St Francis Swim School
(St Francis Social & Sports Club) Terms & Conditions

All those wishing to attend a swimming class at St Francis Swim School must agree to the terms and conditions set out below. In the unlikely event of a customer failing to abide by these terms and conditions, a customer may be requested to discontinue lessons. In this instance St Francis Pool will be under no obligation to provide a refund for any outstanding lessons.

How to contact us:

You can contact us by telephoning at 01444 443364 or by emailing us at info@stfrancispool.co.uk. The best form of contact is by email.

Office hours:

Monday-Friday 10:30-14:30.

How we may contact you:

If we have to contact you, we will do so by telephone or by writing to you at the email address or postal address you provided to us when you booked.
Please ensure contact information is up to date.

Contract

Our programme levels are designed by the STA and we work around swimmers physical and emotional development. Moving children into classes before they are ready could be physically difficult for them but also emotionally as there is an expectation for them to understand and carry out instructions. Swimmers will only be moved on the advice from our qualified instructors once the office has been notified. Instructors are not permitted to make any movements without contacting the office first.

Booking a class

Classes must be booked through the office. Registration forms must be completed and returned in order for office staff to look into suitable classes. The registration forms will ask for specific personal information in order to book a class with us.
Once your booking is in place you will receive an invoice confirmation email detailing what you have booked and providing you with class times, dates, instructor and how to pay at which point a contract will come into existence between you and us.

Payment for classes

Payments for classes must be made in advance for the term. If payments are made on time your place in the class is secure. After the payment due date places are not guaranteed and will be offered to customers waiting for a place in that class. You may be refused entry to a class if payment has not been received or discussed with the office prior to starting a course.

Payments for Term time lessons

• BACS: Account number 30218360 Sort code 30-18-30 reference swimmers name.
• Go Cardless: Direct payment which can be set up once booked onto a course

Lesson Cancellation

• In the unlikely event of ‘last minute’ lesson changes or a lesson cancellation by us, you will be notified by us, by email with as much notice as possible. Please make sure we have up to date details.
• We will offer a replacement lesson usually over half term or at the end of term. Should you not be able to make the replacement class we may be able to offer credit for the following term.
• If you are unable to attend a lesson, for example due to sickness or holiday, we regret that we are unable to offer a refund as your payment secures your place. We cannot offer an alternative lesson as we do not have the spare capacity to do this for everyone.
• Private lessons will not be offered an alternative catch up or credit if they do not attend a lesson. If we have to cancel a lesson then a catch-up lesson or credit will be offered.
• We will not offer refunds for missed classes. Refunds will only be given in exceptional circumstances. Please contact the office.
• Lessons missed due to extreme medical reasons must be reported to the office. As a good will gesture the swim school may credit up to 50% of the lessons missed (on a discretionary basis.) The swim school will only consider this on receipt of a letter from a doctor. No refunds will be given except in exceptional circumstances. The reason for this is because missed weeks cannot be filled.

Changes to lessons

• Whilst we try to ensure you will always have the same teacher in a particular class, we cannot guarantee this as teachers may fall ill, leave or cancel for personal reasons. Sometimes we may have a new teacher join or lead your lesson. Office staff will contact swimmers where possible to notify of any changes.
• Class times may vary each term. It is the responsibility of the parent/ carer/ swimmer to check invoice times and dates and contact the office should they have any concerns.
• If insufficient swimmers are booked onto a class, we reserve the right to cancel the class. In this instance you will be fully credited for any remaining lessons after the cancellation has occurred. We will offer you either (I) an alternative class or (ii) a monetary refund will be given.
• Class times may change due to a large number of promotions that we need to accommodate or merging classes with low numbers. We will try to keep lesson times the same where possible.
• Children that have been promoted during the term will be notified by email. Where there are spaces, we will try to accommodate pupils on the same day however this may not always be possible.

Swimmer Cancellation

• All swimmers are signing up to a term of swimming lessons.
• Admin Charges may apply if you cancel after the payment date but before the term has started.
• Refunds will not be issued to swimmers cancelling after their first swimming lesson date.

Holiday Courses

• All holiday courses must be booked through the office.
• Payment MUST be received at least 24 hours before the lesson starts. No payments on the day unless authorised through the office.
• Cancellations made less than 24 hours in advance will not receive a refund or alternative lesson.
• Payments can be made by card payment over the phone or at the swimming pool.

Behaviours and responsibilities

Parents and carers are responsible for their children at all times (except during a lesson when an adult is not in the water with their child).

