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When should my child learn to swim?

We believe children should learn to swim as young as possible. Swimming is an important life and skill and young children often have much less fear 

At Fins and Floats swim school we cater for all ages and abilities.

Our small class sizes ensure children get lots of attention and progress quickly. Teachers and assistants in the water give your child confidence and ensure they learn the correct technique.

We use woggles, swim fins and floats instead of traditional armbands as they keep the swimmer in the correct position and help them swim unaided faster.

We allow children to join our lessons at any time, this does mean that some children may be more experienced than others, we do this on purpose as it helps children to copy others

 

 

Which class do I start in?

Our classes are split based on age and ability, they are just a guide and after your first lesson the teacher may suggest a different class that will be more suitable

We have beginners 1 classes for children age 3-4, these classes are ideal for young children who have never had lessons or who have experience in the water but cant yet swim unaided. Parents do not get in the water. Although some children may be nervous to leave their parent at this age they do soon settle

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Beginners 2 is for children age 5-7 who have never had lessons or who have some experience but cannot swim unaided

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Our beginners 3 class are for children age 8+ who have never had lessons or for super confident younger swimmers who are swimming 5m with the teacher

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Beginners + is for children of all ages who are confidently swimming across the pool on their front and back

Improvers can swim 10m of all strokes, breathe correctly for the stroke, tread water and jump into deep water

Improvers+ just need to work on technique and stamina

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Do parents get in the water?

No, from age 3 all our classes are independent. Parents watch from poolside and the teacher is in the pool. We do have some parent and child classes at our Goole venue, these are for children from 6months- 3years, they are great for building water confidence and introducing water safety

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Why don't you allow children to wear goggles?

we do not like our beginners to wear goggles, it is important for children to learn to put their face in without panicking and progress to been able to jump in and swim a small distance or float without goggles. although some children may not enjoy this, if they were to ever accidently fall into water then they would not be wearing goggles and if they have not practised doing this then even the most able swimmers may panic. Water safety is our priority. once children are confident putting their face in the teacher may recommend goggles to help them see where they are going and stop their eyes getting sore.

What if my child is not as advanced as others in the class?

All children develop at different rates and everyone has off days. We allow you to join at anytime which does mean we sometimes have children of different levels in a class. This means children can learn from each other. We also find this can be easier for the teacher to settle a child, if we have a class of all complete beginners and 1 gets upset then this can be upsetting for the others. if we just have 1 new child at a time then the teacher can spend a little bit more time making them comfortable if the rest of the class are already settled.

Please don't worry if your child needs a bit of extra attention one week, we all need it sometimes and it wont be anything our staff haven't dealt with before.

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What if my child gets upset?

This does happen sometimes, it can be overwhelming for a child, being in a new situation or away from parents.  It is not unusual for children to get upset on their first lesson but the teacher will be prepared for it , please allow them to handle it and work with their requests. Sometimes letting them get out when they are upset is the worst thing to do, it reinforces that the lesson is bad and crying gets them out of doing things they dont want to.  The teacher may ask you to pass the child to them and it you are happy for them to support the child it can make them feel more secure.

If the class is not suitable then we will offer you another class at a different level, We may also suggest a quieter class, different teacher or pool. 

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Why do you teach all strokes to beginners?

Most children have  a natural preference and by teaching all the strokes rather than just one we find they progress much quicker. Swimming on the back is the easiest stroke for children to master, if a child is confident putting their ears in the water and relaxed then they may swim unaided immediately

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What if i am unhappy with the lessons?

If you are unhappy with your lesson then please contact us immediately. We are happy to answer any concerns and work with you for a solution.

We know not every child and teacher click which is why we encourage teachers to develop their own style. We have teachers who are much firmer in their approach and others who play lots of games/songs in their lessons, this balance means we can find the teacher that supports your child the best. If you think your child would benefit from being in a different class then please email us.

Please include in the notes if there is anything it would be helpful for your teacher to know, this could be past experiences, SEND needs.

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