When you are approaching the Military School, you will follow the private road up to a gatehouse, where security staff will issue you with a pass and point you in the direction of the pool. The carpark that you will use is right next to a huge rock-climbing wall.

When can I start bringing my child to Puddle Ducks

Parents can bring their newborn as soon as they feel ready - our youngest Puddle Duck was just over a week old! We advise to allow the umbilical cord to have healed over to avoid infection, but you don't need to wait until your baby has had their jabs.

We find that babies - as they have spent 9 months in their own watery world - have a natural affinity in our carefully selected, warm pools. 

Does my baby need to have injections before I take him/her swimming?

According to the NHS, you can take your newborn baby swimming regardless of whether they have been vaccinated. Although, if your child has had a vaccination that day, they probably won’t feel up to swimming on the same day.

My toddler hasn't been to swimming classes before, can they come to your lessons?

Absolutely! In fact your child can come to Puddle Ducks at any age between 0-10 - we have Baby & Pre-school classes for 0-4 and our Swim Academy for primary school aged children.

Each of the programmes focuses on nurturing confidence - our teachers know that children develop and learn at different rates, so will adjust each activity to get the best out of each child and encourage positive progression.

How many lessons do we have to book/pay for in one go?

When you join Puddle Ducks, your joining payment will be for enough lessons to take you just past the date of your first monthly payment (9th of each month) + 2 classes. This means you will pay for between 3 - 7 lessons initially, depending on when you join.

How much will I pay each month?

Puddle Ducks operates a monthly payment system where customers pay in advance to secure their space in their class. Monthly payments will be 4 x lesson fee. If you have any credits on your account at the time a payment is due e.g. cancelled lesson credit or remaining Gift Voucher balance, they will be used to reduce the actual amount taken that month. If you have seven or more lessons paid for in any month, no payment will be taken.

Twice a year, in January and August, we take a balancing payment.

 
What is a Balancing Payment?

At some pools, there are weeks during the year when we don't swim, in January and August we replace your regular monthly payment with a Balancing Payment to make sure you are never paying for too many lessons in advance. These payments will never be more than your regular monthly payment of 4 x your lesson fee and may well be less, depending on how many lessons you have paid for in advance.

• If you have paid for 7 lessons or more in advance - no payment is made

• If you have paid for 6 lessons in advance, payment is taken for 1 lesson

• If you have paid for 5 lessons in advance, payment is taken for 2 lessons

• If you have paid for 4 lessons in advance, payment is taken for 3 lessons

• If you have paid for 3 lessons or less in advance, payment is taken for 4 lessons

You will never pay for more than 4 lessons in a balancing month

You will receive a detailed monthly payment schedule via email when you first join. We will then send you an updated schedule twice a year in January and August when we take Balancing Payments and also at any time your child moves class.

My child has special needs, can I still bring her to class?

Our teachers all undergo training by the Swimming Teachers' Association (STA) that teaches them how to teach and care for children with certain special needs.

We currently teach several children who have physical or mental disabilities, so please do call us and we'll talk through your requirements with you - we will absolutely be inclusive in our lessons where we can. In addition, we have some parents who have special needs themselves and have worked with them to ensure they can bring their child swimming.

However, there are also a number of medical conditions/disabilities which are not covered by our swimming training and therefore our insurance does not permit us to teach in these circumstances.

Please do call us and we'll help where possible.

I am very nervous in water - should I still bring my baby?

Yes - we have many parents who bring their babies to our classes just for that reason: they want to make sure their child is confident in the water. You can rest assured that our pools are chosen so that you are always able to stand in the water and our teachers will be able to reassure you, as well as your baby.

Just let them know when you start (and throughout the term) of any concerns and they will be happy to support you and provide any advice you need. While we encourage parents to lead by example by blowing bubbles in the water, going underwater etc. you won't be made to do anything you aren't comfortable with and we know that many parents also wear contact lenses, so it's not always practical anyway.

I have twins - can I bring them both swimming?

Absolutely. If it's with our Baby & Pre-school lessons, each child will need to be accompanied in the water by an adult though (i.e. one parent cannot bring both children alone). For Swim Academy, parents watch from poolside, so you are more than welcome to bring both then. You could even take advantage of our Sibling Discount!

What should I bring to a swimming lesson?

• If your child is attending our Floaties, Splashers or Kickers classes or is not yet fully toilet trained they must comply with our 'Double Nappy' policy. Please use an approved snug-fitting neoprene (or other similar fabric) swim nappy (such as our Puddle Ducks Swim Nappy or one of a similar design). Under this, your child will need a reusable cotton, or similar fabric, swim nappy with, ideally, a disposable liner such as our Eco NappyWrap & Liner, or a disposable swim nappy. Please note that you will not be allowed in the pool with a soiled nappy so please bring spare liners or disposable swim nappy, so you can get back to swimming. If you are planning to use a swim nappy other than those available from our online shop, please gain approval from your local Puddle Ducks office first.

TIP: A swim nappy needs to be snug around the legs and waist to do its job properly (but not too tight!)

