Section A - Lesson Delivery, Structure & Info

Course Dates

Lessons run for a maximum of 45 weeks a year at AquaNewts - these are split into five separate 9 week courses.

 Please click HERE to see the Course Dates for 2025.

The closures are set on:

• Easter - 1 week (To fit into the bank holiday weekend and school holiday; commencing or concluding on Good Friday depending on the calendar year)

• Summer - 4 weeks (duration of August)

• Christmas - 2 weeks (For the two weeks of the School Holidays)

Sometimes, additional closure dates may be added depending on the demands of our venues or teachers.

Start Date

• You will usually be able to start as soon as possible. If you start mid block, you'll be invoiced for the remainder of that block. If a space is unavailable you will have to wait until the next block date.

Ratios

• AquaNewts has a strict maximum of One:Three ratio. We will not deviate from our position on this. In larger venues, lessons would be covered or cancelled.

Criteria

• We follow the Swim England pathway; all criteria is completed however additional criteria is delivered. Published copies of this can be found on the website, Social Media, via email on request OR at All venues. 

Staging Formats (Children)

We do not deliver Discovery Duckling program awards as we are firm believers that the Duckling Program is sufficient for building early skills and elements of the DD program we / already are incorporated into the Duckling Program. 

We welcome 'AquaNewts' from age 2.5/3yrs+ (depending on experience / confidence) into our group lessons.

• Little Newts - Duckling Awards

• Beginners - Stage 1 & 2

• Improvers - Stage 3 & 4

• Intermediates - Stage 5, 6 & 7

• Advanced - Stage 7, 8, 9 & 10

When an ‘AquaNewt’ becomes a ‘Swimmer’ 

• It’s so hard not to use the words swimmers when talking about the swimmers so each customer will be classified as an ‘AquaNewt’ until the following.

Children - They have become an Intermediate AquaNewt that has completed their 300m distance and can use a range of all four strokes. 

Adults - They have reached half way or completed the ‘Be a Better Swimmer’ section of the pathway and can swim at least 100m using a range of strokes. 

Baby Sessions

• We will welcome swimmers from 6 to 30 months into 1:1 or 1:2 lessons. We do not run baby group lessons. 

• This will mean that a Parent needs to accompany the swimmer into the water for the session. 

• The sessions are graded against the Duckling program; if the ‘AquaNewt’ is not at the stage of this yet, then we will focus on preparing for those skills whilst building water confidence - so they continue to progress but won’t be graded. 

Teens & Adult Sessions

Upon reaching of 13 years, an AquaNewt is classed as a Teens & Adult. 

An adult AquaNewts covers the first three steps of the Adult Learn to Swim Pathway.

• Be Water Confident

• Be a Swimmer

• Be a Better Swimmer

We are happy to support delivery in Being a Master Swimmer; by supporting with further coaching from ourselves and our partnering swim schools; we can't always facilitate this in our smaller venues due to the need for longer sessions and distance. 

Lesson Feedback

• Every course has two blocks in it (This is a 4 week then a 5 week block; thus creating a 9 week total course) - at the end of the first block we will email you a copy of your/your swimmers goals and what they’ve achieved - as well as a short 'Teacher Tick & Target Text'. This is a short message to list one excellent skill achieved in class and a target to work on. 

• At the end of the block, we will send you a Full Feedback Report - you should receive 5 of these a year.

• This is readily available on request if you email the office. 

Certificates 

• AquaNewts recognition certificates are FREE - these are provided by us to help recognise milestones to improve motivation. 

• Swim England certificates and badges are £4.00 per award - P&P is optional for £5.00

Awards can be paid for via BACs and will be invoiced.

Section B - Lesson Booking, Payment & Cancellation 

Prices are set per session; but an upfront block payment is bookable in 4 or 5 week blocks - to create a full 9 week course.

Payment

• Payment is requested via Bank Transfer.

• We are now a CASHLESS SWIM ACADEMY. Any merchandise or snacks bought at the pool will now be invoiced. 

• A full course - 9 weeks in duration - this is payable in two blocks - a FOUR week block OR a FIVE week block.

• All bookings MUST be paid upfront to cover the costs of overheads. 

Trial Sessions

• We don’t offer trial lessons at AquaNewts, if you attend your first lesson and wish to withdraw, you must notify within 48 hours after your first lesson to cancel your place. Please note that there will be an incurred 20% cancellation fee + 5% refund processing fee - this may seem harsh however we’ve had to pay for our overheads upfront with your place in mind and these still need to be accounted for. 

Late Payment

• Late payments will incur a £5.00 late fee surcharge. 

• If your late payment is delayed past three working days, without prior notice for the Director, your space will be removed. This may seem harsh; but we need to cover the expenses of venue hire. 

