Welcome back! Things will be operating a little bit differently to before so please take a couple of minutes to read these FAQs and watch our Learn to Swim Scheme welcome back video.
If you or a member of your household have any signs or symptoms of COVID-19 DO NOT enter the venue or attend swimming lessons. Following Government guidance, you should self-isolate for two weeks and are therefore not permitted to attend swimming lessons for two weeks.
Direct debit payments will restart and will be collected on your usual payment date of either the 1st or 15th of the month. The 1st payment run will be 1st October. If you have cash credits remaining, this will activate from your first lesson.
If you need to self-isolate we will adjust your direct debit accordingly for the following month or carry over the credits. Our refund policy can be found further down this page.
We will endeavour to keep movement to a minimum to ensure children can attend lesson on their usual day and time and avoid any disruption. Unfortunately, due to the small reduction in participants in lessons this may not always be possible. We will contact you directly if your lesson may need to change to try and find a suitable alternative. If you do not hear from us before lessons recommence, your day and time will remain unchanged from what they were before lockdown.
We have made extensive changes across the venues to ensure we can operate in a safe and controlled way. You will find sanitising stations located around each venues as well as enhanced cleaning measures carried out by our staff. We have limited numbers in each lesson and restricted the number of parents/guardians accompanying children. Our changing villages also operate a one-way system and some cubicles, toilets and showers will be out of use to adhere to social distancing guidelines. During your child’s lesson our coaches will be wearing a visor if they are actively teaching in the pool. Swimming aids will also be cleaned before and after every lesson by submerging them in the chlorinated water for around 15 seconds as advised by Swim England.
If your circumstances have now changed and you do not wish to restart swimming lessons straight away please email aquatics@teesactive.co.uk
You can request to move your child across to IB Leisure by emailing aquatics@teesactive.co.uk. Please note places are available on a first come first served basis and we cannot guarantee availability at the same time and day as your lessons at other pools.
To help keep the number of people in the venues to a minimum we must ask that strictly only one parent/guardian brings their child to lessons. Siblings must not attend unless they also have a lesson at the same time.
Spectator areas will be limited and in some cases not available at all. Centre specific layouts will determine where spectating is and you will be guided to your designated area at your first lesson. Please follow the guidance and adhere to this whilst your child is having their lesson. At the moment, our cafes and seating areas are out of use to enable us to manage the flow of visitors in and out of each venue.
For the lower levels (duckling classes up to Stage 3) parents are required to stay at the pool side to assist their child with swimming aids. Parents will not need to get in the water. Teachers will be in the water for these lessons and will wear full face masks and follow social distancing guidance while they are teaching.
From stages 4 and upwards coaches will teach from the poolside. Parents of stage 4 and upwards will be directed to their designated viewing area. Capacities in lessons may be lowered when necessary to meet social distancing guidelines.
We ask all swimmers to arrive as close to their lesson start time as possible. Swimmers must arrive beach ready as they will be no access to the changing rooms prior to your lesson.
You will be greeted by a concierge at each venue and asked to sanitise your hands. From here you will be directed where to go and informed of any specific requirements to enter and exit the swimming pool. Each venue is slightly different and we ask that you follow the instructions of our staff and the directional signage around the venue. Our changing villages also operate a one way system and we ask that you adhere to these accordingly.
Face masks/coverings are not required to be worn in the venue, however, we ask that parents wear a face mask/covering whilst accompanying the child during their lesson. Especially when waiting in the designated seating area with other parents.
Participants taking part in swimming lessons should not wear face masks/coverings when swimming, as this may impact performance.
If you are directed to a viewing gallery you should remain in one of the designated seats for the duration of the lesson – please be aware our cafes are closed. The learn to swim concierge will make you aware of any specific routes to your designated viewing area.
Parents located at poolside should leave with their children via the changing village following one way system. Parents at other designated viewing areas will meet their children at poolside before exiting via the one way system in the changing village.
Changing facilities are open however swimmers must arrive with swimwear underneath their clothing as access to the changing facilities will not be permitted before the lesson.
Access to changing rooms will be available after the lesson has been completed. A number of changing rooms are temporarily out of order to ensure social distancing can be adhered to. Lockers are still available to store belongings during your lessons.
Some of the showers will be available to use however we request showering at home after your lessons due to reduced shower time and also due to the limited number of showers available within the venue.
Toilets are available in the venues but where possible we would encourage using the toilet before leaving home.
We ask that you only bring goggles and swimming hats (if required for the lesson).
Our coaches will reassess every child when they return to lessons to ensure their skill level is appropriate for the class. If your child’s level has changed our coaches will be able to support and advise.
For the time being, coaches will not be available for a face to face discussion due to the new operating procedures. If you wish to ask a question please email aquatics@teesactive.co.uk.
Our coaches will be reassessing skill levels on your child’s return to lessons. For this reason the swim hub will not be updated for the first few weeks until everything has been established.
Once the lesson has finished there will be a very limited time to get changed and leave the changing village (no longer than 10 minutes), this is to enable us to clean the cubicles in preparation for the next lesson group. Please leave the centre as soon as you are changed.
