Little Wonders (Ages 6 months to 3 years)

At this stage of the learn to swim journey the Swim and Survive program focuses on water familiarisation, enjoyment and development of elementary skills required prior to independent participation.

Features

• Ages from 6 months to 3 years
• In-water parent or carer participation
• Learn through play, games and fundamental movement skills

What will my child learn?

• Getting into and out of the water safely
• Floating on their front and back
• Orientating their body using rotation skills
• Moving through the water using kicking and arm actions
• Gliding in a forward direction
• Breathing preparation skills
• Submerging under water
• Safety rules for participating in lessons
• Social skills for interacting with peers and the teacher

Safety and inclusivity for all children

We encourage everyone to get involved. No matter their ability, everyone can participate and learn. Children will learn at their own pace and teachers will guide you along the way.

Parent and carer involvement

Parents and carers are an integral part of children’s aquatic education and, at these early ages, in-water parent and carer participation is necessary not only for safety but to provide support and guidance through activities to get maximum value from lessons.

Lesson times

• Weekday Mornings 9am - 12pm
• Saturdays from 7am

Lesson requirements

• Tight fitting Swim Nappies are compulsory for all children under the age of 3
• Correct Swim Attire
• Goggles (Little wonders 4)
• Caps (Little wonders 4)

REGISTER FOR LESSONS

Preschool (Ages 3 years to 5 years)

At this stage Swim and Survive aims to build strong foundation skills required to develop more complex gross motor skills. Focusing on foundation skills makes progression faster down the track.

Features

• Ages from 3 years to 5 years
• Learn and develop fundamental movement skills
• Transition level for less confident
• Independent participation

What will my child learn?

• Entering and exiting the water safely
• Floating, recovering and orientating the body independently
• Gliding, kicking and propulsion skills
• Breathing skills
• Foundation swimming strokes
• Submerging under water
• Elementary survival skills
• Safety rules for participating in lessons
• Identifying dangers, people who can help and ways to get help

Safety and inclusivity for all children

No matter the ability everyone can participate and learn at their own pace. The aim is to build confidence, become mobile and above all have fun! Small size classes help to keep everyone involved and safe.

Cheer from the sidelines

Preschool age children who have been participating regularly in swimming lessons or who have progressed from infant and toddler lessons, can now participate independently with the teacher.

Preschool age children love showing off their skills throughout lessons so even though parents and carers are not in the water, they have an important role to play in acknowledging small achievements and providing encouragement and emotional support.

Not quite ready for independent participation?

Rest assured for those children that have little or no experience and are nervous, we have a transition level with parent and carer involvement until they are ready to move to the independent stage.

Lesson Times

• Weekday Mornings 9am - 12pm
• Weekday afternoons 3:30pm-7pm (Limited)
• Saturdays from 7:30am

Lesson Requirements

• Goggles
• Caps
• Correct Swim Attire

REGISTER FOR LESSONS

School Age Levels (5 Years and older)

Swim and Survive is the perfect environment for kids to consolidate foundation skills, acquire new skills and increase distance and duration, all while having fun, being challenged and making friends. Our aim is to build a nation of strong swimmers to enjoy the water safely.

Features

• Ages from 5 years and older
• Focus on personal survival, water safety and lifesaving to complement strong swimming skills
• Active practise, activity, and scenario-based learning
• Progressions to achieve National Benchmarks and beyond

What will my child learn?

• Entries and exits for a range of aquatic environments
• Floating, rotation and orientation skills in various positions
• Survival skills, techniques and strategies for emergency situations
• Underwater and search skills
• Swimming and survival strokes
• Rescue methods for different situations
• Hazards and personal safety around water
• An understanding of personal aquatic abilities and limitations
• Actions to get help and respond to an emergency including basic resuscitation

Safety and inclusivity for all children

Everyone has the potential to acquire and develop swimming and water safety skills, so we aim to create a positive, safe, and inclusive experience for all.

Acquisition and consolidation

Children will participate at their own ability and progress through levels as they acquire skills and knowledge. It’s important to consolidate the skills before moving on to more complex and challenging tasks. All children will progress at their own. 

Late starters

No matter the abilities or aspirations our swimming, water safety and lifesaving pathways seek to provide opportunities to learn, grow and interact. Our aim is to open the door for participants to a lifetime of safe aquatic recreation, active participation and even a career pathway.

We understand that some teenagers have basic skills they want to improve or have not had the opportunity to learn to swim, so they can join in the fun with their friends. Swim and Survive is inclusive for all and teenagers can join in too! We will have classes specifically with other teenagers of the same level. These are generally held late afternoons. Teenagers 16 and over are eligible for our Adult Swim Program.

Lesson Times

• Weekday Mornings 9am - 12pm
• Weekday afternoons 3:30pm-7pm (Limited)
• Saturdays from 7:30am

Lesson Requirements

• Goggles
• Caps
• Correct Swim Attire

REGISTER FOR LESSONS

How do I enrol my child/children?

How do I pay?

Lessons are paid by Direct Debit.

• Direct debits will occur automatically on a fortnightly basis.
• You will have a 14-day cooling off period from your first lesson, in line with any lessons that are already paid. Thereafter, your debits will continue fortnightly.
• Payments can be deducted from a nominated credit card or bank account. Your initial payment is required to be by credit or debit card however, if you then prefer to change your payments to a bank account you are able to do this through your portal.

When do classes run?

