Tuesdays and Friday 12-1. He has always been comfortable in water, but we've seen huge improvements in just 2 months! He kicks his legs, pulls with his arms! We think the swimming has really helped him with crawling / tummy time too. His instructor Alivia is great and all the staff are really friendly and welcome ya by name each time we visit. We got the year membership and will be having his first birthday at Goldfish too! Love it! read more

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I began swim lessons with my nine month old son at Goldfish Brookline a month ago. They have amazing COVID protocols in place- temperature check upon arrival, individual changing rooms sanitized between each use, one way traffic, staff sanitizing and adapting all equipment, and mask/ face shield wearing in and out of the pool. There is also a parent watch area that is socially distanced and behind glass. In my mini class, there are only two other babies so I feel safe and we get lots of attention and instruction- I can see the staff following a curriculum throughout the lesson. The water warm- my baby loves is and is always so relaxed! Swim class is our favorite time of the week! My husband, sister and mom have love joining in the fun and bringing our baby to swim as well. HIGHLY RECOMMEND! read more

Goldfish Swim School - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

I watched my kid for a 30 minute lesson and she was physically in the water for 4 minutes. place may have been good pre-pandemic but is really terrible now. not worth the money. also there is a new teacher every week and they aren't engaged really at all, plus they often are short staffed and have seen 4+ kids per instructor. read more

Although my child enjoyed Goldfish Swim School-Brookline, she contracted moscollum bumps and I withdraw her from the program. The doctor says it is from the pool. What a bummer ! So, I question Goldfish's cleaning practicing ! read more

As a family of 2 we have enjoyed Goldfish's approach to teaching although we find the actual time in water too short. $135 per kid per month for 4 sessions of barely 30min is certainly costly. Pool is clean, instructors are nice. The membership system has limited flexibility as when your kid(s) cannot attend a class (sickness, vacation, event...) your are given tokens that can be re-used in the future (in theory). In practice it proves to be too constraining as available slots for these make up classes are often on random week days at random time, with often a different instructor. Tokens cannot be used for your routine slot which for us is problematic. read more

I rarely write reviews, but I've had such an amazing experience with this place that I need to share it. My oldest son has been enrolled here for almost two years (he is 3yo) and since day 1 we have been in love with this swim school. We started him when he was 14mo on the parent - baby class, and then when he was 30mo we made the transition to him being with an instructor. This was hard on him but the coaches were nothing short of amazing to him, Tim the manager even jumped in the pool to help comfort him during these first few classes of him being without me or my husband. Yulie and Kyle are also two fantastic coaches who constantly treat my little one with so much kindness and support, they are usually in the pool area ready to help and make sure everybody is doing ok. Their customer service is also incredible. All in all we are very grateful we found this school for our boys. read more

Would not sign up for lessons here again. Lost respect for this organization when I made an honest mistake and left the building while my daughter was in her lesson. I have taken my daughter to lessons at Charles River Aquatics and BU Fitrec and in both cases, they allow you to leave the building while your child is in their lesson. I received a call in which an assistant director spoke to me sternly and like I was a child, stating that they are not a babysitting service. I was truly mortified that I had not seen that particular detail in the fine print and immediately apologized profusely. I hurried back to the building to which I entered receiving a not so hospitable welcome. I earnestly apologized again to which I just received a condescending blank stare from the person who'd called me. I felt extremely belittled for a mistake that I fully owned and immediately took responsibility for. Further, upon arrival, I found out that my daughter happened to decide she did not want to be in the pool during this same lesson. So when I arrived, she was sitting near the door. Other programs have the children sit on the side of the pool and encourage them to get back in the water when they are ready. I was very disappointed in the way this whole situation was handled. read more

My children attend the Brrokline location. There is one child in a class of four not following instructions, therefore requiring one full instructor at all times. The school has not added another instructor to make up for the time for the other three children. I talked to two managers, they are incapable of resolving the issue. read more

Absolutely love this place! We go to family night at least once a week. The pool is very Chile friendly with platforms they can stand on, many floating toys, life jackets and many lifeguards. It's so much better than a public pool read more