All swimming lessons will now be for a maximum of 25 minutes. This is to allow adequate time for children to leave the pool and return to their parents prior to the next group of swimmers entering poolside.
Please email aquatics@teesactive.co.uk and a member of the team will get back to you.
Our selection of videos will show you what to expect in your child’s lessons, how to monitor their progress and the standard of delivery we achieve in every lesson from our experience and qualified coaches.
We are Stockton’s most established learn to swim provider and have been guiding children to take their first splashes for over a decade. Our approach is simple, deliver the best possible experience to help children build self awareness, develop essential skills and enjoy being safe and confident in and around water.
Swimming is undoubtedly one of the most important life skills that you can learn, and fortunately, once you learn how, you will never forget. However, 1 in 3 children in the UK cannot swim. It is for this reason that swimming is now part of the national curriculum and reported on by Ofsted to ensure that all children leave school with the ability to swim 25m.
We follow the Swim England framework across all of our swimming pools to ensure we are delivering the latest technical, technique and teaching content throughout the stages. In recent years there has been an emphasis placed on water safety and understanding the risks of water, a theme that flows throughout our lessons delivered in a fun and engaging way.
The Tees Active learn to swim scheme is proudly supported by Commonwealth Gold medallist and Team GB Olympian Aimee Willmott, who shares our passion and commitment to raising the profile of swimming and promoting its many benefits to children and adults across the region. We believe that every child should have the opportunity to learn to swim and enjoy swimming in their local pool, and together with Aimee we will continue to inspire the next generation of swimmers.
Aimee Willmott – Tees Active Learn to Swim Ambassador
Continuous assessment to ensure your child moves at the right pace for them.
Track progress, receive alerts and manage everything in one place easily from any device.
Receive certificates and medals to keep you motivated as your child progresses through the stages.
All our coaches are Swim England Level 2 qualified.
Children develop self-confidence, social skills and a sense of accomplishment in a fun and friendly environment.
Easy to set up and manage direct debit payments.
Swim Hub is Tees Active’s free online hub that enables parents to track their child’s progress throughout their time on the learn to swim scheme. The online platform is updated regularly so you will always understand where your child is on their swimming journey and when they are ready to proceed to the next stage. We will send you alerts when you child receives a reward and is ready to progress. You can then select a suitable time and date that suits you. Register for free here.
All lessons are 30-45 minutes depending on which stage they are at on the scheme.
Lessons are available to purchase by monthly direct debit.
Pricing is as follows:
Monthly Direct debit – £22.83
Tees Active Leisure Card Holder (Option 3) – £39.50 (10 credits)
Initially you will be required to visit the venue to book your place on to the scheme, complete the direct debit application form and to process your pro rata payment up to the date of your first monthly payment. You will need to bring with you your bank account card plus a payment method for your pro-rata payment.
A pro-rata fee is a one-off payment which must be paid after completing your Direct Debit form. This payment covers the cost of swimming lessons until the date of your first Direct Debit payment. This amount will vary depending on what date of the month you join the programme.
The Direct Debit payment plan is a rolling 30 day contract. The terms and conditions can be found on the reverse of the application form but there are no hidden admin fees. You do not have to pay for a minimum term, however, we do ask for 30 days’ notice if you wish to cancel your membership.
The learn to swim programme is continuous and your child’s lessons may on occasion be due to take place on bank holidays. If this occurs, we will make the necessary adjustment to your next direct debit payment to take into consideration the cancellation of the lesson. The learn to swim programme breaks between Christmas and New Year for two weeks, these weeks have been removed from the price in advance.
Unfortunately, if a Direct Debit payment fails, we will attempt to contact you to take payment or attempt to take payment on the next direct debit run. If the account is not brought back up to date within this period, then we will class this as non-payment. This will result in you being removed from the programme. To avoid confusion and disappointment, please make sure payment is made as soon as possible, as we will not be able to teach anyone that is no longer registered.
If lessons have to be cancelled due to lack of swimming teachers and/or planned pool maintenance, a refund will be given. If however, the pool has to close due to unforeseen circumstances outside of our control due to an emergency etc. then as long as the member has a minimum of 47 lessons per year then no refund will be given. Please make sure you give correct contact details in case we need to contact you about a cancelled lesson.
In the unlikely event that we will need to refund, an adjustment to your next pro rata payment or if it is to short notice to make an adjustment, then we will endeavour to make the adjustment to your next available scheduled payment.
Each swimmer will learn at their own pace and we appreciate that some will be ready to progress to the next stage of the scheme earlier than others. You can track your child’s progress against each aspect of the criteria needed to progress when you log in online to the free swim hub. This will give you an insight into the areas that require more attention allowing you to practice in your own time and progress quicker.
The learn to swim scheme is based on a programme of continuous assessment. As soon as the swimmer is ready to progress to the next stage you will automatically receive an email alert. You can then log in, check availability and book into an available slot.
We ask that you communicate any issues with the venues reception team at your earliest convenience and this information will be passed onto your coach.
