Classes are capped at 4 families and July spots are filling fast. Join the list and you'll also get monthly tips and insights on building a confident swimmer — straight from Pav.
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Woodland Hills, CA · Est. 2025
Boutique parent-and-child swim lessons in a heated private pool overlooking the hills. Red Cross-certified. 4 families max. July classes booking now. Limited spots remaining.
Questions? Text Pav: (727) 324-7046
Find your fit
Answer 3 quick questions and we'll match your child to the perfect class.
What parents say
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 10 reviews · 5.0 stars on Google
Pavle is a gentle giant who somehow tricks kids into becoming swimmers. My little guy adores him and is now fully aquatic. Ten out of ten, would recommend to anyone with a small human.
We started parent and me classes a few weeks ago and our little one is already swimming on his own, floating on his back, and getting himself to the wall. Living on the coast, water safety was the priority — Pav delivered.
Pavle taught both of my kids around 6 months old. At 10 and 13 now, they are still the best swimmers in their grades.
Our 3-year-old grandson was very apprehensive about the water. With Pav's gentle, calming approach he had Caden giggling, laughing, splashing and then in the water. A wonderful experience for all involved. 100% recommendation.
I can't sing enough praises about the care and patience Pavle had with my boy. If you're looking for the right instructor to get your child comfortable in the water, you just found the place.
Our 3-year-old grandson was curious but scared of the water. After just 2 lessons, Pavle had him loving the water, blowing bubbles. Such kindness, care, patience and understanding of kids. Highly recommend.
Pavle had my little girl swimming in just a few lessons.
Pavle is great with getting infants in the water.
Loved working with Pav to improve my technique.
Pavle really helped me align my stroke with my breathing. Highly recommend.
Your first visit
Here's exactly what to expect. No surprises, no overwhelm. Most families say it's far more relaxed than they imagined.
Come 5 minutes early. The pool is private. Just your class. Pav greets you personally, shows you where to change, and answers any last-minute questions before you get in.
For Little Poppies and Little Poppies, you're in the water the whole time. Pav guides you. You'll never be left wondering what to do next. The water is warm. The setting is calm.
Pav reads each child individually. If they're hesitant, the pace slows. If they're fearless, he pushes further. There's no script that overrides what your child needs that day.
After each lesson, Pav tells you exactly where your child is, what he observed, and what the next session will build on. You leave knowing the plan, not guessing.
July classes are booking now. Spots are limited to 4 families per class. Pav will reach out personally within 48 hours of your enquiry to confirm availability and answer any questions.
Reserve your spot →
Your instructor
Pav has been in the water his entire life. He grew up swimming competitively, taught other kids to swim from an early age, and went on to captain his swim team, developing the kind of deep technical foundation that only comes from years of both competing and coaching.
After his competitive years, Pav took his relationship with water further than most. He became a PADI Rescue Diver and has dived across six continents: the cenotes of Mexico, the reefs of Southeast Asia, the wrecks of the Red Sea. That breadth of underwater experience gives him an instinctive read of how people relate to water that no certification program can teach.
After years of teaching his friends' kids and his own son Roman how to swim, he decided to make it official. Poppy Swim School is the culmination of everything he knows about water, teaching, and what it takes to make a child feel genuinely safe and confident. It's the thing he's most proud to put his name on.
Before the pool deck, Pav spent 15 years as a tech executive across multiple exited startups. That background explains the precision, the systems thinking, and the genuine care he brings to every family he works with. Outside the water, he enjoys hiking in the California sun, spending time with Roman, and wrangling his 3 dogs.
Classes are capped at 4 families. Every session follows a Red Cross-aligned curriculum built for developmental readiness, not just milestone checklists. Poppy Swim School is fully insured and all instruction follows American Red Cross safety protocols.
Our approach
A 5-skill progression built on the American Red Cross framework, adapted by Pav for the youngest learners. Every child moves through the same sequence at their own pace. Never rushed.
Entering the water safely, water on the face, gentle submersion. No rushing. Most children reach this in lesson 1 or 2.
