FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Please do have a good read of our FAQ’s – chances are that anything you need to know will be answered, but if not, please do contact us!
- The Joining Process
- Sports Nut Swimming Lessons
- Payments & Missed Lessons
- Assessment & Progress
- Venues & Equipment
- Anything Else
Joining Process
1 | What age can swimmers start lessons with you and is there a maximum age?
Swimmers are welcome to begin lessons with us once they turn 4 years old and are available for children until they turn 16 years old. We don’t currently offer any adult swimming lessons.
2 |How long does a lesson last for?
Our Level 1-6 lessons last for 30 minutes, our Level 7 & 8 Junior Squad sessions and our Elite Swim Squad sessions last for 60 minutes.
3 |What if my child has a special educational need or a complex medical condition?
Learning to swim is a vital life skill for everyone to learn. Please let us know of any additional needs and we will do our very best to work with you to ensure we can cater for your swimmer and offer them some form of swimming lessons.
4 |Do we have to have a taster before booking onto lessons?
Yes, absolutely. A taster session is a fantastic opportunity for you and your swimmer to come and visit one of our fabulous swimming pool venues, meet our wonderful staff and get any nerves out of their system! It also enables coaches to informally assess your swimmer and allows us to assign them to the most appropriate Sports Nut Award Scheme level.
5 |How do we book a taster session?
Taster sessions are extremely popular and in short supply, but please complete our Join Us form to register your child and one of our team will be in touch with regards to taster session availability.
5 |Which taster session should we book?
We currently offer 4 different types of taster session & you will be asked to book one of these by our admin team once they have assessed your Join Us form submission.
BEGINNER/NON-SWIMMER AGE 4-5
BEGINNER/NON-SWIMMER AGE 6+
CONFIDENT SHALLOW END SWIMMER
DEEP END SWIMMER
6 |What happens at the taster session and how long does it last?
Our taster sessions last about 15 minutes and allow for a quick chat with our coach beforehand, a fun 10-minute informal assessment in the water and a quick debrief at the end of the taster to find out which Sports Nut Award Scheme level would be most suitable for your swimmer to begin lessons with us at.
7 |What should swimmers wear to the taster session?
Swimmers should arrive ‘beach ready’ which means they’re swimming trunks or costume on and either normal clothing or a onesie/dressing gown over the top. Bikini’s and long board shorts are not suitable swimming attire. Swimmers must wear a swim hat at Godstowe and if the taster is at Davenies a swim hat is needed for long hair and recommended for all children. Goggles are optional but recommended. Please also bring a towel and have clothes to get changed into after the session.
8 |What happens after the taster session?
Once the taster is finished, our coach will give you some very brief feedback and let you know which Sports Nut Award Scheme level would be most suitable for your swimmer to begin lessons with us at. Please email info@sports-nut.co.uk to enquire about lesson availability and please mention what level your swimmer has been assessed at.
9 |When will we be offered a space in one of your weekly lessons?
This is a very tricky one to answer and there is no hard and fast rule. Our swimmers are continuously assessed so availability across all levels is constantly changing. We also have waiting lists in place. For level 1 & 2 lessons it is likely you will have to wait a few months for a place in a class, but this is dependant on both venue and how flexible you are. As a general rule, the more days/times you are able to attend a lesson, the sooner you are likely to be offered a place in a class. For more advanced swimmers, our waiting lists are much shorter, or there is no waiting list at all, but the general rule of the days/times you are able to attend a lesson, the sooner you are likely to be offered a place in a class still applies!
10 |What happens if there aren’t any lessons available at my swimmers’ level?
If we are unable to offer a space in an appropriate level class at either venue, we will add your child to our swimming lesson waiting list and try to give you an indication of wait time…although this is only an estimation.
11 |How can we register another child to have swimming lessons with you?
If you have another child that you would like to register to join our lessons, please complete a Join Us form to begin the registration process.
Swimming Lessons
1 |Do you offer private lessons?
Our group lessons are run in small classes (4-6 children max), so we don’t offer regular private lessons. However, we recognise that there are occasions when private lessons (1on1) with a teacher can be beneficial and so we do offer some ad-hoc private lessons when we have availability. If you would like to be added to our communication list to be informed of when private lessons are available, then please email info@sports-nut.co.uk
2 |Do you run any Intensive lessons in the school holidays?
We often run Holiday Crash Courses in the school holidays; these are for Level 1-6 swimmers, with diving masterclass sessions available for more advanced swimmers (Level 5+). We also have a few 1on1 sessions available at each of our crash courses. Please visit our holiday crash course dates for the most up to date information and dates.
3 |Do weekly lessons run in the school holidays?
Our weekly lessons run within Buckinghamshire School 3 x term dates, with no weekly lessons in the school holiday’s. We do often run Crash Course lessons in the school holidays.
