Frequently Asked Questions

We are really confident you will love our classes, but if after attending the first class you no longer wish to continue, then we will refund the entire course cost without question.

After the first class Baby Paddlers is under no obligation to refund your money in the event that you are unable to attend part of, or the entire course after signing up. If a class is missed due to sickness or holiday, we will try and offer you a catch up class subject to availability.

If in special circumstances we have agreed to refund part, or all of the course there will be a £10.00 admin charge deducted from the refund.

Visit our Find a Class near me page, and decide which location and class times best suit your needs.

Unfortunately not, we ask for a full terms payment upfront.

We ask for full term payment upfront, however if you do miss a class, where possible, we are happy to arrange a catch up – we also offer this if you miss a class through illness.

We always offer our existing customers first priority on their space.  At the end of your current term you’ll receive a simple enrolment email, all you do is click a button to confirm, and then make the relevant payment.

We welcome babies from birth, however if the pool isn’t a hydrotherapy pool it is recommended that babies are at least 12 weeks old, or 12Ibs.  We chat to all new parents to ensure you’re in a suitable class.

We ask that all our babies & toddlers wear a double nappy system, with a happy nappy worn over a disposable one.  Most babies, particularly in our hydrotherapy pools are happy to swim in just their happy nappy, however every baby is very different; some feel the cold and others are always toasty. so you might want to wear a wetsuit also.

Pre-schoolers that are successfully toilet trained do not need to wear a swim nappy.

If you need to purchase an over nappy or swimming costume for your child, please visit our friends at the Baby Swimming Shop for a 10% discount for all our customers. Please use the code BBYPDL431 at the checkout.

No we use some swimming aids in our classes but we encourage children to free swim regularly and not become attached to aids.

Tummy bugs can spread quickly and we ask that all children stay out of the pool for at least 48 hours after becoming well again.

Parents should assess how ill your child is, there is no issue with them having a little cold we just ask you to use your common sense.

You should not bring your child swimming if they have any illness such as an ear infection, diarrhoea, chicken pox, impetigo, conjunctivitis or a bad cold.

We are happy to arrange swimming lesson catch up’s if we have space – wo do limit this to one catch up per term per customer in order to accommodate everyone.

The latest advice from the NHS is that babies do not need immunisations before swimming, you can read more information here.

This depends on what feels right for you and your child.  We would talk to parents about the best time for your child. On average it’s around or just after their 3rd birthday but some take longer.

We do not allow you to take photographs of your children during classes in order to be in control of our child protection policy. We do however have one session a term, normally the last one when parents are allowed to take photos, everyone in the class will be expected to sign a form to agree to this. We will also arrange for professional photographers to take underwater shots at least once a year.

No you do not.  We do encourage you to put your face in and go underwater if you are comfortable to as this does really help with your child’s development. If you are nervous about this area please contact us and we can discuss further.

As part of our lessons we do some underwater swimming, it forms an important yet small part of the swimming journey. We take it slowly and progressively using cues and baby’s natural reflexes. When it comes to toddlers and preschoolers, it’s a different matter, if they are starting out with us having no previous experience at all we will encourage them to blow bubbles and put their faces in the water, this is especially important to practice at home and when you go swimming outside of lessons. Read more about this here and do not hesitate to call us to discuss if you have any concerns.

We really encourage regular swimming as a family, there really is no better way to keep your child’s water confidence soaring than having fun in the water!

Absolutely, we just ask that you remember to try and feed at least an hour before classes. Most babies and children need water/milk after their classes so do ensure they have a drink afterwards.

We do ask that you do not feed them food in the changing areas at all. We appreciate that this can make changing easier sometimes is the only option so if you have to please only bring snacks that do not make a mess and can be easily cleaned up…. baby crisps and rice cakes for example go everywhere!

Of course, we actively encourage all children to get in the water as early as possible and will take it at their pace to ensure that they progress confidently.

All our pools have an area to watch classes, often with seating. You are very welcome to bring a couple of people with you, but we ask that you use your common sense on the number you bring at once.

Anybody that enters poolside must remove their shoes or wear the blue covers available.

The best way to do this is to swap each week and it is a really good way to keep the child happy whoever is with them in the water. However we do ask that only one parent comes in with each child at any one time.

In the unlikely event we have to cancel a course we would refund all monies paid.

You can cancel up to 7 days before your first class starts and we will refund all monies paid. After this time, no refunds apply as both parties are committed to the term.

Pool closures can occur due to adverse weather or a child having an “accident” in the pool.

In the first instance we would arrange catch up classes, if we are unable to arrange one we would offer a refund. We cannot guarantee a refund if you cannot make the catch up class.

If a child has an accident in the pool this could mean instant pool closure and prevent other classes going ahead. We ask all children to adhere to the double nappy system to reduce the risk of this happening. In the event of cancelling your class we would arrange a catch up session during the term.

These are specific to the location.  We invite all parents to come along to a free trial so you can check out the swim classes and facilities for yourself.

It is not uncommon for children to take a little while to get used to the water at any age. At Baby Paddlers we try to treat everyone individually and won’t push children to do something they are not enjoying. We work with both the parent and child and we ask parents to actively encourage their babies and provide feedback, as we believe this is the best way to build their confidence.