Getting Ready for a September Splash Return

How Aquatots will return safely with you in September Information is everything!

Now pools have been given the green light to reopen, we are delighted to get to work on confirming pool return dates for all of our swimmers. This page will be used to keep everyone updated on the very latest news on a pool by pool basis along with overall guidelines.

At the moment we are working towards a September return, however do bear with us as each of our pools are different in their requirements and therefore may have varied reopening dates.

We are committed to ensuring that every person involved in your swimming lesson will be as prepared as possible for our safe return, so let us start by reassuring you on what we are doing right now .

Working with Pool Owners

Our team have been busy meeting with pool owners personally to walk through each facility and agree a detailed plan of how our swimmers can return to the venue, looking at entrance and exit points, changing facilities, sanitiser stations and regular cleaning arrangements.

New Training for our Teachers / Pool Assistants

Our Teachers and Pool assistants are all completing comprehensive COVID safety training and will be immediately updated following any changes to guidelines. This includes:

Individual training for each venue they teach at.
Detailed step by step guidelines on preparing for lessons, arriving at the venue, welcoming swimmers safely, carrying out cleaning at agreed times, ensuring social distance measures are observed, and conducting lessons safely.
Updated First Aid and Rescue Training in line with any official body guidelines.

Also we are well aware that our swimmers have had a long time out of the water and will need to be slowly re-introduced to lessons. There will of course be some swimmers that need a gentle introduction to underwater skills, but even the more confident will need to get used to being in that structured lesson environment again.

Rest assured those early lessons will focus even more on fun to begin with and gently get us back to where we need to be. Our Training Team are providing some fantastic new teacher training and videos for our Team to give them the very best tools to start anew.

Preparing you – Our Aquatots Families

We all have a part to play in the safe return to swimming and it will be a new experience for everyone. With that in mind, we promise to equip you with all the information you need before you attend your first lesson back.

Not only will you receive a detailed map and plan of your swim venue and how you will move around it, but also advice on how best to arrive at your lesson, from timings, to how you are dressed.

What this will include:

To minimise time within changing areas we will ask where appropriate, for our swimmer to arrive swim ready with your costumes, trunks etc on underneath your clothes
Allocated arrival times and waiting areas to ensure we can maintain social distancing
No spectators and just one swim partner per child.

View our Complete Return to Swimming Customer Guide Here

When will my pool be returning?

Start dates for each pool will be confirmed individually as we sign them off as ready to swim and this page will be updated with the start dates as soon as we have them. Just click on the region for your location, and you'll find your pool listed next to the anticipated term start date.

You will also be sent an email when this date is confirmed. From the start date confirmation we can then allocate class times for everyone that has already booked and invite those not yet booked to complete an online booking. This rebooking period will be a small window to ensure we can get timetables out to everyone as quickly as possible so please do get any outstanding bookings in as quickly as possible.

We are working towards a return on week from Monday 7^th September but will confirm for each pool as we agree this.

*** DATES ARE BEING CONFIRMED. CHECK YOUR POOL BELOW ***

We shall be emailing swimmers already booked with timetables and dates as soon as they are available. When the timetables for your pool have been sent you will see a date listed below. If there is no date we have yet to email out timetables so please do bear with us a little longer before getting in touch.

Croydon & Tandridge

POOLS	SWIM RETURN DATES	TIMETABLES SENT
Caterham OTH	---
Caterham V.	9^th Sep 2020
Chipstead - September TBC	20^th Sep 2020
Coulsdon	7^th Nov 2020
Croydon Bramley Hill	7^th Sep 2020
Croydon Old Palace - October TBC	11^th Oct 2021
Croydon St. Giles	19^th Sep 2020
Ewell	11^th Sep 2020
Godstone	12^th Sep 2020
Oxted Hazelwood - October TBC	---
Oxted Limpsfield - Jan TBC	---
Purley	27^th Sep 2020
Selsdon - JANUARY TBC	---
Whyteleafe	21^st Sep 2020
Woldingham - NOVEMBER	7^th Nov 2021

Kent & Essex

POOLS	SWIM RETURN DATES	TIMETABLES SENT
Harlow	---
Kings Lynn	---
Orpington	9^th Sep 2020
Otford	31^st Oct 2020
Romford - September TBC	11^th Sep 2020
Sevenoaks	11^th Sep 2020
Sidcup	21^st Sep 2020
South Weald	7^th Sep 2020
Southend East	13^th Sep 2020
Southend Rochford	18^th Sep 2020
Strood	9^th Jan 2021
Sudbury	12^th Sep 2020

