Frequently asked questions...
Where are your lessons and what days / times do you have lessons?
We swim at Bishop's Stortford College on Saturdays, 11:45am-1:45pm and Sundays, 8:30-11am. Take a look at our timetable here.
What do you offer?
Adult & Child lessons (for 3 months - 3 years).
Children's group lessons (for 3yrs +).
Adult group lessons (all abilities).
Private lessons (1:1s and 2:1s).
Advanced adult lane swimming sessions.
Home visits.
What swim scheme do you follow?
We follow the Swim England Learn to Swim Framework for all ages, and have an "online portal" available so you can easily track your swimmer's progress. Find out more about the children's Learn to Swim stages here: Swim England Learn to Swim Awards.
Adult & Child (Discovery Duckling) and Pre-school (Duckling)
How long are lessons?
All lessons are 30mins. Advanced lane swimming has an option of 1.5hr.
How much are lessons?
Adult & Child: £16 per pair.
Group lessons: £12 per swimmer.
Private lessons: £58 per swimmer for a 1:1, or £29 per swimmer for a 2:1.
Lane swimming: £5 per 1hr session.
Home visits: please contact us for a personalised quote.
How do we pay for lessons?
Lessons are paid in advance on a termly basis via bank transfer.
Do you accept childcare vouchers or do sibling discount?
Unfortunately not.
Do you automatically take payment for rebooking / enrolling onto a new term?
No. We do not sign you up via direct debit, and we do not take automatic payments. To rebook, you must make a bank transfer otherwise your space is released and given to another swimmer.
Do you do refunds for missed lessons?
We can only issue a refund for a medical issue where a doctor's note or hospital letter is provided. Refunds cannot be backdated. If we have to cancel a lesson (e.g. due to a pool issue or staff sickness), we will issue a refund. Please see our policies here: Love Water Swim School Policies
What temperature is the water?
Learner pool: 30-31°C
Main pool: 28°C
How many swimmers in a lesson?
Pre-school, Stage 1 & 2: max 6.
Stage 3 & 4: max 7.
Stage 5 and above: max 8.
Adult & Child: max 12 pairs.
Adults: max 8.
Do adults have to get in with their children?
Only for the Adult & Child classes, where each child requires one adult in the water with them.
Do you have swim assistants in the lessons?
Where possible, we have an assistant in the water for Pre-school, Stage 1 or Stage 2 lessons. An assistant is not always guaranteed.
Are teachers in the water with the children?
Yes, for Pre-school, Stage 1 and Stage 2. For Stage 3 and above, the teacher stands on poolside. Occasionally a teacher will get in for a Stage 3 class, depending on the exercise but not often.
My child is ready to move up. When and how will they move?
Pre-school Framework:
Adult & Child, 3 months - 3 years: Swimmers stay in this class until they turn 3yrs old, they cannot move up before then. At 3yrs, I will check with you that we all agree that your swimmer is ready to move into a Pre-school lesson without a parent or guardian. Sometimes swimmers are not ready and parents want to continue in the Adult & Child class for a bit longer.
Pre-school, 3-4yrs not in full-time school: Swimmers stay in this class until they either start full-time school, OR have completed 1 year of lessons with Love Water Swim School. They cannot move up before then. (Additional pre-school info in the next quesion)
Stages 1-7
Swimmers are assessed and moved up based on their individual ability (not as an entire class). Swimmers must achieve 100% and show consistently good technique, skill and swimming in all outcomes for at least a few weeks before they are marked as ready to move up.
When your swimmer is ready to move up, you will receive an email with information about the new class, and whether you'd like to purchase a Badge & Certificate set.
My pre-schooler can do all the Ducklings pre-school criteria. When will they move up to Stage 1?
Pre-schoolers move up to Stage 1 either when they start full-time school, OR after they have completed 1 year (i.e. 3 terms) of pre-school lessons with Love Water Swim School.
If a pre-schooler completes all the Ducklings criteria before either of these events, they will remain in the same class and progress onto more challenging exercises with different and/or less floatation equipment. So they will essentially be doing Stage 1 exercises while in their pre-school class, and continue to progress and be challenged. Adult & Child, and Pre-school classes work differently to the rest of the Learn to Swim Pathway, as they are based on age, rather than individual swimming ability like Stage 1 & up for the older children.Do you run all year round?
No. We follow the school term dates, so have all half terms and major holidays (Easter, summer & Christmas) off. You can see term dates here.
How do we book?
We will respond to your email as soon as possible, detailing all availability. You will receive a quote for the term (or remainder of, if joining after the term has started) and an online booking form. To confirm your space, we must receive both the payment and a completed form.