Registration and Payments

· Enrolment can take place at the start of the term or part way through subject to availability.

· Spaces are automatically carried forward to the next term. You will be issued with an invoice towards the end of the current term for the following term. This will show the day and time of your child’s lesson. If you do not wish to continue with your child’s lessons you must give at least half a terms notice.

· Fees are payable in advance of lessons commencing or by monthly direct debit. Details are available on request.

· If fees are not paid by the time the new term commences your child’s place may be allocated elsewhere.

· Payment can be made by cash, cheque or BACS. All prices include VAT.

· Payment plans are available on request but must be agreed in advance and the first payment must have been received before lessons commence.

Holiday Courses

· One to one lessons are subject to teacher availability.

· We will do our best to give you your requested time slot but cannot guarantee this as we build our lessons around the children who book onto our courses, rather than expect them to fit in to predetermined boxes.

· In the event of cancellation less than 48 hours prior to the commencement of the course there will be no refund

· In the event of cancellation between 48 hours and 7 days before commencement of a course a 50% refund will be given

· In the event of cancellation more than 7 days prior to the commencement of a course a full refund will be given

· All lessons must be paid for in advance whether they are taken or not as our expenses remain the same.

· Lessons may be cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances or teacher illness in which case a full refund or equivalent credit will be given on the following terms lessons.

Refunds and Cancellations

Fees are non-refundable if lessons are not attended for any reason and there is no right to any catch up lessons. If we need to cancel lessons for any reason the following will apply:

· An alternative location at the same time and on the same day will be offered. In this case there will be no refund or credit available.

· A catch up lesson during the counties state school term dates will be offered. In this case there will be no refund or credit available.

· If there is no alternative locations or catch up date available a credit will be applied to the following terms fees.

Medical Conditions

If your child or yourself have any medical or additional needs these should be notified to us via the customer portal when you register. We need this information to keep you and/or your child safe and offer the best possible swimming lesson experience. Any such information is only shared with the teachers and pool helpers responsible for your lessons. All information is kept in accordance with our Data Protection Policy. If there are any changes to this information, please notify us immediately so we can act accordingly.

Illness

Your child and/or yourself should be fit to swim each week. Nobody should swim if they have a bleeding or infected wound (covering with a plaster is not acceptable), any infectious disease, cough, cold, ear infection, eye infection, head lice or stomach upset. Please allow 72 hours recovery after any sickness or diarrhoea. If your child has had chicken pox the scabs must have fallen off before returning to swimming. You must always advise us if your child comes down with an infectious disease after swimming. This is to protect vulnerable groups and pregnant women.

Baby Swimming

Please check with your health visitor for the latest guidance on vaccinations prior to commencing baby swimming with us.

We operate a strict double nappy system for our baby swimming lessons. Full details will be found in the information/welcome letter you will receive on enrolling.

Safety and Code of Conduct

Parents

A responsible parent must be present on poolside at all times as the teacher is only responsible for the child whilst they are in the water during the lesson time. If children leave the water for any time during lessons i.e for a trip to the toilet, they become the responsibility of the parents.

Any children watching lessons must be seated and not moving around the poolside.

Lessons last for half an hour and this includes the class change overtime.

Swimming hats must be worn in all pools. Goggles are personal preference but if your child is continually fiddling with them they may be sent to you so that you can adjust them.

No food, shoes or pushchairs are allowed on poolside.

Changing Policy

Separate changing facilities are available. Under no circumstances are men allowed in the female change or females in the male change. Children aged 8 and over must change in their own gender changing room. If your child has additional needs and this is not practical, please speak to the office to see if alternative arrangements can be made.

Playground Equipment

Playground equipment at any of the schools we use is for the use of the school children only. Neither ourselves nor the schools can be held responsible for accidents arising from their use. Please stick to the paths and respect the school rules.

Talking to your Child’s Teacher

We appreciate that at times you may need to chat to your child’s teacher, however, poolside in the middle of lessons or during the changeover between lessons is not the best time for an in depth conversation. In this case please contact the office and they will pass on any information and collect any feedback for you.

Swimmers

· We understand that sometimes it is unavoidable but please try and arrive promptly for lessons. Swimmers should not be entering the water until their teacher instructs them to do so.

· Ensure your child uses the toilet before lessons.

· Swimmers should wear one piece swimming costumes or tight fitting shorts.

· All girls aged 4 and over must have a top half to their costume or a shirt or rash vest.

