NEED TO KNOW MORE?
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
We hope you’ll find the answers to any questions you may have regarding our lessons below.
If there is anything you are unsure of though, just get in touch and we will be more than happy to answer any further queries.
We run lessons in 3 pools as follows:
Narberth Swimming Pool
Swim Narberth, The Old School Estate, Station Road, Narberth.
SA67 7DU.
Portfield School Swimming Pool
Portfield School, Off Portfield, Haverfordwest
SA61 1BS
You can find full contact details as well as maps to our pools in the Find Us section of our web site.
Waiting lists vary for different classes, please get in touch to find out.
- Babies & Toddlers under 3 yrs – Yes. All swimmers are accompanied by a responsible adult.
- Pre-School 3-4yrs – No, the teacher will meet you at the gate to poolside to collect and return your child/children.
- Private Lessons & 1:1 – No, the teacher will meet you at the gate to poolside to collect and return your child/children.
- Sue’s Sharks for swimmers with disabilities or difficulties – Maybe. Please contact me for individual arrangements.
Go swimming regularly as a family and just have fun. Try to make it part of your weekly routine.
Swimming twice per week has been identified as a great way to see faster progress in learning any skills. As well as ‘swimming’ beginners need to learn important water skills such as moving/walking through water, balancing, turning, jumping, pushing, breathing, floating and other skills. All of these can be practiced without realising just through play.
Get in, get wet, have fun!
Ducklings is the Swim England (ASA) name for pre-school age swimmers. Splash is the Swim Wales (WASA) name for pre-school or beginners. Both organisations provide a wide variety of vital skills and a very thorough program and at the moment Pembrokeshire uses both schemes. I have combined the best of both schemes covering skills from both.
(needs slight rewording)
Don’t worry too much. The odd week missed occasionally won’t harm. However continuity is crucial so try to attend as regularly as possible.
You pay for your space in the class so you will need to pay even if you don’t attend.
After sickness or diarrhea there MUST be 48hrs since the last bout before returning. It is VITAL that you adhere to this health rule.
Please seek advice on contagious diseases, either from your doctor or health visitor or myself or the pool. Each one has an incubation period and is infectious to others for varying lengths of time.
Many rashes are not contagious. Antibiotics can still be taken after symptoms have reduced or apparently disappeared. Please use common sense. If your child is not themselves, tearful, drowsy, running a temperature it may be best to have a week off. If they are generally ok, it may be best to give lessons a try. (You can always get out if they are struggling).
Please be aware that if your child is sick or has diarrhea in the pool, it may have to close for up to 24 hours which will impact on all other pool users.
They will not need buoyancy aids as we will provide them to use if necessary. They may bring goggles if you/they want. It would be beneficial for them to wear a hat if their hair longer than very short, or if they have a thick or long fringe, but is at your discretion.
At Narberth there is a viewing gallery.
At Portfield & Corran there is limited viewing on poolside, you may sit quietly to watch. Shoes must be removed/covered & siblings must stay seated and under control at all times.
I always suggest parents/carers just say goodbye and hand over the child and go out of sight. It can be more distressing for most children to see mum/dad etc. but not be allowed to go to them.
We will do everything we can to calm them and reassure them. I haven’t had many Pre-school aged swimmers still upset after week 3 other than maybe the initial goodbye, even for the very shy ones.
If you think you may struggle with this approach, please get in touch as I am quite happy to do things differently if you think it would help your child settle in.
For the first few lessons our focus is on safety and our main aim is to teach new rules. Swimmers are asked to stand nicely with hands on the wall or sit on the steps when it is not their ‘turn’.
We will quietly remind them of this rule, and others if they forget.
Every lesson plan has 3-4 skills we will focus on. Each skill can be tailored to suit the ability of the child. Nervous children will be given full support. If your child needs to feel firmly held or hold hands whilst attempting skills, that’s fine.
With encouragement and praise, they will need this support less as the weeks go on.
No. As I stated above, skills can be tailored to suit each child. Confident children can attempt skills with their face in the water, without buoyancy aids, or without support.
It may take a couple of weeks to find their true level as we all get to know one another, but I will ensure children are all attempting skills to their own level.
Badges & certificates cost £3.25 and will be available on the last lesson in the course. Payment is included in the course fee.
Swim England is the new name for the ASA (Amateur Swimming Association). They produce and supply a several series of awards that cover a wide variety of different skills.
Swim Wales also have their own award scheme but in order to use their scheme, teachers MUST NOT use awards by any other organisation. Although they produce a variety of awards that cover all skills from basic right up to competitive swimming, they do not have enough to offer any child that has struggled, or has a disability or has progressed slower for some other reason.
Using awards from several schemes means there is always one they can achieve, even when they are finding things a bit tricky.
No. We need you to stay in the building at all times. If they need the toilet, you will need to take them as staff at the pool are not allowed.
At the end of the course you are automatically offered a place on the following one. To secure your place you need to pay by the date stated.
Parents of swimmers who need to move up a class due to age and/or ability will be contacted individually to discuss options & new class details
Some schools now seem to be taking children full time sooner and most children are offered a part time nursery place soon after their 3rd birthday although this varies from school to school. Some children seem to be in full time from age 3yrs.
However there are another few things you may want to consider.
- Children do not need to be in school at all until they are 5 years old. I have quite a lot of parents that miss a session or even a whole day of school/nursery for a swimming lesson as they believe it is an important skill to continue to learn.
- Other after school classes can have 6 or even more meaning attention to each child is less.
- After school lessons may have older children than 4yrs.
- Moving from a quiet pool, with only a few swimmers to noisy, busy after school lessons where the pool is very full can be quite daunting for some children.
In my opinion it is better to keep 3yr olds in Pre-school lessons for as long as possible. The skills we practice in these classes include extension activities for those who are at a higher level so children do not ‘miss out’.
Of course this has to be your decision as parents and I respect everyone’s opinion when it comes to deciding whether or not to miss school or nursery sessions
No. All swimmers must wait at least an hour after eating a meal or 30mins after eating a snack before entering the water with exception to very small babies yet to start weening, who can feed/snack at any time.