• It is only when your child is in Little Dippers and is fully toilet trained that our 'Double Nappy' policy no longer applies. Then we recommend cropped lycra shorts for boys (as Bermuda style shorts cause drag) and one-piece swim suits for girls.
• At least one towel or hooded towel for your youngster. These can be taken to the poolside.
• A neoprene baby wrap, baby wetsuit or thermal top if your child is likely to get cold in the water. A great selection can be found in our online shop.
• If your child is attending Dabblers we recommend a Puddle Ducks Swim Hat for those children with long hair, plus goggles are optional.
• If your child is attending any of our Swim Academy classes they MUST wear a Swim Academy swim hat (a silicone one will be provided. You can purchase a fabric one on our Shop). Goggles are optional.
• Some milk for your baby or a healthy snack for your toddler/child (please leave these in the car as for health and safety reasons we cannot allow food in the changing rooms or at poolside).
• If needed, a wipeable changing mat that can be placed on the changing room floor for you to change your baby on.
• Your own swimwear and towel if you are going in the pool with your child (a parent or guardian will be in the water in all of our Baby & Pre-school classes, but not in Swim Academy).

For all your swimwear and swim accessories just pop to our shop!

Will I be in the water with my baby/child?

If your child is in Floaties, Splashers, Kickers, Little Dippers, Dippers or Dabblers in our Baby & Pre-school programme then yes, you will be in the water with them throughout the lesson, these sessions provide a fabulous bonding experience between you and your child and is all about building their water confidence.

If your child is in any of our Swim Academy Level 1 or 2 classes (i.e. they are in primary school) they will be in the water on their own, with either one or two teachers in the water and a ratio of 1 teacher:4 children. If they are in our higher Swim Academy classes (Level 3 - Level 6) then the maximum ratios are as below:
Level 3 - 1 teacher:8 children
Level 4 - 1 teacher:10 children
Level 5 - 1 teacher:12 children
Level 6 - 1 teacher:12 children

If the pool allows spectators, you will be able to watch from poolside.

Can parents alternate attending the classes?

Of course, either parent or even a grandparent can attend the lessons, either in the water for our Baby & Pre-school classes or poolside for Swim Academy. We do not allow the adult in the water to swap with another adult during the class as this can be disruptive for the other customers as well as your child.

What are the arrangements for spectators? Will I or another family member or friend be able to watch the class?

This is completely dependent on the pool. We hire our pools from all kinds of providers; private gyms, hotels, private residences, schools etc. Each of these providers will have a different policy/facility regarding spectators. Some will allow spectators poolside and have seating to accommodate, others will have a viewing area from which you can watch the class, possibly behind glass or from a balcony, others will not allow spectators at all. We often have no control over this. We take it into account when we are looking for new pools as we know how much parents value being able to watch a class but we can't guarantee it.

If your child is in Swim Academy and it is a pool where no spectators are allowed, where possible, we will create a rota for 'parent spotters' where one parent per week is allowed poolside to act as a spotter and be on hand to grab the relevant parent if an emergency toilet trip is needed (and of course they get to watch the class too)!

What are our changing room arrangements?

We’ve chosen all of our pools because they are safe, clean and warm, with good changing facilities. Here’s how you can do your bit:

• Aim to arrive no more than 15 minutes before your lesson and try to leave by 15 minutes after your class to help avoid changing room congestion.
• For the same reason, please don’t bring buggies or car seats into the building.
• Please either remove outdoor shoes or wear the plastic over-shoes often provided by the venue before entering the changing rooms and/or poolside, and ask any guests who are coming to watch the lesson to do the same.
• Please take your used nappies home.
• Most parents find it easiest to wrap their child in a hooded towel or robe and dress themselves before dressing their little one (but if it is very cold in winter, dress your little one first).
• No snacks in the changing room please.
• Please wring out your costumes at a drainage point rather than onto the changing room floor.

What if my baby is tired or hungry?

If your baby is tired or hungry then they are unlikely to enjoy their swimming lesson. For breast or bottle-fed babies there is no problem feeding them immediately before or after the class (or even withdrawing for a few minutes during the class).

For older babies on solids it’s best to leave a little time before the class starts to prevent regurgitation in the water.

I have two children at different ages - can I bring the other along to watch the classes?

Usually yes, although it depends on the spectator policy of the pool - just let the Puddle Ducks office know when you book (or the day before the lesson) and we’ll make any necessary enquiries.

If you have a baby, many of our pools have pool-side cots where they can be safely left. For older siblings, they may be able to sit and watch from the side. For both, we do advise that you bring another adult along with you where you can, as (depending on class level) we don't always have a poolside assistant on duty.

What should I do if my child is ill? Will they miss out?

• Firstly, if you know that you won't be able to attend a class at least 24 hours before the class takes place, you can let us know via your My Puddle Ducks account on both your Overview page and also your My Children page by clicking on ‘Let us know you can’t attend a lesson’ and following the instructions. This will generate a Courtesy Class for you to then use against any lesson where there is space in the next 6 months (provided you are currently in paid-for lessons). Read more in our Courtesy Classes FAQs.
• If your child has a chest, ear, throat or eye infection they shouldn’t swim until it has completely cleared.
• Please don’t bring your child to the pool during, or for two weeks after, suffering from diarrhoea.
• Going swimming is unlikely to worsen a mild cold and will not increase the likelihood of an ear infection unless your baby has a perforated eardrum.
• Please do not bring your child to a swimming class with anything that could be infectious, such as chickenpox, which is considered infectious until all the blisters have dried up.
• It’s worth remembering that children are often exhausted after an illness and need some time to recuperate before returning to their swimming lessons.
• Unfortunately, we can't offer a refund but where possible, we offer goodwill Courtesy Classes so that you won't miss out.

How will I learn the words to all the songs?!

The same way you learn the words to any song – repetition! Our mums and dads often worry about this and they are all singing along by the second or third week!

NB Only the doll we use for demonstrating our activities/how to signal to your child is called Evangeline – when signalling your child, call them by their own name.