Terms and Conditions
Important: These are the terms and conditions on which Pisces Swimming School provide swimming lessons to you, the customer. Please read them carefully as they may affect your legal rights. Your agreement with Pisces Swimming School will be considered in effect upon booking with the swim school. This booking may have been made in person, through email, or over the phone.
We offer a 48 hour full refund policy from point of booking if you do not accept these terms and conditions and wish to cancel your booking.
We require all parents and swimmers to agree and adhere to Pisces Swimming School’s Terms and Conditions and assume that you agree to these if you do not cancel within 48 hrs of booking.
Course Dates
Current and future course information can be found on our website under the course dates section. All dates are subject to pool availability, Pisces Swimming School reserve the right to amend the dates if necessary.
Booking
Bookings are taken on a first-come, first-served basis.
We require payment in full at the time of booking in order to secure your place, or within 24hrs of reserving a place if it is not convenient to do so at the time. As demand is so high, prompt payment is advised to avoid losing your booked lesson.
Payments
Pisces Swimming School accept all major credit and debit cards (excluding American Express). We do not accept payment by bank transfer or cheque. Payments can be made via cash or card at the venues and card over the phone. Alternative methods of payment are accepted at our absolute discretion.
For families with multiple children we offer the service of postdating payments for siblings at no extra cost to help spread the cost. If you would like to organise this please speak to our poolside coordinator or give the office a call.
If you think the amount paid is incorrect, let us know as soon as possible. We will investigate the matter and, if you have paid too much, we will refund any extra amount paid. If we have undercharged you, any extra fees due will be payable.
Note that, to reflect inflation and increases in our costs, we may need to increase our prices from time to time. We will never increase prices for bookings you have made and will only increase them on renewal. If we do increase prices on renewal, we will make this clear to you at that time.
Discounts
For pupils who are enrolled onto more than one weekly lesson Pisces Swimming School offer a discount of 20% off the 2nd lesson.
All discounts are applied at the discretion of Pisces Swimming School.
Illness and Medical
When you have booked in for lessons with Pisces Swimming School, and therefore have accepted these terms and conditions, you are responsible (if you have answered ‘yes’ regarding any medical conditions) for checking with your doctor that there is no issue for yourself or your child to swim. Any medical conditions or any learning difficulties that may affect your/your child’s safety in the water must be disclosed to Pisces Swimming School. All information received is treated in confidence and with sensitivity.
If your child is off ill you don’t need to inform us as our teacher will maintain an attendance register on poolside. If they will be missing numerous classes please let us know so we can make a note on their details.
Under no circumstances should a pupil attend lessons if they are unwell and should not attend until they are clear of all symptoms prior to attending a lesson. Children should not swim if they are suffering from any infectious diseases. If in doubt please seek advice from your doctor. We recommend students do not attend lessons if they have an ear infection, a heavy cold or sinusitis. In accordance with advice from the NHS, adults and children must not swim if they have had a diarrhoeal illness, chicken pox, impetigo, conjunctivitis or a bad cold. It is advised that children suffering from verrucas may swim if they are treating the affected area or wear a verruca sock. Refunds are not given for lessons missed due to illness. If a pupil has broken a limb, requires an operation or has a medical reason and will be off long term, we may issue lesson credits onto the pupils account. This may be subject to a doctor’s note being received. Only the number of weeks remaining of the term will be credited and weeks cannot be backdated for missed lessons. If the lessons are put on hold then the place will be released to new customers and we cannot guarantee that we can get you back in the same day/time. However you will get priority to restart when fit to do so.
Pupils with disabilities and special needs
We do what we can to accommodate students with disabilities and special needs to try and integrate them into a class. We will work with you to establish how best we can accommodate the student and will make recommendations on the level and type of teaching based on our professional judgement. If we don’t feel our lessons are suitable for your child and we are unable to accommodate them in a class then we may advise that an individual one-to-one lesson is necessary.
Changes to your booking
Occasionally we may need to change your lesson time if your child moves up or if we need to change a class. If we are unable to offer you a suitable day/time then we will refund the fees for the remainder of the term
To enable the smooth running of our classes we are unable to change lesson days as a one off. If you wish to make a permanent change to the lessons booked, please liaise with the poolside coordinator or contact us via email, facebook or telephone. We will use all reasonable efforts to accommodate your change but make no guarantee that we will be able to do so.
If we are able to make the change to your booking, we will let you know about any variation in price. There may by additional charges if there are any extra lessons on your new day.
Pisces Swimming School reserves the right to change or cancel course dates if necessary. If we need to cancel classes for any reason, the lesson will be credited onto the pupil’s account or refunded if preferred. Please refer to the credits section regarding this.
Cancellations & Refund Policy
Lessons are non-refundable, if you miss a class this cannot be refunded, re-arranged or carried over to the following term.
In the event of exceptional circumstances eg. long term illness when you will miss numerous classes, lesson credits may be granted. However supporting evidence such as a doctor’s letter, may be requested, this is entirely at the discretion of Pisces Swimming School.
