University of Leeds Swimming Programme – Terms & Conditions

The following guidelines are in place for Swimming Lessons held at the University of Leeds

  1. Lessons
    1. Each course of Swimming Lessons runs for a 12 week period. Additional courses may be held during the school summer holidays.
    2. The Aquatics Manager reserves the rights to cancel or amend term dates as necessary.
    3. Group lessons last for 30 minutes. Improver/Advanced lessons last for 45 minutes. One-to-one lessons last for 30 minutes.
    4. All groups swimming lessons run at a maximum ratio of 8 pupils to 1 teacher in line with ASA guidelines. Assistants may be present in order to move around classes as necessary. Advanced Medals classes run at a 1-10 ratio.
    5. Lessons will be conducted in a variety of depths. Shallow water is 0.9m and deep water 2m. This is at the discretion of the teacher and Aquatic Manager.
  2. Enrolment and re-enrolment
    1. Fees will be paid for the full course in advance.
    2. Refunds for non-attendance will not be given.
    3. Payment can be made in person or on the phone by cash, credit or debit card with The Edge main reception.
    4. On completion of a booking, receipts will be given along with confirmation of all details of your next course.
    5. Course payments are non-refundable except for periods of at least 3 lessons where for medical reasons a doctor has restricted physical activity. Requests should be made in writing to the Aquatic Manager who will arrange a refund as appropriate. Re-enrolment letters/reminder emails will be provided on week 7 of the course, offering you the opportunity to renew your place.
    6. You may request a change of time, or teacher and we will accommodate your request provided space is available.
    7. Bookings must be made and paid for on week 7 or 8, on a first come first serve basis, or places on subsequent courses will be made available to those on our waiting list. The same teacher cannot be guaranteed as a swimmer moves through the stages.
  3. Pupil Progression
    1. All pupils on learn to swim courses work towards the ASA Learn to Swim Framework.
    2. Progression of all pupils will be based on the judgement of the teacher and the Aquatic Manager, in accordance with criteria outlined in the ASA Learn to Swim Framework.
    3. Progression will be communicated in week 7 so pupils can enrol on the appropriate stage for the next set of lessons.
    4. All pupils must complete all the skill criteria within each stage before progressing to the next.
    5. Upon completion of a stage the pupil will be issued with a badge slip. Badges and certificates will be available from reception the following week.
  4.  Teachers
    1. It is our policy to endeavour to provide a temporary swim teacher in the event of instructor absence.
    2. We reserve the right to replace swimming teachers if necessary once the term has started.
    3. Swimming teachers are only responsible for the pupils during their lessons and parents and/or guardians are responsible at all other times. The swimming lesson begins when the teacher accepts charge of pupils sitting on the poolside seating, and ends when the lesson finishes. Teachers will escort children to the changing area at the end of the lesson where parents must meet their child promptly.
    4. Each teacher’s performance is monitored each term by the Aquatic Manager.
  5. Swimmers
    1. All Pupils should wear suitable swimwear, t-shirts are only allowed at the discretion of the teacher. Teachers can refuse entry for inappropriate swimwear.
    2. Jewellery should not be worn.
    3. Long hair should be tied back, a swimming cap to be worn if possible.
    4. Pupils should not chew gum.
    5. All pupils should collect a wristband from reception to highlight that they are part of the lesson programme. These will be colour coded for each teacher. Swimmers are not permitted to enter the water without a visible wristband.
    6. If your child has been unwell (within 72 hours) we recommend that you do not bring them to their swimming lesson.
    7. Swimmers must arrive at least 10 minutes early for their lesson. Any swimmer arriving later than the start of the class will not be permitted to enter the water.
  6. Parents/Spectators
    1. Parents of pupils under 16 must remain on the premises whilst the pupil is in their lesson. This is imperative in case of the unlikely event of a medical emergency, building evacuation or other emergency situation.
    2. Parents/Guardians are not permitted watch from poolside. Seating is provided in the cafe area. Parents/Guardians must never distract the teacher during a lesson and should direct all communication through The Duty Manager. Attempting to distract the teacher during lessons hinders pupil progression and can be dangerous.
    3. Photography or filming is not permitted under any circumstances.
    4. Questions regarding progression should also be raised by e-mailing swimminglessons@leeds.ac.uk (Receptionists are not able to answer any progression related enquiries).
    5. The Duty Manager and lifeguards are the staff members to resolve any poolside issues. Any issues in this area should be raised with them, given the appropriate situation.
    6. Parents may walk younger children on to poolside to sit in their designated area no sooner than 3 minutes before the start of their lesson. Parents are not permitted to wait with their child on poolside beyond the start of the lesson.
  7. Facility
    1. A Duty Manager will be available to ensure the safe, smooth running of the building and to look after the needs of teachers, pupils and parents/guardians. Appropriate lifeguarding of the pool will be provided to ensure the safety of all pool users.
    2. In the event of a pool closure or cancelled lessons we will make every attempt to contact our customers as soon as possible.
    3. In an instance where a pupil is not returning to our classes for a further course then a refund for cancelled lessons will be given, within an acceptable time period.
    4. All parents/guardians are required to supply us with emergency mobile telephone numbers for quick communication purposes.
  8.  Child Protection/Vulnerable Adults
    1. We will follow the Sport and Physical Activity guidance on safeguarding children, children and vulnerable adults.
    2. All University of Leeds Swimming Teachers have a relevant ASA qualification appropriate to their role and have undergone enhanced DBS disclosure checks.
  9. 1:1 Lessons
    1. 1:1s must be paid for in advance of the lesson.
    2. Any cancellations must be made 24 hours in advance. Cancellations made after this time will result in loss of payment and lesson. Cancellations made prior to the time can be re-arranged for a more suitable time.
    3. Swimming lessons will be arranged with the teacher.
    4. All lessons will take place in a general swim period. A lane may be provided if possible but this is subject to pool capacity and programming
  10. Complaints/Feedback procedure
    1. Any problems experienced during the swimming lessons should be reported immediately to the reception team.
    2. Facility complaints will be dealt with by the Duty Manager on shift. If this is not possible then it will be passed to the Operations Manager who will deal with the complaint within 48 hours.
    3. Swimming lesson complaints will be passed to the Aquatic Manager who will respond within 48 hours.
    4. Feedback for the programme and teaching provision is welcomed. Please email n.mcguire@leeds.ac.uk with any feedback surrounding the swimming lessons.
    5. Feedback from teachers to parents will coincide with enrolment week to allow for re-booking. We will aim to cover all regular teachers for this week to provide face to face feedback to parents and swimmers.