Cancellations (by you - the customer)

• If you cannot attend a lesson as a one off; we will endeavor to reschedule you in but we don’t promise this due to the limited spaces we have available. Therefore, any unattended lesson is likely to be forfeited. What seems like one small job ends up becoming a huge task.

• If for a medical reason you cannot continue, providing doctors note, we will arrange for you to be refunded. Please note that there will be an incurred 20% cancellation fee + 5% refund processing fee - this may seem harsh however we’ve had to pay for our overheads upfront with your place in mind and these still need to be accounted for. 

• If you cancel mid way through the block, you may not be eligible for a refund - this is solely at the directors discretion. Requests can be made to Head Office via email (aquanewts@gmail.com) and will only be granted in exceptional circumstances - such as medical. Please note that if this refund is granted, there will be an incurred 20% cancellation fee + 5% refund processing fee - this may seem harsh however we’ve had to pay for our overheads upfront with your place in mind and these still need to be accounted for. 

• If you opt to cancel, you will need to complete your prepaid block of lessons - then notify the office as soon as you intend to cancel. 

Cancellations (by us)

• In the highly unlikely event that lessons are cancelled by us, for example due to a teacher illness or a pool issue, we will give you TWO options.

1. We can offer you invoice credit for your next block of lessons.

2. We can request your Account Details and we will refund you within 3 working days; as we need to comply with our venues and external parties.

• We will always seek cover and hate cancelling lessons... we will not tolerate any abuse for lesson cancellation due to staff absence or pool issue. 

• Please note there will be a 5% refund processing fee for any refund or invoice credit - this is to cover the cost of Bank Fees and Admin Time. 

NATIONAL SCALE - Not Permitted to run lessons

• Unfortunately, in the event of War, Pandemics or national crisis that would mean we are not permitted to run lessons; they would be postponed instead of refunded as these are fully out of our venues and our control.

Section C - Safety, Protection, Insurance & Safeguarding 

Head Office

Head Office can be contacted via email: aquanewts@gmail.com for any enquiry whatsover or via our Social Media. We will have a telephone number launching soon: however as a contingency number we have 07393 257349.

Safety Statement

• Teachers may need to provide manual and physical support in the need of safety or to correct technique - by agreeing to our Terms & Conditions - you give us your permission to use this.

• The use of buoyancy and swimming aids are used in progressive practices or when a swimmer is not yet competent - we only use buoyancy aids that we think are necessary for strength/stroke development and effective for the necessary activity (example; a kickboard or a woggle) or in the need of safety when a swimmer tires - we tend to stick to a Whole-Part-Whole progression. We endeavor that the 'Whole' stroke is performed unaided or with minimal floatation devices.

• Swimmers do tire, do swallow water, do struggle with maintaining their positioning; we will always be on hand to support them quickly and effectively but this is a natural chapter of building aquatic skills; by agreeing to the T&Cs you accept that this may happen. Teachers will quickly distract swimmers to reassure them to prevent creating phobia. 

Insurance & Liability Statement

• AquaNewts Swim Academy / BENPIRE PROJECTS LTD and the pool owners cannot accept any responsibility for any incident (such as injury, illness or death) that was the sole responsibility of the swimming teacher in charge of the class or lesson in which the incident occurred. Full liability, in such cases, is with the teacher delivering the lesson - teachers are insured with the Swimming Teachers Association (STA) and Allianz.

• If you need to make a claim based on the issue with one of the pools, we do not own any of our pools, therefore you will need to make the claim with the property itself in the event - however, they may not accept liability depending on their T&Cs. Our venues T&C are available upon request.

• ALL PROPERTY brought onto our sites is done so at your own risk. 

• ALL instructors are fully insured with the STA coverage up to £10 million. You can request their insurance references at any time from Head Office. 

• All documents regarding Insurance and Qualifications from all parties (Teachers, BPLTD & Venues) are available upon request from Head Office for existing and previous customers.

Safeguarding

“Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility. Everyone who comes into contact with children and their families has a role to play in safeguarding children.”

Any safeguarding concern must be reported to the Head Office - our Director, Ben, is a qualified and trained Level 3 Designated Safeguarding Lead. Ben renews his training annually. We endeavor to resolve safeguarding issues in house; however we may need to contact the Local Authority or the police if necessary as we have a duty of care to all our swimmers.

Alternatively, if this is not appropriate, there is a dedicated helpline for anyone wishing to raise a safeguarding or welfare concern directly to Swim England called Swim Line on 0808 100 4001.

By agreeing to enroll to any lesson type with AquaNewts Swim Academy, you agree to the Terms and Conditions that are set out above.

And now all that is out the way… we can’t wait to have a SPLASHING time with you all in the pool 😊🐠

See you soon,

AquaNewts Swim School