SAFETY FIRST FOR YOUR CHILD Being Prepared For Your First Lesson

Health and Safety Information for Day 1

Your safety and comfort at the pool is our priority and this is why we take the time during week 1 of your course to go through a Health and Safety briefing and welcome talk to answer some of the common questions.  It can be a lot to take in at once so below we have covered some of the general points your Teacher will discuss.  There will also be points specific to the pool location you are attending so it's important you arrive in time for the welcome talk.

Showering - For hygiene reasons please always shower before entering the pool and again when exiting to remove any residual chlorine from your child's skin.  A pre-swim shower means we can keep the chlorine levels in all our pools lower avoiding any skin irritations for swimmers.

Entering the Water - Please never enter the water until your Teacher is in the pool and has invited you to join them.  For your safety we will always insist that your Teacher is the first and last person in the pool at all times.  Your Teacher will advise you on the safest entry into the pool for both you and your child and for our youngest swimmers this will be assisted by the Teacher at all times.

Slippery surfaces - Please take care when moving around at your pool as floors can get slippery. If you find it more comfortable, you are welcome to bring a clean pair of flip flops to wear pool side and put them out of the way when entering the pool.

Food & Drink - Please ensure that no food is taken into or consumed within the pool building with the exception of Milk and Water.

Photography - As is common practise at most nurseries, schools and other baby/child activities, and for ‘Health & Safety’ and ‘Data protection’ reasons, photography by parents or spectators is prohibited in and around the pool and pool facilities. This is a ‘condition of hire’ at many of our pool sites and some of our parents don’t wish to have their child featuring in other people’s photos.

First Aid - Every Aquatots Teachers is First Aid and Rescue Trained and this is retested on a yearly basis.  At every pool site you will be shown the location of the First Aid kit should it be required in an emergency and inside this kit will also be an Emergency Action Plan should it ever be required.

Emergency Exits - You will also be shown the location of the nearest Fire Exits for your pool.  In the event of a fire drill please ensure that you follow the instructions of your Teacher to leave the building as quickly as possible.

Excema, Sun Protection or other creams  -  Please ensure these are rinsed off prior to entering the pool.  Not only can these creams be detrimental to the water quality of your swim venue but can also make your child extremely slippery to hold in the water.

Spectators - Spectators are welcome to attend the majority of our venues however at some pools, space is very limited so please agree with your Teacher beforehand and always introduce any new spectators to your Teacher upon arrival.

 Toilet breaks - If you need to leave the pool during your class to go to the toilet, please let your teacher know so that he/she does not worry where you are.

Correct Swimwear

Nappies for our younger swimmers - Our pools are lovely and warm so keeping covered up isn’t really an issue however we do of course want to avoid any embarrassing leaks into the pool so nappies are vital unless of course they are potty trained.  We ask that all babies are double wrapped in two tight fitting layers,  to be as well protected as possible and we strongly recommend the Happy Nappy which is a neoprene swim nappy proven to be the best protection on the market.  Underneath this it’s either a disposable swim nappy or even better for the environment and your pocket, an inner reusable nappy wrap. To see more on these items click here.

Please always take your disposable swim nappies home with you rather than leave at the pool side as many pool hirers insist these are not left on site.

Child illness 

Coughs colds and general infections - Children will often have coughs and colds, eye or ear infections. Aquatots are happy to receive children in the pool with general coughs and colds as long as you think they are happy enough to swim. If they have an eye or ear infection (and have had 24/48 hours antibiotic treatment) we are still happy for them to come although you may want to take that under advisement from your doctor or based on how your child is feeling. Sometimes coming swimming can be just the tonic they need to perk them up or it may amplify how they are feeling. Don’t forget, you can ask your teacher to let you join in but avoid submersions and instead concentrate on lots of fun surface skills that will still be of benefit to their learning.

Stomach upsets

If your child has experienced Sickness or Diarrhoea, please avoid coming swimming for a full 2 weeks after the last episode. There are a couple of chlorine resistant bugs where symptoms appear to come and go. These infections are very difficult to remedy once they get into the pool and often result in pool closure.  If you miss classes due to Diarrhoea, we will endeavour to do our best to offer you alternative days/times to do a make up class but don't worry too much if that's not suitable as your Teacher will always repeat skills that you may have missed.

The above information is just a brief guide and throughout your time with us we are sure you may have questions that arise.  Your Teacher will be happy to help you with any queries you may have and looks forward to meeting you soon.