Answers to popular questions
We understand you may have questions and we’re here to help. Please contact us if you need any more help or information.
What are the lesson fees?
- Our current fees are £58 per month per child, which includes a FREE swim bag, awards folder and sticker chart.
- Lesson fees are paid for in advance, so you make an initial payment of £58 when you book which secures your child’s place, with your first monthly payment coming out 2 weeks after your lessons start and monthly thereafter.
- Monthly payments are processed every month, even on months when no lessons take place. Your booking and monthly payment continues to hold your child’s place and to spread the cost of payments.
What are the lesson dates?
We run 36 lessons per year over 3 terms (Spring, Summer & Autumn) which run in line with the school terms and we break for school holidays.
Who are the lessons for?
Our swimming classes are for children aged 4 months to 12 years, we also run an Academy for children aged 12 years+.
How many children are there in a class?
We have a max of 6 children in our classes for children aged 3 to 12 years and a max of 8 children in our classes for children aged 4 months to 3 years.
Do you offer trial lessons?
We don’t offer trial lessons as your child needs to be fully booked and paid for in order to reserve their place, as we have a maximum number of children per class.
Can I come and watch the lessons before choosing to book?
Yes absolutely! You’re more than welcome to come along and watch the lessons and we’ll be available to answer any questions you have.
Where are your venues located?
Please click here for a list of all current venues.
On what days/times do lessons take place?
Lessons for children aged 4 months to 3 years take place during the day (weekdays) and weekends. Lessons for children aged 3 to 12 years run after school (weekdays) and weekends. Days/times vary at each venue.
How long are the lessons?
Lessons for children aged 4 months to 12 years are 30 minutes long. Academy sessions for children aged 12 years+ are 60 minutes long.
Do parents need to get in the water?
Parents do not get in the water during our lessons for children aged 3 to 12 years. Parents do accompany their children in the water during our lessons for children aged 4 months to 3 years.
What are your class levels?
Our class levels include Swim Baby 1 to 3 (beginner to swimmer) for children aged 4 months to 3 years and beginner to advanced levels for children aged 3 to 12 years.
What’s my child’s level within your programme?
Please click here to check your child’s level within our programme.
Are the pools indoor and warm?
All our venues are indoor and the pool temperature is kept at about 30 degrees centigrade.
Can I watch my child’s lesson?
Yes, you can watch your child’s lessons (this does vary by venue in terms of the viewing location).
How do I book and pay?
All bookings are made online with a card payment and the monthly fees are processed automatically on your card.
How do I update my card or contact details?
You can update your card details or contact details any time by logging in to the Parent Area and going to the Payments section or Your Account.
How do I cancel?
- All cancellations must be made via the parent area only.
- Cancellations received any other way such as by phone, voice mail, email, WhatsApp, Messenger etc will not be accepted.
- We have a 24 hour cooling off period. So if you cancel within 24 hours of booking, we’ll refund 100% of your initial payment.
- If you cancel after the 24 hour cooling off period and up to 24 hours after your lesson start date, we’ll refund 50% of your initial payment.
- Beyond 24 hours of your lesson start date, you may cancel at any time and no further payments will be processed against your card.
- At the point of cancellation, your place will be cancelled immediately and you may not attend any future lessons.
- At the point of cancellation, no credits or refunds will be given for previous monthly payments unless no lessons have been provided between your last 2 payments, in which case we’ll refund 50% of your last 2 payments.
How do I change my child’s day or time?
Please contact us by email or message if you would like to change your child’s lesson day or time. We’ll always do this for you subject to a suitable class being available for your child.
Do I need to bring any equipment or swimming aids?
No, we provide all the equipment, including arm-bands etc. You only need to bring a costume and towel.
Do you teach water safety?
Yes! We teach safe behaviour routines and a respect for water during every lesson. Every child aged 3 to 12 years also receives and age specific water safety lesson 3 times per year.
Can children of different abilities swim at the same time?
We purposely structure our lessons to enable siblings of different abilities to swim in different classes either at the same time or back-to-back.
Do you have a teacher in the water?
We have a teacher in the water for our lessons children aged 4 months to 3 years and also our Beginner classes for children aged 3 to 12 years.
How do you recruit, check and train teachers?
Our entire team exist to make a difference to every child who swims with us. All Seriously FUN teachers complete our intensive teacher training programme, a child safeguarding course, lifesaving qualification and are police checked.
How will you keep me informed about my child’s development?
We are always available at the pool to talk about how your child’s doing and you can reach out to us any time by phone, email, WhatsApp etc.
What if we miss a class?
Your booking and payment reserves your child’s place in a specific class for the duration of your time with us. So if you’re unable to attend a lesson for any reason, we are unable to offer a make-up lesson, credit or refund. If you’re unable to attend a series of lessons for any reason, you have the option to cancel or continue payments to secure your child’s place (payments cannot be frozen).
Can I leave my child while they are having a lesson?
Parents must remain on the premises with us for the duration of the lesson. This is imperative in case of a medical emergency, building evacuation or other situation.
Do you have an awards scheme?
Yes! EVERY child is presented with a Seriously FUN certificate at the end of each term during our awards ceremony and FUN day. With different themes every term (including Pirates and Wild West) it’s a great way to finish off the term!
Can children wear goggles?
In line with recommendations from the STA (Swimming Teacher’s Association) and the ASA (Amateur Swimming Association), children are not encouraged to wear goggles. This helps to promote water confidence and enables children to swim without goggles, which is very important for safety. It also reduces the time spent adjusting goggles which can take up valuable lesson time. If however your child has become dependent on goggles we can help to reduce this dependency.
How do you teach babies to swim?
We teach you to teach your baby to swim in a FUN and safe environment. Teaching your baby a potentially life saving skill is also a great way to have fun and bond with your baby.
What can babies learn?
Most importantly, babies will learn to respect the water and be safe. They will learn safe behaviour routines,
under water swimming, water safety skills and the Safety Sequence. A child who is confident in the water will tend not to panic if they should accidentally fall into water.
Will I put my baby under water?
We only ever submerge a baby when both you and your baby are ready. Although submersions are part of our programme, they are not the main focus. For safety purposes submersions are limited and spread out during the lesson.
How big are the Swim Babies classes?
Swim Babies classes have a maximum of 8 child and parent pairs. This creates a great social atmosphere but also allows for individual attention where needed.
What are safe behaviour routines?
From your baby’s first lesson they will start to learn safe behaviour routines. These routines become more important as your baby begins to walk and talk. No child is ever ‘water safe’ or ‘drown proof’ so it is the responsibility of adults to ensure children are safe. Insisting on safe habits around water at an early age could safe your child’s life.
Do you run lessons for adults?
No, we only run lessons for children.