London

POOLS	SWIM RETURN DATES	TIMETABLES SENT
Beckenham Park - Oct/Nov TBC	---
Bermondsey	---
Catford Bromley Road	7^th Sep 2020
Lewisham - JANUARY	---
Peckham	9^th Oct 2020
Selhurst	7^th Sep 2020
Streatham	12^th Sep 2020
Tooting	23^rd Sep 2020

Surrey Heath

POOLS	SWIM RETURN DATES	TIMETABLES SENT
Bletchingley	12^th Sep 2020
Bookham - JANUARY TBC	9^th Jan 2021
Cobham	20^th Sep 2020
E. Horsley - MID OCTOBER	10^th Oct 2020
East Grinstead	7^th Sep 2020
Epsom - JANUARY	---
Horley	7^th Sep 2020
Kingston	7^th Sep 2020
Leatherhead	12^th Sep 2020
Malden Manor	26^th Sep 2020
Morden	13^th Sep 2020
Reigate Wray	---
Worcester P. - Jan	1^st Jan 2021

Surrey West

POOLS	SWIM RETURN DATES	TIMETABLES SENT
Addlestone	7^th Sep 2020
Bagshot	7^th Sep 2020
Heathrow	7^th Sep 2020
Herne Hill	---
Hounslow	---
Lightwater	7^th Sep 2020
Ottershaw	7^th Sep 2020
Send	7^th Sep 2020
Staines	7^th Sep 2020
Sunbury (Swimming At Cobham) - JANUARY TBC	---
W. Village - January Start	---
Woking - January Start	1^st Jan 2021

FAQ's

How different will my lesson be?

Let’s start by assuring you that it will be fun!!! We may need to make some changes to the skills that we teach, to comply with social distancing guidelines, and we may have some smaller class sizes. Other than these changes, your lessons will be the same exciting blend of fun and valuable lifesaving skills every week and returning to that fantastic progression you were seeing before lockdown.

What happens to the lessons that were missed before lockdown?

Any weeks remaining from the winter term will be carried over and take place as soon as its deemed appropriate to resume.

How will you ensure Social Distancing during lessons?

The Aquatots pool team have visited all pools prior to opening to ensure they meet guidelines and are safe to swim. To enable this, where necessary we are providing smaller classes and an alternative changing process. Full details on how we will achieve social distancing can now be dound in our Customer Guide above or click this link

My circumstances have changed since I booked and I need to change days or pools? How do I arrange this?

No problem, just drop us an email via info@aquatots.com to let us know the day / pool you are interested in and we will make a note of your request and update you as soon as the pool date is confirmed. If you need help choosing a new day or location why not try our pool locater https://aquatots.com/page/our-pool-sites and filter by level or day required.

Why are you not returning until September?

It is great that pools can open on the 25th July however we have had much to consider when agreeing our return date. This includes:

Every pool site, site requires visiting over a number of occasions to ensure we can provide all swimmers with a clear visiting plan for that venue and lessons With many venues not being staffed during lockdown this was not something that could be started until quite recently
Many pools also need to arrange for their own staff to return and receive adequate training. This will of course involve un-furloughing individuals which may take a few weeks. The majority of our pools have agreed / requested that September would be a more suitable and achievable return time
Teacher Training – It is imperative that our Teachers have comprehensive training before we return. From lesson planning, venue preparation and also updated first aid and rescue training.
Swimmer Holidays - Although many people won’t be venturing abroad we are aware that August and the school holidays are a time that many of our swimmers are away and may not appreciate having to miss the first few weeks of our return if they are on holiday. Also for those families who may normally bring a sibling to sit at poolside during the school holidays, our 1 person requirement may make childcare an issue for many parents over August. In September when schools and nurseries have returned, this may be more achievable for our parents.

Will I still be swimming with my same class friends?

Where possible we aim to keep everyone in the same classes as before however the safety of everyone will be our first priority and if this requires some moves to keep class sizes manageable and maintaining social l distance requirement, we do hope you will understand.

Will you still be taking underwater photos?

Whilst some aspects of a lesson my different our initial reviews suggest that these will be possible as usual whilst still observing social distancing.

I hadn’t yet booked for the new term, is it too late?

Not at all. If you swam with us up until lock down but just hadn’t yet booked for the Spring Term, we will be sending you a new booking invitation as soon as the pool dates are confirmed. If you are new to Aquatots you can register your interest now via our enquiry form and we will be I touch shortly https://aquatots.com/page/contact

Do we need to wear face coverings?

Although Face Masks are not compulsory within our venues we would strongly recommend that adults do where them just whilst moving between the entrances and in the changing rooms. They will not be required in or around the pool.