Swimming lessons
Contents
General information
- Children are eligible to go onto the waiting list from the age of 6 months.
- From 3 years of age, children can attend preschool lessons. However, they cannot attend stage 1 beginners or above until they are in Full Time Education.
- Places on the programme become available as children move through the stages. As children progress at different rates, it is extremely difficult to predict how long your child will need to wait before being allocated a space on the programme.
- Swimmers must wear suitable swimming attire. This ideally consists of a one-piece costume for girls and trunks or swimming shorts for boys. Shorts must be no longer than knee-length as this would impair swimming ability.
- Children must undress and change into swimming costumes in the changing rooms only.
- No jewellery should be worn for health and safety reasons. Ear studs will be permitted, but these must be covered over with small plasters.
- The taking and recording of images on poolside is prohibited.
- Parents / carer's must remain in the facility for the duration of their child's swimming lesson.
- All our swimming instructors are qualified in Level 2 swimming instruction.
Additional information
- Children progress at different speeds. Attendance on a course is not a guarantee that your child will pass and move to the next level.
- If the instructor believes your child is ready to move up to the next level part way through a course, then this will be accommodated wherever possible, however the same day and instructor cannot be guaranteed.
- We operate a no refund policy on courses once booked. However, if your child has an unforeseen medical problem and is unable to attend a significant part of the course, then please contact us and we may be able to credit you with the missed sessions on a future course booking. Extra sessions will not be credited for sessions missed due to any other reason (for example, holidays or short term illness).
- Bookings can be transferred to different days / times where spaces are available.
- South Tyneside has the right to cancel lessons where facilities become unavailable, (for example, pool failure / closure). If pre-payment has already been made, lessons will be credited back to the customer.
- Whilst every effort will be made to make sure continuity of instructors, staff sickness and holidays may mean your child will have a different instructor for a brief period.
- Making payment for the course indicates acceptance of these terms and conditions.
- Intensive Crash Courses - During the school holiday there are crash course lessons which run for five consecutive days. These lessons are for learn to swim stages and specific improvement.
Waiting lists
Once you have completed the application your details will be entered onto our database, and we will contact you when a suitable place becomes available, so please make sure you let us know of any changes to your contact details.
Unfortunately, we cannot give estimated wait times, so we politely request that you do not contact us to ask about your position on the list. Please be assured we are making every effort to keep your wait time as short as possible and ask for your continued patience. Waiting times are influenced by several factors including current demand at different facilities, customer availability and speed of progression of existing participants, none of which we can control.
When a space becomes available you will be contacted, and a place will be offered at one of your preferred locations. If there is no response after being contacted, we will presume you no longer require a place and remove you from the wait list.
How spaces are allocated
Customers are contacted on a first come first served basis. An email will be sent out to offer a space and you will have seven days to respond.
Spaces that are unfilled after seven days will be offered to the remaining customers on the list. If a customer does not respond after being contacted, they will be removed from the waiting list.
Contact may also be made by phone if there are only a small number of spaces available or if no email address has been given.
Book swimming lessons
If you would like to read about the different types of swimming lessons that are available; see swimming lesson stages before completing the application form.