Learn to Swim
Interested in your child learning to swim?
Sign them up to our Learn to Swim lessons
Core Skills
Core Skills consist of 4 different stages where the goal is to develop a strong, foundational swimming ability. As these stages are large and cover more ground, progression through them may be more gradual but the end result will be a swimmer confident in deep water with a good swimming technique!
Once swimmers have completed Core Skills, they’ll have the option of progressing to our club progression:
Branch 1: Club progression
Club progression starts with our Advanced Swim Skills stage, providing swimmers with the skills and technique needed to proceed into one of our Dolphins club squads. For the swimmer who wants to develop their technique and continue breaking personal best times, club progression will set them up to the challenge!
Younger Years
We hope to run pre-school lessons that will include Adult & Baby, Adult & Toddler and Adult & Child stages. These will provide introductory confidence for both parents and young swimmers, giving even the youngest of swimmers a fantastic introduction to the world of swimming! These lessons, along with our Junior Core Skills (for children from the age of 4), will serve to pave the way into the core stages.
Also, stay tuned for our future Aquanatal class, which will equip future parents with gentle aquatic exercise and confidence!
Adult Lessons
We are also planning to provide a variety of led sessions for adults in the future, including Basic Water Confidence for beginners and Stroke Development for those wanting to improve on or learn a particular swimming stroke!
Finally, look out for our SwimFit sessions, with training plans intended to really work the fitness and technique of those already confident in the water!
Frequently Asked Questions
What age can my child start swimming lessons?
We believe that the earlier a child is introduced to the aquatic environment, the better! For our Preschool programme your child can start at any age, however to begin entering lessons unattended by a parent, children must be 4 years old.
Can I book my child into lessons at any time?
All of our Learn to Swim classes are provided in blocks, generally 12 weeks in length for children’s lessons. Children can be booked into a block prior to it commencing, but cannot begin lessons half way through a block.
How will I know which stage to book my child into?
Before booking your child into lessons, we will arrange a pre-assessment with an instructor to ensure they will be placed into the correct stage for their ability. Please ask at reception on your next visit or by calling us on 01546 606676 and we can arrange a time and day that suits you.
How long will a pre-assessment take?
The length of time a pre-assessment takes will vary based on your child’s swimming ability. In the early stages, a pre-assessment can take as little as 5 or 10 minutes, whilst at a more advanced level this could take 15 or 20 minutes. We do ask that for the duration of your child’s pre-assessment, you remain in the building so that the instructor can discuss the pre-assessment with you as soon as it is finished.
How long will it take my child to learn to swim?
The time it takes each child to learn will vary, as children can find some skills easier to learn than others. It’s worth keeping in mind that it’s perfectly normal for children to plateau at certain stages as they develop their swimming skills and even to regress following circumstances such as a break from lessons.
Terms & Conditions
- Lessons will be delivered over 3 x 12-week blocks throughout the academic year, unless stated otherwise. Each class will have its own designated teacher(s) scheduled per block; substitute teachers may be called upon at short notice.
- Lesson fees are non-refundable where the swimmer has either missed lessons or decided to withdraw from the scheme altogether.
- Refunds will only be given for serious health issues or illness where lessons will be missed for 4 or more consecutive weeks, and only if the absence is supported by a healthcare provider. Forms for this purpose can be collected from the MACPool reception.
- If your child is unwell, we recommend that you do not bring them to their swimming lesson. If your child has had diarrhoea and/or vomiting, they should not be brought to lessons as it can be contagious. Please wait until at least a week after it has cleared up before returning to classes.
- All long hair should be tied back or put in a swim cap. Please ensure that your children have well-fitting goggles that do not cover their noses.
- Assessments will generally take place on weeks 10 and 11 of each block. Progression of swimmers will be at the judgement of the swimming teacher, and swimmers will be moved up to the next level once they have met the required criteria.
- Throughout the duration of the LTS blocks, any LTS swimmers wishing to swim outside of regular classes will be required to pay for individual access the pool. If LTS swimmers are using the pool more than 3 times per month, please consider purchasing our child membership at £9.99/month.
- A full payment of the block must be given at the time of booking, or a direct debit set up prior to the first lesson. The Direct Debit will spread the annual cost of the full 3 blocks over 12 months. These payments will start in September and run to August the following year.