The single most important survival skill. A child who can roll to their back and float can save their own life. We spend meaningful time here.
Kicking, arm movements, and beginning to propel through the water with a parent or Pav's support.
The first moment of true independence in the water. Children push off the wall and glide on their own — a milestone most families photograph.
Your child seeks the water out. Jumps in from the side. Asks when the next lesson is. This is the real goal — not just skill, but love of swimming.
Most swim schools teach children to lift their heads to breathe. We teach them to roll to their back first — because that's what keeps them alive if they fall in alone.
— Pav, Founder · American Red Cross WSIWhat we offer
Three offerings built around your child's age, developmental stage, and how much focused attention they need.
Parent-and-child group classes for children 6 months through 4 years. You're in the water with your child the whole time. Small classes, real progress.
One-on-one with Pav. Best for ages 6 months and up where shorter, focused sessions work best. Sold in packs of 4, 8, or 12.
One-on-one with Pav for ages 6 months and up. Longer sessions for children ready to build real technique, water safety skills, and independence. Sold in packs of 4, 8, or 12.
What to expect
Five milestones, each one a reason to celebrate. Most children reach milestone 3 within their first month.
Comfortable, smiling, water on the face
Voluntary submersion and breath control
Independent float — the #1 survival skill
Pushes off the wall and moves through water alone
Asks when the next lesson is. This is the real win.
Every child deserves a coach who knows their name.— Coach Pav, Founder
Investment
No registration fees. No hidden costs. All private and semi-private lessons are sold in packages. 30-minute sessions for younger children, 45-minute for ages 6 months and up.
Private lessons — 30 minutes · ages 6 months and up · $75/session
Private lessons — 45 minutes · ages 6 months and up · $85/session
Semi-private lessons — per swimmer · siblings or same-level friends
Questions
We welcome babies as young as 6 months in our Little Poppies group classes. Private and semi-private lessons are available from 18 months up. The American Red Cross curriculum we follow is designed for the earliest developmental stages, and we adapt every session to where your child is that day.
For Little Poppies group classes, yes — a parent or primary caregiver is in the water with your child. Research consistently shows parent presence dramatically accelerates water confidence at this age. For Little Poppies, it's dad who gets in. For private lessons with children 3 and older, parents sit poolside.
Poppy Swim School operates from a private residential pool in Woodland Hills, CA. The full address is shared with enrolled families after registration. The pool is heated and set in a beautiful hillside backyard.
We require 24 hours notice for private lesson cancellations. For group classes, make-up sessions are offered for illness with 2-hour notice. Weather cancellations are always made up at no charge within the same session period.
Yes. Poppy Swim School carries commercial general liability insurance covering swim instruction. Coach Pav holds current American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor, Lifeguard, and CPR/First Aid certifications. All sessions follow ARC safety protocols.
Group classes run weekly with the same families each session. Children progress significantly faster when they build rapport with their instructor and classmates. When you join the waitlist, we'll place you in the class that best fits your child's age and your availability.
Swim diapers are required for children not yet potty trained. Bring a swim float or puddle jumper if you have one — we also have loaners. Towels, a change of clothes, and a water bottle. Goggles are welcome but not required at younger ages.
We review the waitlist within 48 hours and reach out personally to confirm placement and program fit. Waitlist members get first access to new openings and any last-minute slots.
Where we are
Our private hillside pool is in Woodland Hills, CA, easy to reach from across the West Valley and the Santa Monica Mountains.
Families drive from all over the West Valley because there's nothing else like this nearby — a private heated pool, a Red Cross-certified instructor who knows every child by name, and a setting that feels nothing like a crowded rec center.
The full address is shared with enrolled families after registration. Text Pav at (727) 324-7046 with any questions about location or access.
Enrollment
July classes are booking now — spots are limited to 4 families per class. Join the waitlist and Pav will reach out within 48 hours to confirm your spot.
Pav will reach out personally within 48 hours to confirm your spot.