A minimum of 7 days notice is required to credit any lessons that you may miss. If we grant the lesson credits, your place will be released to new customers who wish to join the class and you will be given priority when you are fit to return. We are unable to guarantee availability on the same day/time.
If you wish to retain your place in the same class day/time then we are unable to offer any lesson credits but we will reserve your place until you return.
In the event that a refund of remaining lessons is granted an administration fee will be charged and deducted from the refund.
Adverse Weather
If we cancel lessons due to adverse weather conditions and the venue is inaccessible, the lesson will be credited on to your child’s account in line with our lesson credit policy or refunded if you don’t wish to book on the following term.
Pool Closure
Pool closures do occur occasionally, making it necessary to cancel lessons. Wherever possible, we will email, update our Facebook page or text you with as much notice as possible. It is the parent/guardian’s responsibility to ensure we have your up-to-date contact details on your child’s records.
Lesson Credits
Credits on a pupils account must be taken the following term. In exceptional circumstances lesson credits can be passed onto siblings, this is entirely at Pisces Swimming School’s discretion.
Holidays
Our courses are planned in line with the local authority school term and we are unable to offer lesson credits, refunds or class changes should you wish to take a holiday during the term. Any lessons missed will be entirely at your loss.
Pisces Swimming School is under no obligation to refund lessons that may be missed due to adverse weather conditions local to yourselves preventing you from attending a scheduled class.
Re-enrolment
Swimmers currently enrolled with Pisces Swimming School will have priority to re-enrol for a new term. In order to secure your place for the new term, payment must be received in full prior to or on the re-enrolment date at the latest. This is always the week before the last lesson of the current term.
We are unable to guarantee places for late payments.
If re-enrolment fees are not paid by the set deadline, any unsecured places are then deemed available and offered to pupils on the class change/waiting lists.
Staff
Our instructors are qualified, experienced swimming teachers with the relevant ASA/ STA certificate(s). We pride ourselves on our high teacher to swimmer ratio. To assist your child development our instructors will teach your child with an element of physical contact, all staff adhere to Child Protection Procedures and are DBS checked. If you do not wish for this to happen, please inform a member of staff. Pisces Swimming School reserves the right to replace advertised teachers or courses where unavoidable. If a teacher is unwell or cannot attend a session, we will endeavour to provide a cover teacher.
Pool Safety
In the event of any emergency the poolside coordinator will follow the pools emergency action plan (EAP). Should it be necessary to clear the pool, when the instruction is given, all swimmers will move to the side of the pool, leave the water and stand back from the edge of the pool. Should it be necessary to evacuate all spectators, swimmers and teachers from the building, no attempt should be made to recover possessions from the changing rooms or anywhere else in the building.
Supervision
All users of our pools are to abide by the individual rules of each location. Parents/guardians are responsible for their children at all times in the changing and entrance areas. Children should always be under the direct supervision of an adult and should never be left unattended. Children should be accompanied to and from the class by a responsible adult. Children are not Pisces Swimming School’s responsibility until the teacher takes them for their lesson. Parents should remain in the vicinity of the pool when their children are swimming in case they need your attention.
Goggles
Throughout the Pisces Swimming Lessons children will participate in under-water skills. We don’t recommend that children wear goggles in our first class as we prefer to teach the children to become used to water on the face without becoming dependant on goggles.
Once children progress they would benefit from wearing goggles as they will spend more time learning front crawl with their head in the water.
We recommend that pupil’s bring their own goggles that have been adjusted to fit properly at home to avoid distractions during the lesson. Teachers are unable to spend time adjusting individual goggles as this takes up so much lesson time. Poor fitting goggles do hinder swimmers during the lesson and time is wasted if your child is constantly stopping to empty water and unable to see properly. We recommend you invest in a pair of good quality goggles which will aid your child to become a better swimmer.
Please don’t rely on borrowing goggles from the poolside as they will not be a good fit for your child and will result in delayed progression. Eye infections such as conjunctivitis can be very easily transferred, so we strongly advise that you bring your own goggles. Pisces Swimming School may have some spare goggles at the poolside (subject to availability) but are not responsible for any resulting health issues or for ensuring they fit correctly before or during the lesson.
Photography
Please note that due to child protection regulations photography (including camera phones) and video filming are not permitted during Pisces Swimming School lessons or other sessions arranged by Pisces Swimming School. All Pisces Swimming Swim School photography, logos and illustrations are the copyright of Pisces Swimming School (or credited parties). Any scanning or reproduction of any of the above without our written agreement will be regarded as being in breach of our copyright and will be dealt with accordingly.
Lost Property
We will endeavour to help find any items lost property however Pisces Swimming School does not accept responsibility for any damage or loss of property left on the premises.
Behaviour Standards, Code of Conduct and Exclusions
Swimmers should not eat for at least an hour prior to swimming and only a small amount.
Swimmers should make use of the toilet facilities and showers before their lesson as this helps to keep the pool clean and maximises their learning time.