Such nice people. They had an old listing for the time family swim on the website which had not been updated instead of turning us away they opened up the pool just for us. I would still be taking lessons here if I had not moved out if the area. read more

I have had my daughter's birthday parties in the past at Needham Goldfish. They had the best service, made sure our guests were hydrated by offering bottles of water. All utensils were also provided along with a knife to cut the cake. They had also assisted with cutting the cake and distributing. They were also good with coordinating all the kids for a group picture. Brookline did not offer water nor cake cutting service. We literally had to cut the cake with a regular plastic knife and distribute the Cake ourself to our guests. Also, I felt like I had to continue to request for refills on plates and napkins. As for group pictures, I had to coordinate the kids to gather together for pictures. Will not recommend having your birthday parties in Brookline. read more

Trying to book a class or even see the schedule is next to impossible. The classes were decent, but if I can't give them money online to come to class, it's a huge waste of time. They suggested I call every day to hear the schedule, but you end up in a phone tree. Going to Boston University Swim School instead. read more

Our child started at Goldfish Swim School in Glider 1 classes, unwilling to put his face in the water. He's gone up 4 class levels at Goldfish and is now in Pro 2. He went to the April vacation camp at the JCC, and they require kids to pass a swim test to swim without a life preserver. Thanks to his Goldfish lessons, our 8 yo was one of very few kids who passed the test! The staff are also wonderful (especially Zaria)--friendly and super accommodating. read more

I was excited to enroll my Child to golf fish coz its was so convenient, easy to drive and no parking issue but I really felt bad now its a mistake since they are not giving adequate amount of time what i am paying to them . Each child gets 7-8 mins in 30 mins session. I felt that kids are waiting,waiting for the turn to come. They should give 4 kids to 2 instructors so kids get at least 15 min time slot with instructors, I know it always safety issue but they should get more time with instructors as I m paying that amount. Additionally, they are also slow in teaching. I would not sign my child again here and will not recommend anyone. read more

We moved our kids' membership from Needham to Brookline because it is closer to our house. However, the instruction and facility is highly inferior at the Brookline location. It's very disappointing. We will be moving back to the Needham location. At the Brookline location, there isn't a kids area, the quarters are quite tight, and the showers autoshutoff every 15 seconds. You can't walk in the place without bumping into another parent or kid. Too many small annoyances that make the experience unpleasant. Hopefully, this changes at the Brookline location. read more

Amazing swim program and facility! Took my cousin here for a swim lesson the other day and was super impressed with the engagement of the swim instructors and how clean and welcoming the facility was. The GM, Adrian, is fantastic. Thanks Goldfish! read more

Front desk staff are condescending. one young lady in particular always seems like she doesn't want to work there and flippant whenever asked for assistance. She's been there for a while. read more

I'm revising my previous review, as I have had the chance to appreciate Goldfish for what it does well, which is to provide a clean and modern facility that has very warm water in the pool + warm air temperature. This is so important for young children during the cold New England winters. We come here for open swim and find it to be a good experience. read more

They used to be better. Now half the lanes are empty and kids of different levels are crammed in one lane. They still maintain the 4 kids per lane ratio but most of the instructors are just standing outside and only one instructor per lane. In 30 mins, our child swam only 3 laps total. Hope they start doing better or we are going to leave. read more

Worst experience ever!! Class was boring even for the first experience class, and when I ask front desk for cancel membership and future class, they said will call me back but never!! I try to call them but no one pick up the phone no one reply the email. Still charge me $110 for nothing. I have no idea how can they survive in this kind of situation. read more

Really the review is for zero stars but yelp doesn't have that option. We had our daughter in a toddler swim class and she fell in the pool-- no one noticed, not her instructor, not the lifeguards-- she sank to the bottom and I had to run in screaming to get her out of the pool. Our daughter could have died that day. I have spoken with the operations team about the incident and they were extremely apologetic and recognized areas for improvement. The bottom line is that a new location should not operate unless it is truly ready, and all the staff are aware and responsive to the grave responsibility that they have. Business decisions are hard, but the right call would be to close pending further staff training. It is just too high risk. read more