· Swimmers should remove all jewellery before entering the water.

Teachers and Pool Helpers

Julie’s Swim School teachers are all qualified and DBS checked. We also have pool helpers from the age of 13 helping us with lessons. They are there to assist with putting out and clearing up pool equipment, holding the children, providing encouragement, and reinforcing safety rules. Some of them undergo CPR and rescue training to provide poolside cover for us. Many of them go on to undertake teacher training once they reach the age of 16.

Manual Handling Policy

Our teachers and helpers are in the water with non-swimmers and beginners. They can then offer support and build confidence as and when required. The teacher or pool helper will always explain to the child what they are going to do before they do it. All children will be encouraged but never forced. We recognise that some children do not like to be touched and will always respect their wishes. If you have any questions or concerns about manual handling or your child during lessons, please email the office and the matter will be discussed with yourself and your child’s class teacher.

Teacher Training

The swim school owner Julie Simonelli is an STA Aquatics Tutor and regularly undertakes the training of our promising pool helpers to become qualified swimming teachers as well as ongoing teacher training. This ensures continuity and the future stability of the swim school. From time to time your child’s class may be led by our trainee teachers. They will always be under the supervision of either the swim school owner or an experienced Lead Teacher.

In Case of Emergency

The teachers will work as team to ensure that any emergency is handled appropriately and effectively. Our teachers and pool helpers have undergone training in this area. If it is necessary to evacuate please follow the instructions issued by them.

Parking

The parking information for each of our sites is contained in the Welcome letter. Please park safely and considerately at all venues and allow plenty of time.

Complaints

If for any reason you are unhappy with your lessons, please email the office at info@juliesswimschool.com

Your complaint will be investigated by the swim school owner who will communicate with any staff involved and reply to you within 7 days.

Photography and videoing

Photography and videoing is not allowed at any time in accordance with safeguarding procedures. If you wish to take a photograph of your child, please ask your child’s teacher if they can arrange for one to be taken. Julie’s Swim School may from time to time take photographs. Please indicate whether you consent to this when completing your registration via the customer portal.

Safeguarding Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults Policy

Julie’s Swim School adopts the STA Safeguarding Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults Policy. The safeguarding officer is the swim school owner Julie Simonelli. The full policy can be found here https://www.sta.co.uk/policies/safeguarding-policy/

Behaviour Policy

At Julie’s swim School we take a child centred approach and work very hard to do the best for each individual child. We recognise that not all children are the same and they may have different needs. We are inclusive and accommodate diversity without discrimination. We encourage good behaviour through positive reinforcement. We need the children to act with a degree of self-control as we are working in an environment which could put them and/or others at risk if rules are not followed. We recognise that for some children, especially those who are younger or have additional needs these boundaries can be difficult to adhere to. Bullying of any kind will not be tolerated.

Your child’s class teacher will manage their behaviour in the following way:

· Positive reinforcement will be used to encourage good behaviour

· If your child continues with unacceptable behaviour; for example, continually ducking under water when the teacher is talking, the teacher will explain why the behaviour is not acceptable and follow that up with positive reinforcement.

· Should the behaviour continue the teacher may ask the child to sit out on the side to discuss the issue and ensure their understanding and then repeat the steps above.

· If it is necessary to sit your child on the side, we will discuss with you how best to move forward in managing your child’s behaviour. Our aim is to work as a team to achieve the best possible outcome for your child.

· If your child is asked to sit on the side they will not be left alone. A pool helper or available teacher will wait with your child and talk to them to help them understand what is acceptable and ensure their understanding.

· The teacher will always finish the lesson on a positive note with your child and may ask you to reinforce their discussions with them prior to the next lesson.

· If your child enjoys collecting stickers to reinforce positive behaviour your teacher will arrange for these to be handed out at the end of the lesson. Sticker charts are available to buy for £2. The purchase price is donated to our supported charity Chloe and Sophie’s Special Ears Fund.

Privacy Policy

Our Privacy Policy is available on our website at www.juliesswimschool.com. When you register through our customer portal you will be asked for your consent to us keeping any medical or additional needs information we request. You have the option to withdraw consent at any time but without this it may not be possible for us to deliver lessons to you. You can also subscribe to our newsletter to receive details of holiday courses, items for sale and any competitions or customer surveys. You can manage your preferences through the customer portal or on our website on the contact us page here: http://www.juliesswimschool.com/Contact-Us.html