Lesson Details

Details of Lessons

About Lessons

Children's Lessons

Children are introduced to the water from age three, dependent on the child's ability to retain the information they are being taught so they can progress.

Through the National Plan for Teaching Swimming [NPTS] children are taught with an emphasis on fun and games as a way to develop learning and aquatic skills.

Children progress through the NPTS award badge system for skills and the Rainbow Distance Award Scheme from 5m to 10,000m. All children are put into classes appropriate to their ability.

Adult's Lessons

Adults of all abilities come to The Elite Swim School. We cater for adults who want to learn to swim, right through to triathletes who want to compete in Ironman competitions swimming 2.5 miles [4000m] in under an hour; for those wanting to improve their strokes to those wishing to keep fit within the challenge of a structured lesson.

Adults are put into classes that reflect their abilities. This enables sessions to be positive and challenging within a caring, enthusiastic environment.

Pricing Structure

These prices are effective from December 2024 for new pupils. For existing attendees the prices will apply at the start of the course in  February 2025.

Children: £9.50 per half hour lesson.

Children: £10.50 per hour lesson.

Adults: £10.50 per hour lesson

£5 per badge and certificate

10% discount for 3 or more family members swimming. 

All fees are charged on a pro rata basis if you join part way through a course

Terms and Conditions

Payment

Invoices will be sent in advance of each course. Payment must be made before the start of each course. Payment by bank transfer (BACS) is available. We will accept payment at lesson one. If we do not receive payment at or before lesson one, a late payment fee of £5 per child/adult will be administered. If by lesson two we have not received payment, along with the late payment fee and any other outstanding monies, we reserve the right to cancel your place with immediate effect.


The first lesson is free if you decide that you do not wish to return. If you decide that you wish to continue with us that first lesson is chargeable and will be included in the first invoice.


Attendance

We keep a register of attendance so that we can analyse attendance against progression/improvement and deal with any issues that may arise due to non-attendance. We do not want people to pay for lessons and not attend. If the pupil is unwell or you cannot attend for any reason please send a text message or ring and leave a message. If you have missed more than half the course and we have received no notification as to your absence The Elite Swim School reserves the right to cancel your place with immediate effect.


Changing classes / Waiting lists

We regularly have to address the growing waiting list that we have for each session as well as maintaining and ensuring the improvement of every child’s swimming. To make sure that we keep abilities (and where possible families) together, we reserve the right to change lesson times. Advance notification will always be given for this.


Changes to lessons times and other updates

Unfortunately it is sometimes necessary to rearrange or cancel lessons due to circumstances such as weather, pool maintenance or events at the school. Information regarding pool closures / changing times for sessions will be updated on our website. Please make a habit of checking the web site regularly. We will not be held responsible for failure to read information provided. 

It is your responsibility to speak to us if there is an issue regarding your attendance due to any lesson changes made by The Elite Swim School. We will try and accommodate you and arrange a lesson at an alternative time.


Your Contact details

It is important that we are able to contact you as any issues arise; if you move house; change your email or mobile / home phone number please send a text/email so that we can keep our records up to date. If sending a text, please ensure you enclose your name so we know who it is from!


General information

Remove or cover your shoes as soon as you enter the pool building. Blue pool shoe covers are available at the entrance (first double doors) to the pool area.


Adults and children 8 years or older (exclusions apply to those children who have special needs requiring their parent to help them change), you must use your own gender changing room. Please let us know immediately if you see this rule not being followed by anyone.


No food, fizzy drinks, sweets or chewing gum allowed anywhere in the pool building. Drinks may be consumed in plastic or sports bottles only. Strictly no glass bottles allowed on poolside or anywhere in the pool building.


Medical

It is vital that you inform us of any medical condition(s), or additional challenges that your child may have that might affect his/ her time in the pool. Please also inform us of any issues e.g. linked to anxiety, difficulties with transitions or previous difficult experiences.  All information will be dealt with sensitively and in confidence.  


Illness

Parents and carers are responsible for assessing your health and your child’s health and wellbeing prior to attending classes. 