4 |Where can we find the dates that weekly lessons run throughout the year?
Dates for weekly lessons can be found on our term dates page.
4 |How many swimmers are in each class?
Our class sizes are small with a maximum of 4 children in our Level 1 & Level 2 lessons. All other levels have a maximum of 6 children in a class.
5 |How long does a lesson last for?
Our Level 1-6 lessons last for 30 minutes, our Level 7 & 8 Junior Squad sessions and our Elite Swim Squad sessions last for 60 minutes.
6 |What time should we arrive for our lesson?
Please arrive 5 minutes before the start of your scheduled lesson time; a great opportunity for a quick pre lesson toilet stop!
7 |What happens if we are late for our lesson?
Please make every effort to be on time for lessons; they run to a tight schedule and are unable to be delayed for latecomers. If you are late, please do make your teacher aware you have arrived and that your child is ready to join the lesson.
8 |What happens at the start and end of each lesson?
At Davenies, swimmers should wait at the entrance door to the swimming pool where they will be collected by a member of staff at the start of their lesson time. Parents must collect children from the same point at the end of their lesson time.
At Godstowe, swimmers should wait quietly in the viewing area and then make there way to the poolside barrier where teachers will collect them for their lesson. Parents must collect children from the same point at the end of their lesson time.
Please note that parents are responsible for all of their children at all times outside of the swimming lesson timeslot.
9 |Is there a teacher in the water? of each lesson?
For our Level 1 and 2 classes, there will always be a teacher in the water with children during their lessons. In Level 3 and 4 classes, a teacher will be in and out of the water during lessons and a for Level 5+ classes, a teacher will teach from poolside.
10 |What qualifications do your teachers have?
All our swimming teachers hold either STA or Swim England swimming teacher qualifications.
11 |What award scheme do your swimming lessons use?
The Sports Nut Award Scheme is unique to Sports Nut Swimming Lessons and was designed by a range of experienced teachers and coaches to ensure the best possible learn to swim journey for our swimmers.
12 |Do parents need to/can they get in the water too?
Parents are unable to accompany children in the water for our lessons.
13 |What do swimmers need to bring/wear to weekly lessons?
Swimmers should arrive ‘beach ready’ which means they’re swimming trunks or costume on and either normal clothing or a onesie/dressing gown over the top. Bikini’s and long board shorts are not suitable swimming attire. Swimmers must wear a swim hat at Godstowe and if the taster is at Davenies a swim hat is needed for long hair and recommended for all children. Goggles are optional but recommended. Please also bring a towel and have clothes to get changed into after the session.
14 |Do all swimmers have to wear a swimming hat?
At Davenies, swimming hats must be worn for those with shoulder length or longer hair, but we do recommend all swimmers wear a hat if possible.
At Godstowe, swimming hats are compulsory for all swimmers.
15 |Are swimmers allowed to wear goggles?
Swimmers are encouraged to wear goggles for their swimming lessons. Please ensure swimmers know how to put on and adjust their own goggles!
Payments & Missed Lessons
1 |How can we permanently move our lesson to a different day, time, or venue?
If you would like to move your lesson to a different day, time or venue on a permanent basis, please email info@sports-nut.co.uk and we will liaise with you on options. It is likely that you may have to go onto a waiting list for a move until a space becomes available in your preferred lesson.
2 |How much do lessons cost?
Swimming lessons cost £18.00 (inc VAT) per 30-minute lesson. Your initial booking will be for the remainder of the month you join, and the following month. Thereafter, there will be a monthly automatic payment taken on the 7th of the month for lessons in the following month (i.e. 7th September, payment taken for lessons in October).
3 |How do we pay for lessons?
For the initial lesson booking, Sports Nut will invoice you for the lessons in the remainder of the month you join, and the following month. Thereafter, there will be a monthly automatic payment taken on the 7th of the month for lessons in the following month (i.e. 7th September, payment taken for lessons in October).
4 |How often do we need to pay for lessons?
After the initial payment, payments are taken automatically on the 7th of each month for the following months lessons.
5 |Do you offer a sibling discount?
We do not offer a sibling discount.
6 |Can we use childcare vouchers to pay for lessons?
As we are not a childcare provider, we do not have the ability to accept childcare vouchers as payment.
7 |What happens if a swimmer is unable to attend their usual weekly lesson?
We strongly urge all swimmers to attend their booked, weekly lesson each week, but we also understand that on the odd occasion this isn’t possible. If you would like to try and arrange a catch-up session for the lesson your swimmer is unable to attend, please click here.
Please be aware that catch-up lessons for Levels 1&2 are extremely hard to come by. There is a £6.00 admin fee added to your swimmers account (to be added to your next invoice payment) for catch-up sessions.
