Terms and Conditions

The SwimEasy Way! To Terms and Conditions Policies

All places are booked on a first come first served basis. Customers book a series of lessons on the basis of there being a vacant space within a pool and time slot.

(The re-booking process will guarantee a customer a place within the programme. It will not however guarantee a specific time slot. All pupils are subject to movement within the class schedules, and due to the range of ability levels it is possible that no space will be available during the same time slot. The Company will endeavour to be flexible in its allocation of places according to ability, but may find it impossible to meet every eventuality. Consideration will be given to siblings and other family members, but not all levels can be accommodated within the same time slots.)

Priority bookings will be allocated to those customers already holding places. Booking of a place to return to the programme must be on time and within the priority re-booking deadline.

Failure to do this means those spaces within the pool will be allocated to open bookings and filled immediately after the deadline is reached. No provisional holding of places will be permitted.

All bookings and re-bookings will only be accepted if accompanied by payment. Debit or credit card payment will be accepted for telephone bookings. Cheques will only be taken on the re-booking days at the actual venues.

Fees may be paid either annually or by Term in advance. Refunds for non-attendance will not be given.

(The Company pays for staff and teachers for each term/year based on the numbers booked into the programme. Therefore it is our policy not to offer refunds for non-attendance under any circumstances as this adversely affects the whole programme.)

Fees are determined on an annual basis and when paying termly, 3 equal payments are required irrespective of term length.

The term lengths are on average 11/12 weeks but may vary in length with one slightly shorter and another longer. To avoid confusion and for administrative convenience, the Company has made all termly payments equal.

Our listed class numbers are projected target figures and cannot always be guaranteed. If a teacher is absent, classes may be joined together where it is considered appropriate.

Whilst the Company tries to employ 100% reliable staff, obviously there are times when sickness or accidents do occur at the last minute. In the unusual event of this, every effort is made to provide a replacement as soon as possible but very occasionally, classes may have to be combined. The only other option would be to cancel the classes, which is not a happy outcome for anyone.

In the unusual event of a pool closure we will offer an alternative venue. No refunds will be given. Where possible, “make-ups” will be offered and if this is not possible, credit notes will be given in lieu of future payment for future lessons.

The Company hires the pools from various different schools/councils and is therefore not directly responsible for the pool maintenance. This means that occasionally we encounter problems outwith our control and have no option but to phone and re-arrange the venue at short notice. This happens very rarely as the pools are well maintained, but as with everything in life, the unusual can sometimes happen.

Annual Payments will remain the same throughout the year regardless of change of level. Make ups only will apply to lessons missed through pool closure etc.

As a discount is already given for paying annually the Company’s policy is to keep the payment the same. The administrative cost of changing would be greater than a refund if that was deemed necessary. Therefore it is easier all round to keep things running smoothly by leaving the payment level the same.

If cancellation of a booking is notified to the office a minimum of 2 weeks prior to commencement of lessons, a refund subject to an administration fee of £10 per booking will be made.

This fee is charged due to the additional work incurred by removing a child from the system and writing a cheque etc.

Conditions:

Re-bookings are normally done 2/3 weeks prior to the end of term.

To ensure continuation of each pupil’s progress, the Company provides an opportunity at the pools to pay and book on-site for the following term. If payment is made annually, the pupil is automatically placed each term into the correct class and level. If paying termly and booking on-site, it is more likely that the preferred time and space will be available. If the priority re-booking time is missed, it will be necessary to re-book along with new pupils during our open booking system.

All children should wear eye goggles and tight fitting costumes/trunks. Baggy shorts are not permitted.

The reason for this is that they cause extra ‘drag’ through the water and distort the position of the body in the water. It also restricts the smooth, efficient movement of the pupil through he water and in some instances even be a safety hazard.

All children must wear a SwimEasy swim cap.

This is in the interests of hygiene to prevent hair trailing through the water, causing others to swallow it. It also keeps the hair off the face and less of a distraction to the pupil during the lesson. It keeps small children warmer as most body heat is lost through the head and again for safety, our colour-coded system ensures that staff can immediately know the standard of every pupil in the pool.

Parents must never distract the swimming teacher and should direct all communication through the lesson co-ordinator.

If a parent attempts to speak to the teacher during the lesson this is a definite safety issue. The Teacher has taken his/her eye from the pupils in their care and in a few moments, anything may happen. It is inappropriate to place the teacher in that situation. Any relevant questions can be asked of the co-ordinator who will seek out the answer and, if necessary, arrange a suitable time to speak to the teacher concerned.

Parents are responsible for children in the changing area. It is not the Company’s responsibility to look after pupils prior to their arrival on the poolside.

If parents are away from the changing area, they should return 5 minutes before the lesson ends as children can become very distressed if a parent is not available. The co-ordinator is already looking after the pupils for the next session so should not be distracted by having to deal with upset children looking for carers or parents who are late. In addition, behaviour in the changing rooms is important as we are hiring the facilities.

Where conditions permit, parents may remain on the premises but for safety and insurance purposes, should not normally wait on the poolside.

In most facilities, the Company cannot allow parents to sit on poolside every week as this may create a safety issue with regards both to distractions and in relation to poolside space. It is also very difficult for the teaching staff to retain the full attention of their pupils if they are constantly looking at parents and attending to instruction. Indeed this may well hamper progress being made during the lessons by those particular pupils. Parents will be invited in on the first week, last week and on a suitably arranged session around the middle of term.

Parking is only permitted in allocated spaces at each venue.

The Company has to adhere to the regulations laid down by the letting facility for each pool. The main principle behind these regulations is for the safety of all concerned. Please help the Company keep everyone safe and out of harm’s way.