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(A) Teaching Policies, Procedures and Parental Responsibilities
1. All Active Northumberland Swimming Instructors are Swim England qualified and have the relevantDBS checks before they are allowed to teach.
2. Swimming Instructors will take responsibility for pupils during their swimming lessons, but and parents /guardians are required to remain nearby (poolside viewing or designated viewing gallery) so
that if required the parent / guardian can deal with toilet breaks or any behavioural issues. Active Northumberland staff will NOT take pupils to the toilet.
3. Parents booking their child into our Learn 2 Swim scheme using HomePortal must ensure you enrol your child into the correct stage based on their level ability and in coincidence with Active
Northumberland’s Learn2Swim Framework. Any child that is enrolled into the incorrect stage will be removed from the lesson and assigned to a more appropriate stage where possible. If space in the
appropriate stage in unavailable, your child will be removed from the programme and added to a waiting list until a space becomes available in the appropriate stage.
4. Parents/guardians must remain on the premises whilst the pupil is attending their swimming lessons.
This is imperative in case of the unlikely event of a medical emergency, building evacuation or other emergency situation. It is the parent/guardian’s responsibility to supervise/watch their child get to
and from their teaching station ensuring a prompt pick up at the end of the lesson. Pupils must be collected promptly at the end of the lesson.
5. Parents/guardians must never distract the instructor during a lesson and should direct all communication through the reception staff or the Swimming Coordinator (if available).
Parents/guardians should not speak with an instructor during the period that lessons are in progress as it is dangerous and will distract the instructor from the supervision of the pupils in their lesson.
6. Pupils can be refused entry to the lesson if they are more than 5 minutes late for a class, as it disrupts the lesson for the other pupils.
(B) Pupil Illness
1. If your child is unwell, we recommend that you do not bring them to their swimming lesson.
2. If your child has been ill with diarrhoea, they should not attend their lesson. To protect others, they should not swim for at least a week after it has completely cleared up.
(C) Swimming Lesson Programme
1. The majority of our ‘Learn 2 Swim’ programme classes are held over a 30-minute timeslot (some Aquatic Skills and Adult classes might be 45) which includes time to take registers and assessments.
2. Pupil to Instructor ratios are developed in line with Swim England Guidelines.
3. Active Northumberland reserves the right to combine classes at short notice if necessary.
(D) Swimming Lesson Dress Code & Hygiene
1. All children should wear appropriate fitting costumes/trunks and shorts specifically designed for swimming. Baggy costumes/trunks can hamper movement.
2. No jewellery should be worn during a swimming lesson. Religious or medical bracelets are allowed but should not distract the swimmer from their lesson.
3. The use of goggles is permitted but pupils will be asked to remove them if they are providing a distraction and when performing certain skills (unless there is a medical reason for goggles to be worn). We recommend the use of dioptre corrective goggles for anyone with a visual impairment.
4. All swimmers should shower before their lesson. Please ensure that all hair gel/body lotions etc are removed. This will help to keep the water clean. Make sure your child uses the toilet before the lesson commences. Please ensure your child showers after the lesson.
5. We recommend children do not eat or drink for an hour before swimming.
(E) Pupil Progression
1. All pupils on the ‘Learn 2 Swim’ programme work towards the “Swim England Learn to Swim Framework.
2. Swimming instructors continually assess all pupils’s progression throughout the term.
3. Progression of all pupils will be at the judgment of the swimming instructor and in accordance with the progression within the criteria of the “Swim England Learn to Swim Framework”.
4. Pupils will be moved up to the next class when they meet the skills criteria required and if there is adequate room in the next Stage for movement to the next Stage.
5. Upon completion of a Stage, the parent/guardian will be contacted explaining that the child is ready to move up to the next Stage via e-mail/phone/Home Portal, parents can login and make the required
movement.
6. A valid e-mail address is required to access our ‘Learn 2 Swim’ scheme, Lesson notifications, Home Portal, movements, assessments and awards.
7. 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 a space within the next stage may not always be immediately available. Those waiting for spaces may be kept in their current stage until a place becomes available.
(F) Swimming Lesson Payment
1. All fees for swimming lessons must be paid in advance of the lessons.
2. Direct Debit payments are taken on 8th of each month.
3. New joiners, taking the Direct Debit option will pay a pro-rata payment for any lessons which take place prior to the first Direct Debit being taken.
4. A minimum of 30 of days’ notice of the Direct Debit is required via Cancellation Form for the cancellation of ‘Learn 2 Swim’ Direct Debits.
5. Failure to provide the full notice period to cancel your child’s swimming lesson when on Direct Debit may result in Active Northumberland taking recovery action for the outstanding payment.
6. Active Northumberland reserves the right to change the price of swimming lessons at any time. Direct Debit customers will be notified in writing with at least 10 working days’ notice of any change.
7. For any failed Direct Debits, Active Northumberland reserves the right to restrict access to the lessons until a suitable payment has been made for the missed Direct Debit Payment. Under these
circumstances Active Northumberland will not guarantee the same space on the existing lesson.
8. Direct Debit payments include one lesson per week at the agreed Stage of lessons for the monthly Direct Debit subscription, ‘Learn 2 Swim’ customers have access to Swim 4 All sessions (subject to pool capacity). Please note that there is an additional charge for Fun for All sessions at Prudhoe Waterworld.