8 |Can we get a refund or extra lesson added for a weekly lesson we can’t attend? swimmer is unable to attend their usual weekly lesson?
We do not offer refunds or extra lessons added on to swimmer’s account balances for lessons that you don’t attend. Please be aware that the vast majority of our costs are fixed; we still pay for pool hire and teacher salaries regardless of whether you turn up or not.
9 |What is the policy for swimmers with a long-term illness or injury?
If a swimmer is unable to swim due to illness or injury for 3 or more consecutive lessons, this falls under our long-term illness/injury policy. We may ask for a doctor’s note or some form of evidence to confirm that swimmers are unable to attend. In this scenario, we will remove swimmers from their class (to avoid any more lesson credits are used whilst they are absent) but we will hold their place in the class until they are ready to return to the pool.
10 |What happens if Sports Nut must cancel a lesson?
From time to time, events beyond our control may lead to Sports Nut cancelling individual lessons or courses in their entirety. If a weekly group lesson is cancelled at any point by Sports Nut, an extra lesson will automatically be added to a swimmer’s lesson balance. If a private lesson is cancelled at any point by Sports Nut, a credit of the value of the lesson will automatically be added to your swimmer’s account. If an Elite Squad/Purely Front Crawl session is cancelled at any point by Sports Nut a credit of the value of the session will automatically be added to your swimmer’s account. If a lesson during an Intensive Week is cancelled at any point by Sports Nut you are entitled to a refund for the value of the cancelled lesson. We are not responsible for any additional associated costs.
11 |What happens if my automated card payment fails?
If your automated card payment fails (on the 7th day of the month) then we will be in contact with you to inform you of the issue. You will have 7 days to rectify the issue and clear any overdue balance to keep your place in a class.
12 |How do we cancel our membership and leave our swimming class?
You have 14 days from the commencement date in which to cancel your initial booking and receive a full refund (cooling-off period). If we have provided lessons within the cooling-off period, you are entitled to a refund for the amount paid, less the cost of the lessons already provided. Your refund will be issued via bank transfer within 14 days of you telling us in writing via email that you want to cancel the contract.
Your right to cancel and receive a refund ends at the end of the 14-day period following the commencement date (the date on which you made your booking, not the date of the first lesson).
You may also cancel the remainder of lessons which the swimmer has not yet received if the swimmer is advised by a GP or other qualified medical practitioner (in writing, which we may request a copy of; see section ‘Medical Conditions & Long-Term Injury or Illness’ above for information on how we will handle such information) not to continue with the lessons on medical grounds. If this happens, we will refund you the amount of the outstanding lessons you have already paid for.
For weekly group lessons, swim squad/purely front crawl sessions and ad-hoc private lessons, you must give 30 days’ notice in writing by email of your intention to cancel your remaining lessons. You will receive a refund equal to the value of your remaining lesson credits after the 30 day notice period, via bank transfer within 14 working days of your final lesson date.
For intensive week group lessons, intensive week diving masterclass sessions or intensive week private lessons the following cancellation/refund policy applies:
a) A cancellation request made in writing by email more than 7 days in advance of the start of the intensive week will receive a 100% refund.
b) A cancellation request made in writing by email less than 7 days, but more than 96 hours in advance of the start of the intensive week will receive a 50% refund.
c) A cancellation request made less than 96 hours before the start of the intensive week will receive a 0% refund.
Assessment and Progress
1 |Do teachers provide verbal feedback at the end of lessons?
Our lessons run to a very tight schedule, so teachers do not have time to talk/provide feedback between lessons. If you would like some specific feedback for your swimmer, then please email info@sports-nut.co.uk
2 |How do we track swimmers’ progress?
As part of the joining process, every family will set up a Member Hub account where they can login and track the progress of all of the swimmers within that family. You will be able to follow the progress of swimmers as they undertake different challenges and skills within our Award Scheme Levels.
3 |How do we know when swimmers are ready to move up to the next level?
Once our teachers are satisfied that a swimmer has consistently passed all of the challenges and skills within an award level, they will be marked as 100% and at that point they will be ready to move up to the next level.
4 |What happens when swimmers reach 100% on their assessment criteria? are ready to move up to the next level?
When a swimming reaches 100% on their current level, you will receive an automated email notification congratulating your swimmer on their fantastic achievement! If there is a space available in the next level class at the same time/day, then our admin team will move your swimmer into that class. You will receive an automated email notification informing you of the move to the new class.
5 |What happens if there are no convenient spaces available in the next level up for my swimmer?
If there are no spaces available in the next level class at the same time/day, our admin team will be in contact via email or phone call to discuss the options for your swimmer. It may well be necessary for swimmers to move to a different time/day/venue in order to gain an immediate space in a class at the next level. If no convenient space can be found, then swimmers can be added to a waiting list for a particular time/day. In this instance, swimmers may be able to remain in the same class that they have completed, but please be aware that a swimmer’s progress will likely be delayed.