Please do not bring children that are feeling unwell to the pool. If a child has had an illness causing vomiting or diarrhoea, they must have been completely free of any symptoms for at least 48 hours before joining us in the water.


Appropriate Swim Wear

All our swimmers should wear appropriate swimming costumes during lessons. Strictly no underwear is allowed to be worn in the pool due to hygiene reasons.


Any non-toilet trained swimmers should wear a special swim nappy with swim pants over it. This protection ensures that if a small child experiences a little “accident” in the pool, it will be contained and we will not have to cancel lessons for everyone else.


We are happy to provide guidance and give advice about purchasing suitable and practical swimwear and accessories… please ask us!


Safety on poolside

At The Elite Swim School we are responsible for maintaining safety of pupils when in the water during their allocated swimming lesson as per the pupil register. Safety is a paramount concern to staff at all times and we always teach "the water safety code " relating to being safe around water as part of the NPTS.


It is parents' responsibility to supervise children when waiting on poolside, when in the changing areas and when siblings are in the water. The Elite Swim School will not accept responsibility for any accident that happens if children are not supervised responsibly by parents.


Do not run on poolside where it can be very slippery and dangerous.


At the start of any lesson; do not allow your child to sit with legs in the pool or to enter the water unless your teacher tells you to. The teacher will indicate the start of the lesson. If you are late joining your lesson, wait for your teacher to see you, and then tell the child / support or assist the child to get into the water.


Support when teaching swimming

All teachers will offer support to children by verbal and gestural prompts.  When a teacher is in the water, support will be given by holding teaching aids or e.g. supporting under the head or holding participants’ hands.


Teachers will seek permission from a participant prior to supporting them.  Swimming teachers will remain standing up when in the water so that they can easily be seen. This is an open teaching position where their hands can be seen.


In an emergency situation at the pool

Please make yourself aware of the emergency exits. Any alarms should be taken as ‘the real thing’ unless advised otherwise by our teachers in advance of a lesson.


In an emergency evacuation teachers will assist all members to leave by the nearest exit. In such a case do not return to the changing rooms / areas, and once outside please don’t leave the premises until we can account for everyone and their safety.


Lost Property

Please ensure that you take all of your belongings with you when you leave the changing rooms. If you do leave any items behind; please contact us as soon as possible. The Elite Swim School reserve the right to dispose of lost property after three months.


Photography

We recognise that although the majority of images taken are appropriate and in good faith, images can be misused and children can be put at risk if common sense procedures are not observed. Please only take a photograph of your own child and use social media appropriately. The Elite swim school requests to see any photos taken to regulate this for safeguarding purposes. 


No photography, or use of mobile phones to take pictures or video is allowed in the changing rooms / areas. If you see anyone taking photos please let a teacher know.


Data Protection

Your privacy is important to us and we will never release your personal details to any third party. Any details which we collect, hold or use will be done so in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and only for the safe and effective running of swimming lessons. 


Amendments to Terms & Conditions

The Elite Swim School reserves the right to amend its Terms & Conditions and associated documentation at any time. 


A Journey through Aquatics

Foundation

The swimmer’s journey through aquatics starts with foundation, a programme for developing early years water confidence, which is encouraged through sessions such as parent and baby and pre-school sessions. The emphasis is upon development of very basic motor skills and introduction to water and the swimming environment through fun and games. The Swim England Duckling Awards provide rewards appropriate for this section.