Little Wonder (Bubs) Classes

• Monday – Friday: 9am – 12pm
• Saturday: from 7.30am

Preschool Classes

• Monday – Friday: 9am – 12pm and 3.30pm – 7pm
• Saturday: from 7.30am

School Age Classes

• Monday – Friday: 3.30pm – 7pm
• Saturday from 7.30am

Do you break for school holidays and holiday periods?

No. We believe that consistent practice is key to progress, we run classes all year round. During the Christmas/New Year period and on all public holidays there are no lessons. Your direct debit payments are automatically adjusted during these times, you are not charged when lessons do not run.

Will my instructor be the same every week?

Yes – our philosophy is to have the same teacher each week as this is the best for your child’s learning.

Whilst we do endeavour to maintain the same teacher, the reality is that there are also times when teachers do change. However, rest assured that all instructors undergo a thorough hiring process and an extensive training period. You can trust that they’re all fun, patient, and more than qualified are equally equipped to teach your child how to swim safely. We work hard to ensure that the delivery of our lessons is consistent, and our main priority is that the learning to your child is not compromised in these instances.

How do I change my class time?

If by chance your normal class time does not suit you any longer, submit your request to the swim school team via the Swim Class Change or Transfer Request Form and we will do our best to find a suitable time for you.

While every effort is made to accommodate requests for change, it is dependent on the availability of vacancies and no guarantee can be given to accommodate exact requests.

Can I take pictures or record my child in their class?

We welcome you to capture the special moments of your time in the venue on camera or video, however the privacy of others must also be respected. Capturing still or video footage is conditional upon the following:

• If you capture an image or private conversation of another child or individual, you must have all relevant individuals (or their parents) consent to use, publish, or broadcast images or video footage.
• Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES are cameras or mobile phones to be used in change room areas or showers.
• You agree to comply with any request by Centre staff to discontinue use of your camera, mobile phone, or video, and to delete requested images or footage, where the Centre staff reasonably considers that someone’s privacy may be breached.
• You have the deck supervisors and Teacher's permission to capture footage within the lessons, this allows us to assist other children being caught in the video and our staff can position themselves accordingly.
• Videos must not exceed 20 seconds.

On occasions, we may take photos and videos to use for social media and other marketing purposes. We may also use photos or videos posted onto social media at our discretion. If you do not want to have photos or videos taken of you or your child, please inform us.

Do I need to stay with my child while they have lessons?

The Centre actively promotes the Keep Watch @ Public Pools initiative designed by the Royal Life Saving Society Australia. Further information on Keep Watch @ Public Pools, can be found on our swim guide page.

• Children 5 years and under and non-swimmers are to be within arm's reach of their parents or guardian whilst in the Centre. Children that are swimming outside of their lessons will be required to be in the water with them and within arm's reach at all times.
• Children under the age of 10 years old must be accompanied by a responsible person over the age of 16 years and the Centre, including Swim School participants.
• Swim School students under the age of 3 years will not be accepted by their instructor into lessons without their parent or guardian participating in the lesson.
• Parents and guardians must remain easily contactable to the instructor and deck supervisors throughout the lesson. Failure to adhere to supervision policies may result in the termination of lessons.

How do I know when my child is ready to progress?

Each level has set skills the teachers are aiming to achieve with each child in each level. Assessments are conducted monthly by the deck supervisor however the class teachers are encouraged to notify the supervisor if they feel that a child is completing the skills and the assessment is more than 2 weeks away.

Every child's progression depends on many factors; it is important to remember that every child is different and progresses at their own pace. Swimming is a unique motor skill and can take time to master the coordination of each skill, it takes practice and repetition to learn. The more you practice the quicker you will see results.

We love to promote the children, but if you feel that you would like some feedback about what more they can do to move up, have a chat to the deck supervisor and they will happily help. You can view the skills that have been completed for your child’s level on the member portal under skill assessment.

Once the skills are mastered in their current level and students are ready to progress to the next level you will be notified of your new class time via email when a suitable position becomes available. Please note that we will always endeavour to keep this within the hour of your current class time however we are unable to guarantee this with each progression through the program.

What happens if my child is sick and misses their lesson?

Students are eligible for the following options for missed lessons per calendar year:

• 8 missed lessons per calendar year.
• You MUST notify us in writing, this can be either by email or through our contact us page prior to your lesson.
• Normal charges still apply - instead, you will receive a practice pass which allows entry for up to 5 people (max 2 adults). Each pass is Valid for 12 weeks from the date of your missed lesson.

Can I suspend my child's lessons for a short period?

No, you are unable to suspended or hold your lessons for any period of time. You are eligible to notify your absence up to 8 times per calendar year. If you wish to take an extended break, you will be required to cancel lessons and re-enrol when you are ready to return.

Notifying your absence provides you with practice pass for up to 5 people (max 2 adults) to come to the Centre on a non-lesson day to practice your skills with friends/family (your practice pass grants access for 5 people, max of 2 adults and is valid for 12 weeks from the date of your missed lesson).

How do I cancel my lessons?

Swimming lesson memberships are perpetual direct debit agreements with no “lock in” period or cancellation fees; Families wishing to take a break from swim lessons are required to fill out an online cancellation request form providing 30-day written notice. Billing and enrollment will cease 30 days from the date the written notice is received.

Waves Fitness and Aquatic Centre Terms and Conditions

Cancellation Request Form