9. The monthly Direct Debit subscription remains the same for each calendar month, regardless of the number of lessons that are delivered during the month. I.e., some months there will be five lessons,
while most months there will be four. During December there will two or three lessons depending on the cycle of the year. Over a 12-month period, with 12 equal Direct Debit payments a total of 50
swimming lessons will be available to attend*. (* unless a lesson has been cancelled or your child’s lesson falls on a bank holiday - please see section (H). Where payment is not made by Direct Debit, all lessons must be paid in advance and pupils will be removed from classes once advance payment has expired.
(G) Changing and Moving Lesson
1. You may request a change of time, day or Swimming Instructor and we will try to accommodate your request, providing a space is available. If you cannot be accommodated at that time your
child will be added to the movements list and you will be able to make movements through Home Portal when a space becomes available.
2. Swimming ability and speed of progression will vary depending upon the swimmer.
(H) Pool Closure and Cancelled Swimming Lessons
1. In the event of a pool closure we will make every attempt to contact our customers as soon as possible via e-mail.
2. Customers paying for blocks of swimming lessons will have their session automatically carried forward.
3. Customers paying by Direct Debit and who swim on a day in which a bank holiday falls will be given the opportunity to swim on an alternative day during the school holiday period that falls the closest to the bank holiday. The alternative days & times will be communicated prior to the bank holiday dates. Please note no refunds will be given in the event you are unable to attend the alternative dates.
4. In the event of a planned pool closure wherever possible you be offered an alternative class to accommodate your lesson.
5. Active Northumberland reserves the right to change classes should numbers fall below our minimum numbers per group (50% of class capacity). If this happens you will be offered an alternative lesson of the same stage.
6. If a pool closure is likely to affect swimming lessons on the long term, every effort will be made to offer space at another pool within the area.
(I) Missed Lessons
1. Lesson fees are non-refundable, where the pupil has either missed lessons or decided to withdraw from the programme altogether.
2. Lessons run consecutively; the lesson credits will be utilised as each lesson takes place regardless of pupil attendance (with the exception of pool closure/lesson cancellation).
3. In exceptional circumstances management may exercise discretion on refunds or credit notes but this would only be on production of a medical certificate or documentation from a medical centre, hospital or GP.
(J) Changing Instructor
1. We will use reasonable endeavours to provide the same instructor for each lesson within a course. However, relief instructors may be used without prior notification.
2. We reserve the right to appoint a new instructor at any time and may, at times need to provide an alternative instructor for a class or classes due to illness or for any other unforeseen circumstances.
3. In the event a instructor is away for a long period of time we will try to keep the same cover instructor for the time period where possible.
4. If an instructor is absent, the centre reserves the right to join classes together if considered appropriate and safe according to Swim England guidelines. We would always try to put a replacement instructor in place immediately however, if this is not manageable, we would put the classes together in order to avoid the cancellation. This would be an extremely rare occurrence as additional instructor are usually available to cover any such eventualities.
(K) Communication
1. We like to encourage communication and welcome issues to be raised with our staff.
2. The duty management team will be the people to resolve any poolside issues. Any problems or issues should be conveyed through them. If the Swimming Coordinator is unavailable.
3. Questions regarding the progression of pupils should be directed towards the reception staff that will be able to pass on the message to the relevant Swimming Coordinator, who will then contact you to discuss the pupil.
4. All parents/guardians are required to supply us with a valid e-mail address and mobile telephone number for quick communication purposes. This is essential so that we can inform you when your child is ready to move up a Stage of lessons or for any cancellations.
(L) Viewing
1. Parents/guardians are not permitted on poolside but must sit in the pool viewing areas. Where pool viewing is on poolside, parents must not interfere with the lessons or distract the swimming instructors.
2. We do ask that all spectators remain in the seating area in order to prevent any unnecessary distractions for the instructors.
3. It is difficult for the teaching staff to gain full attention from their pupils if they are being distracted; progress can be affected if children are not fully able to concentrate.
4. No photography or filming is permitted in public swimming pools, pool spectator areas or any changing areas. Photography and videos are not permitted where the subject is taking part in activities where parents/carers are not in direct supervision and Active Northumberland is acting in a parental capacity, this includes all swimming lessons. If a customer informs us that another individual has been taking photographs or videos of them, we reserve the right to inform the police if the photograph has been taken without consent.
(M) Behaviour & conduct
1. Parents accept that their child is under the supervision, control and care of the Swimming instructor, during the lesson period. Should the behaviour of the child be unsatisfactory, and the class is being disrupted, the Swimming instructor has the right to remove the pupil from the class.
2. The instructor may employ reasonable measures as are necessary to maintain the smooth delivery of the class. We reserve the right to request that your child should be removed from classes should they persistently disrupt or are seen to be putting themselves or anyone else at risk during the class. If a child is removed under these circumstances and suitable alternatives arrangements cannot be made, no refund will be provided.
3. If a ‘Learn 2 Swim’ pupil causes the cancellation of a swim school session or individual class, we reserve the right to apply a penalty for loss of income for this activity. This will be administered and applied at the centre management discretion.
Changes to Terms and Conditions – Active Northumberland reserves the right to amend these Terms
and Conditions.
Reasonable notice will be provided to any changes and customers will be made aware of any changes