Enrolment

All swimmers/parents/guardians/carers are required to complete an Enrolment Form on the swimmer’s behalf. This will be updated annually prior to the start of the Autumn term and retained for 1 year after the completion of the academic year. Please let us know as soon as possible if you change your name, address, telephone number or e-mail address and we will amend our records accordingly. Medical conditions and additional needs should be reported to the swimming teacher during the first lesson and recorded on the enrolment form.

Parking and Access

Strictly NO PARKING on school premises at any time before 3:45pm as access is required for Bishopswood Special School transports. Please do not try to enter the school car park as this causes traffic jams, please park elsewhere (on the road). Parents parking in the school car park, or in the disabled bays near the pool will be asked to move their car (unless they have a blue badge entitling disabled parking).

Lesson Behaviour Policy

• Children should be on poolside no more than 5 minutes prior to the start of their lesson.
• Children who misbehave during their lesson will be returned to the care of their parent/guardian/carer immediately.
• Suitable swimwear should be worn, including swim hats.
• Equipment including arm bands and swim jackets are available to borrow or swimmers may bring their own.
• In the interests of health and safety no jewellery will be allowed during lessons except where medical or religious reasons exist. In these circumstances this situation should be brought to the attention of the swimming teacher.

Safeguarding Policy and Procedures

• Sonning Common Swim School (SCSS) follows the Safeguarding Policy of Sonning Common Primary School (SCPS). A copy of this is available on the SCPS website.
• All swimming staff (teachers and water helpers) have received safeguarding training.
• All young swimmers should be under supervision of an appropriate adult. Adults may wait outside the pool building but should remain within sight in case of emergency.
• The use of photographic or video equipment is not permitted within the facility. This includes the use of mobile phones for these purposes.

Swim scheme

Details of our swim award scheme are available to view on the school website: Swimming awards

We follow the Swimming Teacher Association (STA) awards for babies and pre-schoolers and the Sonning Common Awards for after-school swimmers.
On completing the scheme (Level 4) children may be able to remain with the swim school for the remainder of the current academic year (space dependant).  All children that achieve L4 will be expected to move on over the summer holidays once the scheme has been completed and spaces will not be retained for the Autumn term.  As your child progresses through the swim-school and where we are planning for new intake in September it may be necessary to move your child to a later class time.

Fees

Discounted rates are available to pupils and siblings of children that attend Sonning Common Primary School and Sonning Common Pre-school, Senior Swimmers (over the age of 60) and staff/children of staff at Sonning Common Primary School.  Prices may be reviewed during any twelve-month period; we undertake to provide at least 1 terms notice of any price changes.  A trial session is available prior to committing to lessons, payment is then required to secure the space for the term (fees include cost of the trial session).  Payments are due the Friday before term commences (except for the Autumn term).  Fees are non-refundable except in exceptional circumstances. Any refund requests must be made in writing to Sonning Common Primary School before the end of the term for which the refund is requested.  All decisions will be final.

Termination

Should you decide not to return to swimming lessons for the following term please give us as much notice as possible.

Missed lessons

Events out of our control may cause us to cancel a lesson (e.g. illness, adverse weather).   On occasions when lessons must be cancelled we will rearrange the class to take place at the end of term (this will always be within the school term).  In the event of a swimming teacher being absent for a lesson, the swim school is within its rights to change the swimming teacher to make sure that the lesson is covered, and no refunds will be given for lessons because of a change of teacher.  We are unable to offer alternative “make-up” lessons where sessions are missed due to the child’s illness or holidays.

Health & Safety

In the instance of sickness and diarrhoea the child must have been clear of all symptoms for at least 48 hours before attending a lesson.  Should the child or the adult taking the child into the water have, or develop, any known or suspected medical condition including ear infection, diarrhoea, chicken pox, impetigo, conjunctivitis or merely a bad cold they must consult their doctor before taking them swimming and inform the Swim School.  All information received is treated in confidence and with sensitivity.

• All shoes (including those of parents/carers/guardians) to be removed before entering the changing room and placed in the racking (or use overshoes).
• Food is forbidden in the pool building.
• Car seats and pushchairs should not be brought into the pool building as there is not enough space, please leave these under the buggy park adjacent to the classroom.

All property left in changing rooms, or on poolside, and all property (including prams) left in entrance halls or outside buildings are left entirely at the owner’s risk.  Please let us know immediately of any damage or fault to equipment or fixtures.  We accept no responsibility for illness, injury or death on the premises, unless caused by our own negligence.

Nappy Policy

There is a nappy policy for those children not yet fully toilet trained. Nappies (including disposable swim nappies) must not be left on the pool premises.

Right To Amend Terms & Conditions

SCSS reserve the right to amend the terms and conditions. We undertake to provide at least 1 months’ notice of any amendment or change.