All lessons must be paid for in advance. All booked places are committed for thewhole term; cancellation during the term will receive no refund.
There will be no refund or credit for any session missed due to general illness of a child or because of late arrival or non-attendance. However, if a child needs to withdraw from the course based on medical terms, a letter from the GP stating that the child has been advised not to swim will be required along with a letter from the parent or guardian notifying the situation. A refund, if agreed, will be in the form of a credit for the next term. If you do not intend to book for another term, then the appropriate refund will be paid direct into the recipient’s account.
It is the parent or guardian’s responsibility to notify us of any illness, injuries or medical conditions likely to impede a child’s safety or ability to participate.
If we have to amend sessions, you will be advised at the earliest opportunity. If a session is cancelled due to unavailability of the pool a refund or credit will be made.
We reserve the right of exclusion at our own discretion.
We ask that you help maintain a clean pool environment and remove shoes when entering any pool building and no food to be consumed on poolside or in the changing rooms this is also due to severe allergies.
Please refrain from taking photos or videos of swimmers.
Please stay at the pool with your child(ren), in case we need to contact you at any
point during the lesson or after.
Yes, please ensure that any children in your care are supervised at all times. Children in your care are your responsibility at all times other than during the swimming lesson itself.
Swimming appropriate clothing includes a swimming costume or shorts. Jammers for boys are a popular choice (long lycra shorts).
Children under the age of three should wear aqua nappies.
Please bring your swimming costume / shorts, towel, swimming hat, goggles, warm dry clothes for changing into after, drinking water and if you own swimming equipment such as pull buoy, paddles, flippers, please feel free to bring them along to lessons in case they are needed. This is mainly for the adult classes and rest assured,Hippocampus Swim school also provides lesson equipment, however, many people choose to keep their own.
If you would like your child to wear goggles, please buy ones with clear lenses. Dark lenses can be hard to see through when they get a bit steamed up and the swimmers need to be able to clearly see the teacher and the other swimmers.
Yes, there are at each venue. Children over the age of 8 years old need to in their gender appropriate changing room and able to change by themselves. If you have any queries regarding this or if your child needs extra assistance, please let us know.
Children 8 years old and over must be able to dress themselves independently in the changing rooms. If your child is over 8 years old, you should not enter the changing room.
In order to maintain a clean and hygienic pool environment, we’re sorry but food is not permitted on poolside or in the changing room. It is also recommended that pupils leave at least 2 hours after a meal, before lessons.
It is usually possible to swim with most medical conditions, lessons can be adapted to suit the needs of swimmers. It isn’t advisable to swim after surgery or if you have any wounds on your body. Prior to starting lessons we’d love to discuss any medical needs with you, and potentially you will need approval from your doctor. Speak to us and we can work that out with you!
Where required, medicine can be kept on poolside (inhalers, EpiPens etc), and the person (parent or guardian) responsible for administering the medicine should also stay close. If your child is able to administer their own medicine, please let us know.
Burstow Park has a carpark, The Garden parking is available at Asda.
At Hippocampus Swim School we work towards Swim England Learn to Swim Stages1-5 Awards. We also teach Rainbow Distance Awards, Water Skills, Rookie Lifeguard Awards, Duckling Awards. For our SEN classes we work towards the STA Rockhopper Awards. We maintain a varied, fun and engaging and challenging swimming programme!
Anyone can join a swimming lesson! We will ensure you or your child is matched with a suitable stage class, adults can also join a suitable group - so they or you can enjoy learning at a comfortable level.
Yes, we are one of the few swimming clubs to provide swimming classes for people with disabilities or special needs. We are an Autism Swim Approved Swim School.
All age groups are welcome - from babies through to adults. Special needs classes are tailored to the individuals needs and focused on what is achievable and on building from this very positive approach.
The benefits of swimming include improved strength and flexibility, enhanced muscular stamina, stronger cardio-vascular system and social skills. Our main aim is to build confidence and provide an environment where the pupil can feel independent through free movement in the water, which may not be achievable outside of the pool.
Through empathy, enthusiasm and understanding each individual we gain trust,creating an atmosphere that is relaxed and positive, promoting a feeling of wellbeing, fun and enjoyment.
Our lessons are safe, engaging, fun and our experienced teachers plan every session to ensure each child is working towards improving their confidence in the water and swimming ability.
All our teachers are Level 2 qualified and above and also hold a teachers lifesaving qualification.
Yes, our swim school is fully insured, as are our teachers.
At Hippocampus Swim School, we like to ensure varied and engaging swimming lessons and throughout the year we vary the learning focus too. We have a term working towards the Swim England stages, another aiming for distance badges and time spent completing Rookie Lifeguarding certificates.
Yes, every one of the pools we use have a viewing or seating area for parents.
The use of any type of camera, video or recording equipment is strictly prohibited.
We do offer child and adult private lessons, whether it’s learning to swim or honing your stroke techniques. Just get in touch with us to check availability.
Yes, see above. At Hippocampus Swim School we teach adults to swim or help you work towards other personal swimming goals. Contact us to discuss your 1:1 session requirement.
Our swimming pool lessons are in term time only; However, we do also hold Crash Courses through the summer months and during half terms.
Your child, no matter how young or how new to swimming they are, will never wear armbands in lesson. We want to teach your child to swim independently and how to be safe in the water. There are compelling reasons why we don’t use armbands:
1. If your child fell into water when on holiday or even just on a riverside walk with the family, they probably won’t have armbands on. Their experience in their swimming lessons needs to be as realistic as possible. Water safety is a core building block in our lesson plans and everything your child learns will unbeknown to them, be teaching them vital life-saving skills.
2. We teach our Puddle Ducks to swim beautifully. Technique is ingrained at every level and wearing armbands hinders this. Your child will learn to swim on the surface of the water, gracefully and efficiently. If they wear armbands, they will not be aligned in the water. Their top half will be bobbing above the water, forcing their bottom half to dip down, making the alignment required for independent swimming all but impossible.
Non-fitted buoyancy aids (such as floats or woggles) allow children to push away from them when they are ready to be independent whereas fitted aids (arm bands) require an adult to deflate them. We would never recommend the use of inflatables or buoyancy seats – these can flip toddlers over into the water and even land on top of them, making it difficult for them to surface.
Yes, we do offer please get in touch to find out availability.
Hippocampus will ensure that all team members are.
• Enhanced DBS checks will be obtained for all Team Members who are in a position where they have regular contact with/access to children and young people up to the age of 18 years.
• All Team Members who are in a position where they have regular contact with/access to children and young people up to the age 18 of years will have received training in Safeguarding, either from the Swimming Teacher’s Association or an organisation approved by the Swimming Teacher’s Association.
• All Team Members will adopt and abide by the STA Safeguarding Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults policy https://www.sta.co.uk/policies/safeguarding-policy/
• Any welfare concerns should be addressed to the local franchise office.
All suspicions and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately.
If customers are not happy with the support provided, they are advised to either contact the NSPCC or their local safeguarding board.