6 |How does the assessment criteria work?
Swimmers are assessed on a continuous basis, meaning that swimmers can pass awards at any time of the year (as opposed to just at the end of terms). There are a number of challenges within each award level, split into primary challenges, secondary challenges and water safety challenges. As you might expect, the higher the award level, the more difficult the challenges become. There are 4 assessment levels within each challenge, and only when swimmers have passed all the challenges will they reach 100%. The assessment levels are as follows:
- Keep practising
- On the right track
- So close
- Passed
7 |Do swimmers get certificates and/or badges when they pass an award?
Once a swimmer passes an award level, a PDF certificate will be available to download via your Member Hub account. We also have embroidered badges available to purchase, at a cost of £4.00. If you would like to purchase a badge then please email info@sports-nut.co.uk or speak to one of our pool assistants at our swimming venues.
8 |What is Member Hub and how do we login?
Member Hub is our online platform where you can view your swimmer’s class and awards history, track their progress in their current level, see your payment information and much more!
9 |How can we update parent and/or swimmers’ details?
If you need to update any details for you or your swimmer, then please login to your Member Hub account to do so. This is especially important for any medical conditions and parent phone numbers/email address changes.
Venues and Equipment
1 |Where do you run your swimming lessons?
We currently run lessons at two fabulous venues as follows:
Davenies School, Beaconsfield, HP91AA: 20m x 8m Pool with changing rooms and viewing gallery
Godstowe School, High Wycombe, HP136PN: 25m x 10m Pool with changing rooms and viewing gallery
2 |Are there car parking facilities available?
Davenies: Parking is not available on the school site, but it is available in Sainsbury’s car park at the rear of Davenies – parking is free for up to 2 hours during store opening times, but only 10 minutes outside of store opening times.
Godstowe: Parking is available on the school site, at The Lodge car park entrance by the swimming pool. There are 12 car park spaces immediately outside the swimming pool complex and 40 car park spaces in the overflow car park (signposted) a 1-minute walk away from the swimming pool complex.
3 |What is the pool temperature at your venues?
The swimming pools at both venues are set at 29 Degrees Celsius
4 |Do you use armbands/swimming flotation devices?
We regularly use floats and noodles to assist swimmers in the learn to swim journey. We very occasionally use float jackets when necessary for our smaller swimmers. We do not use armbands within our swimming lessons.
5 |Is all equipment provided?
We provide all necessary equipment for the teaching of swimming lessons, but swimmers must provide their own swimming hat (if necessary) and goggles (recommended). For those swimmers in Level 5+ we recommend that a named water bottle is brought to lessons too.
6 |Does the equipment get cleaned?
Equipment is cleaned regularly, and chlorine also does a fantastic job of killing germs too!
7 |Can parents & siblings watch lessons?
Parents and other family members are welcome to stay and watch lessons from our viewing galleries. We ask that all children who are on site and not in a swimming lesson are kept under close supervision and kept as quiet as possible please. Parents are welcome to offer smiles, waves and thumbs-ups but please refrain from shouting/coaching from the viewing gallery. Only children taking part in lessons and Sports Nut staff members are ever allowed on poolside.
8 |Are there changing rooms available to use?
At Davenies there are multi-use communal changing areas available, but please be aware it is an all-boys school and there is not separate boys & girls changing rooms available. There is a disabled changing room available.
At Godstowe there are separate boys and girls changing rooms, plus a disabled changing room.
Anything Else
1 |When is the Sports Nut office open?
Our phone lines are open 10am-2pm Monday-Friday 0330 124 8238 most weeks of the year. Customers are welcome to email info@sports-nut.co.uk and we endeavour to respond to all emails with 2 working days (Monday-Friday). The office is completely closed at weekends and bank holiday’s.
2 |How can we contact you outside of office opening hours?
Customers are welcome to email info@sports-nut.co.uk and we endeavour to respond to all emails with 2 working days (Monday-Friday). The office is completely closed at weekends.
3 |Do you run adult swimming lessons or sessions?
Since we returned to the pool following our enforced Covid break, we have not been able to run any lessons or sessions for adults.
4 |Do you offer children’s parties or any other sports coaching activities?
Covid had a huge impact on us as a company and since we returned in 2021, we made the decision to focus solely on swimming and triathlon to try and keep Sports Nut afloat. We do not envisage running any children’s parties again in the future, but we remain hopeful or being able to offer other physical activities to children soon.
5 |Is there a lost property box?
Yes! We have lost property boxes at both Davenies and Godstowe…if you do misplace an item then please email info@sports-nut.co.uk and we will do our best to help locate the item for you to collect.