Terms & conditions

Condition of pool premises

The Western Swimming Pool will make all reasonable efforts to ensure that the pool premises – including the changing rooms, washing facilities, the pool and poolside area – are in a suitable condition. Users of the Western Swimming Pool are required to treat the building and equipment with respect and as intended. We ask you to report any observed defects and any accidents, however caused.

Teaching policies, procedures and parental responsibilities

All Western Swimming Pool teachers are ASA- or STA-qualified. All our teachers have undergone enhanced CRB disclosure checks. It is our policy to provide temporary replacement swimming teachers in the event of any instructor being absent. We reserve the right to replace swimming teachers, if necessary, once the term has started.

Swimming teachers are only responsible for pupils during their swimming lessons; parents and/or guardians are responsible at all other times. The swimming lesson begins when the swimming teacher accepts charge of the pupil and ends when the lesson finishes.

Parents of children under eight years of age must remain on the premises while the pupil is in their lesson. This is imperative in case of the unlikely event of a medical emergency, building evacuation or other emergency situation.

Parents/guardians must never distract the teacher during a lesson and should direct all communication through the swimming lesson co-ordinator or Western Swimming Pool manager. Please remember that attempting to speak with a teacher during lessons could be dangerous, as it will prevent the teacher from fully concentrating on the pupils.

A quality assurance check on each teacher’s performance is monitored each term by an internal verifier.

Special needs

The Western Swimming Pool cannot accept responsibility for the medical condition or other special needs of any swimmer, unless full disclosure of the details has been made to the Western Swimming Pool by the swimmer or the parent/guardian of a swimmer; such disclosure having been made when registering the swimmer for lessons, or following any medical condition being confirmed during a course of lessons after the swimmer has been accepted for tuition.

Swimmer illness

If you or your child are unwell, we recommend that you don’t attend swimming lessons. If your child has been ill during the last 14 days with diarrhoea, they should not attend their lesson. Any swimmer known to be, or found to be, suffering from any infectious illness or condition will not be allowed to participate in the lesson. It is the responsibility of each swimmer or, in the case of a child swimmer, the parent/guardian of the swimmer, to make sure the swimmer is well enough to participate. The Western Swimming Pool will not accept liability for any infection passed to a swimmer by another swimmer, whether in lessons or social swimming.

Swimming lessons

The Learn to Swim programme runs for a minimum of 35 weeks throughout the year, split into six terms. Where possible, term dates will run in conjunction with the school terms and take into account the school holiday periods. Learn to Swim programme lessons are held over a 30-minute timeslot. One-to-one lessons are held over a 30-minute timeslot, unless different arrangements are made at the time of booking. Pupil to teacher ratios are six pupils to one teacher in stages 1 to 5, increasing to higher numbers of pupils to teachers as the child moves through the remainder of the programme.

Swimming lesson dress code

We recommend that all children wear tight-fitting swimwear, as baggy trunks, for example, can hinder movement. Girls are asked to wear a one-piece swimsuit.

In the interests of hygiene, swimmers must visit the toilet and shower before entering the pool. Pupils with long hair should wear a swimming cap or make sure their hair is securely tied back.

Please remove earrings and other jewellery to prevent injury and loss. Sleepers can be kept in recently pierced ears, but they should be taped and a hat or ear band worn to protect the ears.

If swimmers want to wear goggles, these should be provided by parents/guardians, who should make sure they fit correctly before the lesson. Please encourage your child not to play with goggles during lessons.

Pupil progression

All pupils on the Learn to Swim programme work towards the ASA National Plan for Teaching Swimming. Our swimming teachers continually assess pupils’ progression throughout the term. Progression of pupils will be at the judgment of the teacher and the swimming lesson co-ordinator, in accordance with the criteria of the National Plan. Pupils will be moved at the point when they meet the skills criteria required for movement to the next stage, and will not be held back until the end of a term before progressing. Due to the continuous progressive nature of our programme, and the variety of ability levels within each session, we cannot guarantee a specific time slot on progression, as space within the next stage may not always be immediately available. Consideration will be made to siblings and other family members.

