FinS Swim School FAQs

What Should I Bring Along to the Swimming Classes?

For preschool classes and older, we recommend you bring:

• Swimming costume.
• Goggles.
• Swim cap.
• Towel.

For baby swimming classes:

• One parent/guardian per child in the pool at all times.
• Baby needs a swimmer’s nappy covered by snug-fitting elasticised swimwear.
• Rash vest for your baby.
• Parents wear normal swimmers and a T-shirt if preferred.
• Towels for you and baby.

There are a multitude of disposable swimming nappies available — and more environmentally friendly reusable ones! Whatever the format, they must possess tight-fitting waist and leg areas — to guard against those little accidents!

Should My Child Wear a Swimming Cap?

Yes, please! We strongly recommend that all children — apart from babies — wear swim caps during lessons.

Not only do they prevent distracting in-water hair issues, but they also guard against shedding — crucial for keeping our pool clean and hygienic!

Should My Infant Wear Swimming Goggles?

It’s not a requirement that your youngster wear swimming goggles. However, they can be valuable pieces of swimming equipment — preventing water from entering your child’s eyes, which can be distracting.

That said, with the more advanced nature of our Junior Squad programs — which focus on carnival and competitive swimming — swim goggles are almost always worn.

Our staff are skilled in the correct fitting and adjustment of goggles on children. Furthermore, you can obtain a pair of our approved goggles by asking a member of reception.

What Hours Does the Swimming Pool Open During School Breaks?

To ensure your child enjoys the most complete training, our swimming lessons operate throughout the year! The only periods we are closed are during the Christmas and New Year festivities — when we shut our doors for a fortnight.

Please also note that we are closed on public holidays, and we adjust your course fees automatically — there’s NO charge when lessons aren’t offered.

On top of our standard programs, we also offer boot camps during the school breaks. For a reduced price, we provide your child with intensive instruction from Monday to Friday. Many youngsters find this incredibly valuable — especially those who are on the edge of moving up a level, or swimmers who have plateaued in their water advancement.

How Frequently Should My Child Attend Swimming Lessons?

Understandably, school, family, and other activity commitments mean that many children can only come to our swimming classes once per week.

However, the more your child is in the water, the more rapidly they grow and develop their swimming skills. Our experience shows that if a child can attend just twice a week, the pace of progress more than doubles.

If this isn’t possible, your little youngster can enjoy one of our school holiday boot camps — intense five-day courses that rapidly accelerate their confidence, skills, and techniques.

How Long Will It Take To Teach My Child To Swim?

Learning to swim isn’t a destination, it’s a journey!

Swimming lessons are a long-term process, where your child continuously develops, matures, and grows as a swimmer. We will happily discuss targets and time frames with you — outlining what to expect as your child advances in their water skills.

Should My Child Still Come to Swimming Classes in Winter?

Yes! Swimming skills and techniques require constant repetition and reinforcement to become second nature. A break or pause in their coaching can inhibit their progress.

Our purpose-built, heated swimming pool makes the learning experience pleasant all year round!

Furthermore, be ready when they get out of the water with a nice, big, warm towel — and a hug! And, when you leave our pool to go home, make sure your child has cosy weather-appropriate clothes to shield against the harsh outdoor temperatures.

How Can I Help My Youngster During Their Swimming Lessons?

There are so many things that you can do to help your child — barring getting in the water with them!

Our experience has shown that the following tips boost your child’s learning and aquatic comfort:

• Chat with your little one about any upcoming lessons excitedly and positively — they take cues from you.
• Come to our pool promptly! This prevents any unwanted rushing around and helps to calm your child.
• Stay within the viewing area, but allow yourself to be seen by your little one(s) if they need visual support.
• When possible, make eye contact with your youngster.
• Be ready when they leave the water for some encouraging words, smiles, oodles of praise, and the biggest of hugs.

Do You Recommend I Watch My Child’s Swimming Lessons?

Of course! Most children benefit from having parents, guardians, and other family members watching their progress! They genuinely enjoy their loved ones witnessing their amazing aquatic achievements. Furthermore, it can elevate confidence in more nervous or anxious children.

How Long Will It Take To Teach My Child To Swim?

Learning to swim isn’t a destination, it’s a journey!

Swimming lessons are a long-term process, where your child continuously develops, matures, and grows as a swimmer. We will happily discuss targets and time frames with you — outlining what to expect as your child advances in their water skills.

Should My Child Still Come to Swimming Classes in Winter?

Yes! Swimming skills and techniques require constant repetition and reinforcement to become second nature. A break or pause in their coaching can inhibit their progress.

Our purpose-built, heated swimming pool makes the learning experience pleasant all year round!

Furthermore, be ready when they get out of the water with a nice, big, warm towel — and a hug! And, when you leave our pool to go home, make sure your child has cosy weather-appropriate clothes to shield against the harsh outdoor temperatures.

What Qualifications Do Your Teachers Have?

For our teachers to be given their own classes, they must have an AUSTSWIM or Royal Life certificate. Our swimming instructors are experienced in dealing with young ones — and their parents!