Fundamental Movement Skills Stages 1-7

The next stages along the journey takes a Swimmer through fundamental movement skills, stages 1-7 of the National Plan for Teaching Swimming (NTPS). There are smaller stepping-stones for swimmers who are not yet ready for Stage 1 of the NPTS and who may have additional needs in order to progress to that stage. The Awards range specific to this section is the Swim England Alpha Awards.
A Brief Overview of Stages 1 – 7
Stage 1 Developing basic safety awareness, the class scenario, basic movement skills and water confidence skills. Swimmers may use aids, e.g. arm bands, floats etc.
Stage 2 Developing safe entries to the water, including jumping in, basic floating, travel and rotation unaided to regain upright positions. Swimmers may use aids, e.g. arm bands, floats etc.
Stage 3 Developing safe entries including submersion, travel up to 10 metres on the front and back, progress in rotation skills and water safety knowledge.
Stage 4 Developing the understanding of buoyancy through a range of skills, refining kicking technique for all strokes, and swimming 10 metres to a given standard as directed by Swim England.
Stage 5 Developing watermanship through sculling and treading water skills, and complete rotation, also performing all strokes to the given standard as directed by Swim England.
Stage 6 Developing effective swimming skills including coordinated breathing; developing apects of water safety and understanding of preparation for exercise.
Stage 7 Developing quality stroke technique up to 100 metres, incorporating skills learnt and combining them to develop a linked routine and complete successfully an obstacle course that combines a variety of skills accomplished throughout stages 1 – 7.

Fundamental Sports Skills Stages 8-10

 Once the swimmer has developed the core range of skills required to be confident, competent and safe in water through stages 1 – 7, the swimmer may choose to take part in different aquatic disciplines. Fundamental sports skills, stages 8-10 of the National Plan for Teaching Swimming are available in competitive swimming, water polo, synchronised swimming, diving and rookie lifesaving. Dependent on each leisure facility, all or some of these opportunities may be available.

As a result of completing all the outcomes detailed within each Stage of the National Plan for Teaching Swimming, a set of awards are available, called the Swim England National Plan Awards.

National Plan for Teaching Swimming: A Short Guide

The Swim England National Plan for Teaching Swimming (NPTS) is an ‘all-inclusive programme’ which takes the non-swimmer from his or her first splash to developing confidence and competence in the water. The national governing body for swimming, Swim England (formerly known as the Amateur Swimming Association, the ASA), has produced a national syllabus for aquatics, in order to equip swim teaching providers with the training and tools to deliver a multi-aquatic, multi-skill programme.

The swimmer’s journey through aquatics following the National Plan for Teaching Swimming will result in the development of a wide range of skills. These skills are the pieces of a jigsaw; when put together they result in a competent, confident and safe swimmer who has the skill base for developing technique in a wide range of water based sports.

A child develops their basic movement range during the ages of 5 to 8 years for females, and 6 to 9 years for males. During this stage of growing up, children should be taking part in activity that builds their fundamental movement skills, with the emphasis being learning through fun. With reference to this, children need to build up skills that fall under specific categories; in aquatics these are aquatic specific.

Below are the main skills developed as a swimmer takes their journey through aquatics, following the Swim England National Plan for Teaching Swimming.

Entry– safe entry into water, use of steps, side, jumps and eventually dives.
Exits– safe exits from water, use of steps and side.
Bouyancy & Balance – developing an understanding of buoyancy and balance and what affects it, and how to become buoyant in the water.
Rotation & Orientation – developing skills such as: how to turn around, how to lie back, how to lie forward, how to regain an upright position and how to twist from the back to the front and vice versa.
Streamlining– understanding of streamlining, how to be streamlined and why it is important.
Aquatic Breathing – developing confidence in the water and a feeling of being at ease with the water around the face, learning how to breathe correctly, which is part of becoming a safe swimmer. 
Travel & Coordination – developing movement forwards, backwards, sideways, how to travel effectively, exploring different ways of travelling in water.
Water Safety – development of a basic understanding of how to keep safe around water.
Health & Fitness – developing an understanding of why activity is good for you.

At each stage of the NPTS, all skills are crucial and must be comfortably achieved prior to moving on to the next Stage. If the swimmer does not accomplish a skill such as aquatic breathing, the achievement of skills such as rotation, streamlining, travel, buoyancy and balance will become impossible to learn effectively, if at all. 

Through the journey of acquiring skills, water competence will develop. Through a competence in water, the child will have more fun, is more likely to be active and follow a healthy lifestyle, and more likely to actively participate in sport throughout their lifetime. Finally, all Swimmers’ excel at a pace individual to them.
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