Our daughter has been swimming here since four months old. It really has been amazing to watch her development over the past year. She really loves the water and looks forward to class each week. At sixteen months old she is floating on her back and kicking (with only the assistance of holding her head), comfortable jumping in the water, climbs out the pool, and so much more. The team and all the instructors are amazing. We even held her one year old birthday party here and it was a SPLASH! We highly recommend the school. read more

Wow. Just wow. Amazing. I am so blessed to have came across goldfish. My kiddos love everything about it. Jenn was absolutely great. What an amazing instructor. The lifeguards were incredibly vigilant. And most important... having the chance to work with the GM Adrian was an absolute delight. He's amazing. He made our experience so much fun. Thank you for everything you guys do! read more

Here's the good---newer facilities and convenient location. Here's the bad---the quality of instruction is low. The turnover of teachers seems high. We never seem to have the same teacher every week. They cram four kids into half of a tiny lane, and each kid gets maybe 8 to 10 minutes of instruction, if you're lucky. For a place that caters to kids, the staff, even the deck supervisor, lack empathy and patience. My kid was having a rough time (as kids do sometimes), and a deck supervisor gave me a dirty look as if to say get control of your kid. The front desk staff is a mixed bag, too. Some are nice but others are unhelpful and downright rude. They're all about making money. There's nothing wrong with that but then deliver high-quality service. Goldfish is like a fast-food service for swim lessons, all gimmick but no substance. I have not been happy with this place and would not recommend it to my friends. I'm actually looking for an alternative swim school. If anyone knows of a good one, please let me know! read more

Hands down the best swim school in the Boston area. We have been taking multiple classes over the past two weeks and my two boys 5 and 7 have made more progress here in two weeks than they have in over two years of swim lessons elsewhere. My shy 5-year-old who previously always resisted swim lessons, which often ended in tears, has done a 360 degree change in attitude since taking classes at Goldfish. The instructors are truly exceptional with children - making the lesson a very fun, happy and yet very constructive, safe experience. The staff are exceptionally kind and jolly, going out of their way to help and make sure that everyone has the best experience possible. The entire swimming pool is set up to be kid-friendly and as safe as possible. The mobile platforms in the water are GENIUS and makes the experience much more appealing to younger, beginning swimmers in particular. So happy to have found this place! Also, the COVID-19 safety steps they have taken go above and beyond. Thank you Goldfish! read more

My kids (3 and 5) have been at Goldfish for about 6 months. We really enjoyed the fun family atmosphere and the encouragement that the kids received initially - especially since they were quite scared of water and fundamentally afraid of getting wet. However, in terms of actual swim instruction, there is a lot left to be desired. The most important problem is that, unlike at other swim lessons, the kids take TURNS swimming, and stand on a platform in the water the rest of the time. My family affectionately calls these "Wait and Watch" classes rather than "Swim" classes. In a class of 3 kids (pretty standard), your kid is swimming 33% of the time. The lanes are tiny (like 3 bathtub lengths) so the kids don't have much space to practice each skill. So now that my kids are no longer afraid to get their hair wet, we will be moving to another pool where the kids use kickboards so that they are swimming the length of the pool almost the whole class. read more

I only want to give 1 star. I had my son join the swimming class since June last year 2018 just because it only takes me 10 minutes to walk there.In August 2018 I saw the review message that " a toddler girl fell in the pool but no one noticed; if his Dad didn't run in screaming, his daughter will die".Since that time, when my son takes his sessions, I never watch my cell phone because I think something may happen again. The reason is that some of the stuff never take their responsibility!!! On 1/29 around 6:03 PM, the same bad thing happened with my son. He just goes to Glide 2.His instructor lets him swimming on his back and leave him alone in the middle of the swimming pool.My son struggled in the water but no one noticed, not her instructor, not the lifeguards -- no safeguard in this side near glass door. I had to run in screaming to the stuff -- really bad. What the stuff said really more surprised me!!! They said your son didn't listen the instructor's words so that happens!!! The manager didn't show up in that moment but he asked me to his office and he was extremely apologetic. He war nice but some of the stuff !!! Later other parents also said what happened with my son is really scared! So if your son or daughter join the swimming pool, please don't leave and don't only watch your cell phone or computer. If you do that, really high risk for you little one. read more