All our staff go through pre-employment and child protection checks along with a full induction into our teaching processes, and customer service expectations.

How Do You Ensure the Personal Safety of My Child?

At FinS, the personal safety of your child is a priority. Our strict procedures and protocols ensure a safe environment to shield your youngster from harm and inappropriate attention:

1. All our staff undergo thorough pre-employment and child protection checks before they join our team.
2. Our instructors are not only certified to teach swimming, but also receive thorough training on child protection measures, identifying abuse signs, and the most appropriate behaviour when around young children.
3. Our open-viewing policy allows parents and guardians to continually observe their children during lessons. 
4. All our child protection protocols are regularly reviewed, and where necessary, updated and improved. FinS Swim School ensures that all the latest Australian guidelines and best practices are followed as outlined by the relevant child protection authorities.

Will My Child Pick Up Infections From Your Swimming Pool?

Swimming lessons are performed in our purpose-built heated swimming pool. Free from chlorine, it boasts the most advanced sterilisation treatments, including UV light disinfection, sand filters, and ozone treatment. Therefore, it’s doubtful your little one will become sick from our pool water.

Quite the opposite, swimming provides your youngster with huge health benefits — including increasing their lung capacity, boosting their cardiovascular health, and accelerating muscle growth.

Should My Child Still Come to Swimming Classes in Winter?

Yes! Swimming skills and techniques require constant repetition and reinforcement to become second nature. A break or pause in their coaching can inhibit their progress.

Our purpose-built, heated swimming pool makes the learning experience pleasant all year round!

Furthermore, be ready when they get out of the water with a nice, big, warm towel — and a hug! And, when you leave our pool to go home, make sure your child has cosy weather-appropriate clothes to shield against the harsh outdoor temperatures.

What Are Your School Holiday Programs?

At FinS, our School Holiday Swimming programs are available every school break. Over five days in a single week — with a 30-minute lesson on each day — your little one will rapidly improve their swimming skills, whatever their existing level of proficiency!

These intensive programs are designed to run in addition to normal weekly lessons. They deliver welcome boosts for children of all abilities — from those starting out learning to swim to competitive carnival swimmers!

And, if you’re not completely satisfied with your child’s progress during the program — we will refund your course fees in full!

What Is Your Junior Squad Swimming Course?

Our Junior Squad Swimming program focuses on making your child swimming carnival-ready — not just highly prepared, but also impressively competitive!

Available for children aged 7 years and above, the course teaches new strokes while building powerful technique. What’s more, it aims to forge robust racing and competitive skills — including race starting, fitness training, diving, and speed swimming.

What Are Your Survival Swimming Lessons?

Available for children who cannot swim aged 2.5 to 13/14 years, the Survival Course aims to build priceless water survival skills for your little one — before they learn any swimming strokes!

As a standalone program, and the first stage in our Learn-to-Swim course, it ensures your child has the inherent knowledge to save themselves — should they accidentally fall into water before they have successfully learnt to swim.

Furthermore, it provides essential knowledge for commencing swimming lessons — ensuring that they are comfortable, confident, and safe in the pool.

What Is Your Swimming Assessment?

Our FREE 10-minute swimming assessment is our preliminary tool to rapidly develop your child’s swimming ability.

The assessment examines your youngster’s current water skills, confidence, and competence — allowing us to discuss with you which one of our courses would benefit them most.

Furthermore, it allows your little one to experience our pool and instructors before they start a weekly program — a valuable orientation that gives them priceless reassurance.

What Is Safety Week?

Once a term, we offer our renowned Safety Week. Replacing normal swimming lessons during that week, the short program targets teaching crucial water safety techniques — skills that could save their life.

Wide-ranging, it addresses matters such as saving others, clothed swimming, non-goggle swimming, and return-to-poolside entry. Older students also learn basic CPR techniques.

At What Age Should My Child Start Swimming Lessons?

Your child can start swimming at any age — it’s never too early or too late! Babies can start to enjoy water time with a parent from the age of three months, while our Infant Classes are open to young children from 3 months to 3 years.

Older children can join our Learn-to-Swim program when they reach 4.5 years — and more advanced swimmers are welcome to participate in our popular Junior Squad coaching.

How Do Make-Ups Work for Infant Swimming Lessons?

We are proud to offer make-up lessons if your child is ill or cannot make the lesson. These must be completed within three weeks of the missed lesson — unless your little one has a longer-term illness.

For swimmers in our Infant Program, these are FREE — as we totally understand your child can become poorly very rapidly. For swimmers in all other programs, we charge a nominal $3 fee for any make-ups.

Do You Teach Autistic Children To Swim?

FinS Swim School is relentlessly committed to providing inclusive swimming lessons and allowing all children to discover the pleasure of aquatic activities. Therefore, we are excited to announce that we will imminently be providing Autistic Swimming programs.

Currently, our instructors are undergoing specialised training — ensuring that they can meet the unique and specific needs of Autistic youngsters. Please contact us for more details about this amazing new course.