Unfortunately we cannot refund or credit lessons for the occasional missed lessons. However, we do have a refund policy where by the swimmer is unable to attend their lessons over a sustained period due to a medical condition. Details of the learn to swim refund policy are available upon request.
Our Learn to swim Scheme is 100% practical based and all our coaches are level 2 qualified and trained to help and motivate the swimmer to improve their technique and confidence in the water.
Any progress made by the swimmers will be updated within 24hrs of the end of that day’s lesson.
To enable you to register for swim hub your personnel details on our system need to be correct. Please contact the Reception team or complete the enquiry form at the bottom of this page and they will be happy to update your details for you.
Starting swimming lessons is a big step for many children (and often for those taking them!).
Even if you are a pool regular yourself, it’s not always obvious what to bring for your child’s first swimming lesson.
So we thought we’d help out by highlighting some steps to take beforehand and what to bring to the first session.
Before the lesson
We strongly recommend you familiarise your child with the local pool and swimming pool environment. Family trips swimming are the perfect way to do this, as well as a fun day out! It may also be worthwhile checking what their dress code is for lessons and whether you need to take anything extra.
The lesson itself
It’s a nice idea to involve your child in what they need for their swimming lesson so they know what to expect when they get to the pool. Use our checklist below to make sure you have all the essentials.
First Swimming Lesson Checklist
Here is our list of things to think of when taking your child for their first swimming lesson.
Starting swimming lessons is a big step for any family and we want to make you feel as comfortable as possible by proving a full overview of each stage and what you can expect. The Swim England framework is designed to equip children with the necessary skills to support a life long ability to be confident in the water. If you child wishes to continue the journey on completion of the first 7 stages, we have a number of options available to develop skills further.
The Discovery Ducks and Duckling awards are designed to help toddlers and children to explore and enjoy the fun of learning to swim whilst boosting confidence in and out of the water.
Stage 1 helps to build water confidence, while introducing water safety skills and the basic skills needed to build swimming ability. Learners will develop basic safety awareness, learn basic movement skills and water confidence skills. They will also be introduced to a structured class setting. Swimmers may use flotation equipment, such as arm bands and floats, throughout this stage.
Stage 2 sees swimmers develop streamlining to their strokes and travel without their feet on the floor, using a recognised leg kick. Swimmers are also introduced to aquatic breathing and taught to make safe entries into the water, including jumping. They will develop basic floating and learn how to rotate to regain an upright position without support.
Stage 3, swimmers will develop their kicks, on both their front and their back. They streamline through push and glides, whilst also swimming underwater. Swimmers will develop safe entries into the water, including submersion, and travel up to 10 metres on their front and back. Water safety knowledge and rotation skills will also be progressed.
Stage 4 sees swimmers perfect their leg kicks for all four strokes and further develop push and glides, while also being introduced to sculling. They will develop an understanding of buoyancy through a range of skills and should swim 10 metres to the Swim England Expected Standards.
Stage 5 swimmers will develop their skills in treading water, learn the correct arm pulls for all four strokes and learn how to do handstands and somersaults. This means they will develop their technique and perform all strokes to the Swim England Expected Standards. The emphasis is on ensuring all work done in the previous stages is developed further.
Stage 6 teaches swimmers how to prepare for exercise, while developing an efficient technique for all four strokes and further developing surface dives. The effective swimming skills taught include coordination, breathing and an understanding of water safety.
Stage 7 focuses on fully developing all four swimming strokes, as well as building stamina and improving diving skills. Swimmers should develop a quality stroke technique for up to 100 metres, incorporating the skills they have learnt throughout the stages and combining them to develop a linked routine. They should successfully complete an obstacle course, which combines a variety of skills they have learnt from Stages 1 to 7.
After swimmers have completed Stages 1 – 7 of our Learn to Swim scheme, they can continue on our scheme by completing the Swimming Challenge awards. The Bronze, Silver, Gold and Honours award challenges swimmers to develop a wide range of skills and stamina with a focus on good stroke technique.
Tees Active recognises the achievement of all swimmers that complete all 7 stages and then continue to achieve all Swimming Challenge awards. Children are awarded with a commemorative certificate and medal to mark their achievement.
RLSS UK’s Rookie Lifeguard programme gives your child the skills they need to be confident in the pool or the sea – which means peace of mind for you. With fun, varied activities, the Rookie Lifeguard scheme teaches children how to swim and enjoy water safely, whether in shallow or deeper water.
Parents can play an active role in increasing water confidence in babies and young children from an early age. Although it’s not essential to take your child to a swimming pool, bath time activities can be a good introduction to the water. Here are four activities to help build your child’s water confidence.
The Causeway, Billingham Town Centre, TS23 2LJ
If you would like to enrol your child onto the Tees Active learn to swim programme, please complete this short form and a member of the team will be in touch. Please provide the dates, times and venues that you are able to attend so that we can find the most suitable space. We will add you to a waiting list if your requested days and times are not available and will be in touch once a space becomes available.
Find out more about how Tees Active are working with partners to drive positive change in the community.