Swimmers with long hair should ensure it is tied back off the face. Swim hats can be worn but please ensure these are well fitting and fitted ready for the start of a child’s lesson.
Shoes must not be worn on the poolside, please use blue pool shoe covers where available, alternatively remove outdoor footwear.
Any dirty shoes/boots should be removed before entering the changing rooms. Outdoor footwear should not be worn in the shower area, please help us keep the facilities as clean as possible for the pool users.
To avoid distractions to the classes, please enter the poolside just a few minutes before and near the end of the lesson. Whilst waiting please keep noise on poolside to a minimum.
Swimmers should only enter the water once their teacher has instructed them to do so.
The following behaviours are not allowed on poolside: running, diving, jumping, ducking, fighting, bombing, shouting, spitting and throwing items. A warning will be given for any of these behaviours, and if this persists you will be asked to leave.
Appropriate swimwear should be worn at all times in the swimming pool and communal changing areas. Swimming shorts can be worn but please ensure they finish above the knee, long surf style shorts can prove a hindrance to a child’s development.
To avoid injury, we recommend that swimmers remove glasses during lessons. Jewellery can be a hazard and should not be worn during lessons, including earrings.
To avoid distractions parents/guardians are asked to leave poolside during the lessons and wait in the foyer, changing rooms or the vicinity of the pool building. One week per term, dictated by Pisces Swimming School, parents are invited onto poolside to view their child’s lesson. This is normally 3 weeks before the end of term. During lessons we ask that parents/guardians must not interrupt or communicate with the teacher, distract the swimmers or approach the poolside, unless it is an emergency, as you may endanger the safety of the swimmers or other pool users. If you are not at lessons on the parent view week we are happy for you to view your child’s class the following week. Speak to the poolside coordinator who will arrange this for you.
Pisces Swimming School expects all students, parents and guardians to behave to an acceptable standard at all times. We reserve the right to exclude anyone who fails to maintain this standard. Every one of our students, teachers, other members of staff, parents and guardians deserve to be treated with respect, regardless of their age, gender, racial origin, disability, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, economic background or level of ability. We do not tolerate discrimination or bullying of any kind. Any verbal or physical act of aggression made by anyone towards a member of staff, student, parent or guardian will result in the exclusion of this person from the swim school. If the matter is deemed serious enough, the relevant authorities i.e. the police, may be contacted.
Parking
We are very fortunate to have the use of the swimming pools and we expect that all customers respect the premises whilst visiting.
Silcoates customers must use the main school car park at all times and avoid parking in neighbouring streets.
Ackworth customers must observe the speed limits when driving in the school grounds as it is a boarding school and pupils are on site at all times.
Dogs are not allowed to be brought onto any of the sites and smoking is also not permitted.
Complaints
Pisces Swimming School prides itself on our high-quality teaching and we take any complaints very seriously. If you are not satisfied with the service you have received, we want to know as soon as possible. If you have a concern on poolside, the first point of contact is the coordinator, who will be on the poolside desk. If the coordinator cannot resolve the issue on poolside, the complaint will then be passed onto the office. If the complaint is related to the facilities, this will be passed onto the pool managers. The pool managers are independent from Pisces Swimming School and are employed by Ackworth School, Silcoates School and The Grammar School at Leeds. A member of the office will contact you once a resolution has been reached.
Child protection
Every member of staff at Pisces Swimming School has a duty to act if they suspect a child may be suffering from abuse or if a child, a parent or guardian makes a disclosure about abuse. Every member of the swim school has the opportunity to report any concerns and suspicions. Any concerns about a child or vulnerable adult in the swim school should be sent to: info@piscesswimschool.co.uk.
Data Protection
All customer data acquired upon engaging with Pisces Swimming School and during the provision of our services, is solely used to communicate with customers, with information pertaining to their swimming lessons, and courses relevant to them and their location. Data collected is contained to; Parents full Names, Child’s full names, Dates of Birth, relevant medical information, email addresses, and mobile phone numbers, historic payments and historic swimming achievements. Parents and swimmers’ consent to Pisces Swimming School processing any personal data collected through the enrolment/re-enrolment process.
Once a customer decides to finish their lessons with Pisces Swimming School, they and their data will be removed from our system in line with GDPR. Under no circumstances will any customer information, be shared with external third parties.
Any customer who requests to be put on our waiting list is subject to all points in the above Data Protection section. Enquiries and subsequent contact data will exclusively be used for the purpose of communicating information relevant to our services only and will remain secure and private. Under no circumstances will any of this information, as with all customer data, be shared with third parties. Enquiry data may be acquired typically by Phone enquiries, Emails, Website, Facebook & Text message.
Changes to Terms and Conditions
Whilst we do operate as transparently as possible, it is sometimes not possible to notify customers about changes to our operating policies. As such, the Pisces Swimming School reserves the right to change these terms and conditions without notice.
These terms and conditions are correct at time of publication.