Swimming lesson enrolments

Fees should be paid in advance of the new term. There are no refunds for non-attendance. Payment can be made by cash, credit/debit card or cheque (payable to Western Swimming Pool).

Renewing swimming lessons

Please note that if further payment has not been received when the current payment block expires, the swimmer will be removed from the register and will not be able to swim until payment has been received. We can no longer reserve your place in the next term, so if another customer books the space, your space will be lost.

Changing and moving lessons

If you’d like a change of time, day or swimming teacher, we will accommodate your request provided space is available.

Cancelled swimming lessons and pool closure

If you need to cancel a private one-to-one lesson, please let us know 24 hours in advance. As these lessons are paid for on the day, you won’t need to pay as long as you’ve given us 24 hours’ notice.

In the unusual event of pool closure or lesson cancellation, we will make every attempt to contact you as soon as possible. All parents/guardians are encouraged to supply us with a mobile phone number for quick communication purposes.

In the circumstances of closure/cancellation, a credit note will be given in lieu of future payment for the following term. In the instance of a pupil not returning to our classes for a further term, a refund for missed lessons will be given.

Refunds policy

If, after booking swimming lessons, you need to cancel, you can do so by contacting the Western Swimming Pool swimming coordinator in writing within seven days of making the booking. You will receive a refund of the payment made, less a 15% administration charge. If you want to cancel after seven days of making the booking, you may do so by contacting the swimming coordinator in writing at any time before your first lesson, or up to three working days after your first lesson. You will receive a refund of payment made, less fees for the lesson provided if applicable and a 25% administration fee. After this period, we cannot offer refunds or credit notes if you are unable to attend lessons.

The cancellation period may be extended under extraordinary conditions, at the discretion of the Western Swimming Pool manager.

If you can’t attend for a number of consecutive lessons for medical reasons, we can refund or credit the following terms’ lessons for those sessions missed, providing you can give a copy of a doctor’s note to the pool manager.

Child protection

Children aged over eight should change in the correct gender changing room. Children under eight should be supervised when using the toilet. Customers accept that at times there will be physical contact between the teacher and their child, in a professional, caring manner. Child protection, including bullying, is in line with Swim England child protection policies. The Western Swimming Pool child protection policy and contact details for the child protection officer can be provided on request.

Bookings

Bookings can be taken at the Western Swimming Pool. We process and record personal details and payments in a secure database. On completion of a booking and payment, you will receive a confirmation email/letter containing all the information you’ll need for the new term.

We are not able to take bookings online.

All bookings should be accompanied by a payment. We accept payment via credit/ debit card, cash, cheque or BACS. Please note, we do not accept American Express or Solo. No provisional bookings will be taken under any circumstances, for either current or new customers; places cannot be confirmed unless payment is taken.

Feedback, ideas and questions

We welcome your feedback and ideas – please get in touch with our swimming lesson co-ordinator or the pool manager. If you have questions about pupils’ progression, the teacher or swimming lesson co-ordinator will give you feedback.

Changing rooms and viewing

Please aim to arrive five minutes before any given lesson and leave promptly after the lesson, to help ensure changing room comfort. Please use the lockers to store clothing during lessons; any clothing left in cubicles will be removed by pool staff to the shelf near the hairdryers, so that cubicles can be used by other customers.

No outside footwear should be worn pool-side, except with shoe covers provided by our staff.

Parents/guardians are asked not to distract their child or the teacher during lessons. It is difficult for teachers to keep pupils’ attention if they are being distracted, and children’s progress can be affected.

No photography or filming is permitted pool-side.

No food is permitted pool-side.

Valuables are left in the changing area at the owner’s risk.

Car seats, buggies and pushchairs should not be left in the changing rooms, as we don’t have room for them.