FAQ's

What is the ASA?

The Amateur Swimming Association, is the National Governing Body for Swimming in England

What is the NPTS?

It is the 'national syllabus' produced by the ASA to assist and support the delivery of swimming lessons. It is a 'multi skill' programme for swimmers to learn how to swim and be competent in water, so they can then make the choice to continue to participate in any aquatic sports later on...such as competitive swimming, Water Polo, Rookie Lifesaving, Flip 'n' Fun (Diving) and Aquafun (Synchro).

When does a swimmer achieve an award?

A swimmer must pass ALL outcomes for that stage before they have achieved the award. The outcomes MUST BE performed to a standard that is stipulated by the ASA.

How long are swimming lessons?

Tots lessons and Stages 1 - 7 are 30 minutes in duration. Stages 8 - 10 are 45minutes and adult swimming lessons can be between 45 minutes to 1 hour.

What should we do on the first day of class?

On the first day, please get changed into your swim wear, allow plenty of time to do this in order to ensure you are ready for your class on time. Then wait at the side of the pool until your swimming instructor comes to meet you.

What can I expect on my first day of class?

You can expect an introduction to the water in order to gain confidence. Basic rules will be covered, and the swimming instructor will be assessing your current ability level and self assurance.

How can I help my child be successful in their swimming lessons?

All students need times when they can learn through exploration. Take your child to the pool for public swimming. This is a time when children will begin to practise and develop important skills and techniques while they are having fun. Many children only go to the pool for class and so never get any practise time. Children whose parents show enjoyment for the water tend to learn faster that those who have parents who don't.

Playing in the pool also build the child's strength, stamina and general skills. Going to the pool and playing with your child under safe, supervised conditions is one of the best ways to help your child be successful in swimming lessons

How long will it take for my child to pass each stage?

This will vary with every child. If a child has the experience of tots lessons then he/she may move faster initially through the NPTS stages 1 & 2 as they will be familiar with the environment and possibly confident in the water.

Why might swimmers be playing games instead of swimming widths/lengths?

To learn how to swim, pupils need to master skills that will help them float, breathe and move around in the water. Through games, swimmers have FUN and learn important skills. If swimmers are having FUN they enjoy what they are doing and often learn faster.

Why hasn't my child moved up?

Its important that we are certain a child is ready to move up to the next level so that they continue to enjoy swimming at a level appropriate to their ability.

Why has my child been in this class for a number of courses?

If a child has been in a class for over a year then we start to ask questions as to why. We can have a look at your child's history / term progress report and speak with the instructor. We can then see if there is something extra that we can do to get them improving.

Why hasn't my child passed the same things as the last course?

Whenever we assess swimming skills it is important that every child can achieve it consistently. A child is assessed against all criteria continuously to identify any skills that may need more attention rather than just focusing on 'gaps' which may lead to a reduction in the quality of other abilities.

Every stage on every night at every time?

Due to the numbers of children on each Stage, it is not always possible to run a course of every type on every night. We do plan when we run courses so as to try and minimise any movement of children from day to day.

Why has my child moved days?

We sometimes get too many children wanting to move into the same class. If you put in a lesson change request we can look at trying to find a more suitable day/time for you to attend.

Can't you just overfill the class so that they can swim on that day/time?

We try our best to keep the number of children in the class to our recommended numbers. This ensures that the lessons are of the highest quality and best value for money.

My child doesn't like his new instructor?

If a child moves up a stage then they may need to work with another teacher, this will help them learn skills of both a swimming and social nature. Children will respond differently to different styles of instruction, and it is always worth trying a variety of instructors as everyone brings different qualities to the class.