• Pupils and spectators are expected to behave in a civilised manner towards each other and staff. Spectators of afterschool and weekend classes MUST be seated at the deep end or along the wall on the changing room side of the pool. Spectators must not walk around poolside or be seated at the shallow end for these lessons. This minimises distractions and allows the children and teachers to communicate better.
• Children and parents MUST NOT enter the pool unless the teacher has stated it is safe to do so. All children and adults MUST wait on poolside away from the pool edge until their lesson start time and told to enter the water by the teacher. None should have their feet in the water prior to their lesson.
• Parents and carers are responsible for informing the teacher of any condition that may affect their child’s capabilities in the swimming lesson.
• Swimmers should arrive no more than 15minutes before the lesson and leave no more than 15 minutes after to help improve comfort and prevent overcrowding in the changing rooms.
• Pushchairs must be left outside. They can be taken through the side gate and left under the shelter.
• Food is strictly forbidden around poolside and the changing rooms.
• Doors are not to be opened unless there is an emergency. The air temperature has to be 1 degree above the pool temperature and opening the doors can prevent the air system working correctly. Spectators may watch from the outside patio area. Access to this is from the side gate.
• Parents and carers accept that at times there will be physical contact between the teacher and their child, which will always be carried out in a caring and professional manner.
• Customers must follow pool procedures as advised to them at the time of confirmation. Please adhere to the instructions given to you regarding car parking, entry and exit route to pools.

What to wear

• All babies must where a swimming nappy and a swimming suit.
• Children must wear appropriate swimming costumes and shorts for swimming. No bikinis. Loose fitting or sharp jewellery must be removed before swimming. No hoop earrings.
• All children in Octopus 1 levels and higher must wear a swimming hat. These can be purchased at the pool for £4.00
• Adults must wear appropriate swimwear and tie back long hair and remove sharp jewellery.

Health and Safety

• Pupils must not come swimming if they have any illness such as ear infection, chicken pox, impetigo, conjunctivitis or a bad cold. None should attend the pool for 48 hours after a sickness bug.
• Swimmers must not enter the pool until it is safe to do so. This includes sitting on the side with feet in the water.
• All nappies must be disposed of in the nappy bins provided. These are located next to the changing room and changing tables.
• Do not allow children to run around poolside.
• Swimmers must shower before entering the pool.
• Encourage children to use the toilet and was hands before lessons.
• No eating on poolside
• Shoes must be placed on the shoe shelf and not left on the floor

Lost Property

All property left at the pool building or car park is left at your own risk. Please make sure you have all your belongings with you when leaving.
Lost property will be kept in the lost property box by the changing rooms for the remainder of term. Any items not collected will be disposed of accordingly.

Changing room Policy

For the safeguarding of children, we have written the following procedures following guidance from the STA.
Please be aware the changing rooms at St Francis Swimming pool are group changing rooms and consist of a female group changing room and a male group changing room.

“Parents should not be in the changing room while their swimmers are changing, unless the swimmer is of an age where help is required from parents or the swimmer requires additional specific assistance. This is generally at an age that is stipulated by the pool hirer, usually 7 or 8 years of age. In such circumstances the parent must be the same gender as the child, unless the facility has family changing facilities or is a “mixed changing village”.

At St Francis Swimming Pool we are aware that this is not always feasible and often there are mums that bring their sons and dads that bring their daughters. Often children younger than 7 or 8 are able to change themselves but for those that need assistance our policy is that the sex of the changing room that should be used when a child needs help getting changed is of the same sex as the parent/adult that is helping. We do have a curtained area in both changing rooms for swimmers to change in private.
I.e. A mum helping her son should be using the female changing rooms and a dad helping their daughter should be using the male changing room.
This would be the same as if a parent was with their child of the opposite sex who was needing the toilet at a supermarket, leisure centre and public toilets or changing in a health club group changing room. The changing room or toilet that would be used would be of the same gender as the adult. Dads wouldn’t go in to the ladies and Mums wouldn’t go in to the men.
For the safeguarding of children, we recommend that children do not get changed on poolside in front of others.

Changes to our terms and conditions

We reserve the right to make amendments to our Terms and Conditions at any time to reflect changes in our business or statutory obligations. The new version will be emailed out to current swimmers and will take effect immediately upon posting. If you book lessons after the new Terms and Conditions have come into effect as part of your booking process you will indicate your agreement to be bound by them.

September 2019