Policies

At Ogden Otters, we want our swimming school to be a safe, welcoming, positive and enjoyable environment for every child and family who attends.

Our staff have a responsibility to treat children and families professionally, fairly and respectfully. In return, we ask parents, carers and visitors to follow this Code of Conduct whenever they are at Ogden Otters or communicating with our team.

By working together, we can provide an environment where children feel safe, supported and able to enjoy learning to swim.

Everyone who comes into Ogden Otters has the right to be treated with dignity, courtesy and respect.

Treat staff, children, other parents/carers and visitors respectfully. Use appropriate language and be mindful of tone, volume and body language. Respect people’s differences and individual circumstances.

Never engage in bullying, harassment, discrimination, intimidation, threatening behaviour or abuse. Help us maintain the friendly and welcoming atmosphere we want all families to experience.

We understand that parents may occasionally be unhappy or frustrated about something. We are always willing to listen and discuss concerns, but abusive, aggressive or threatening behaviour towards our staff or other customers will not be accepted.

We want children to enjoy their lessons and develop confidence and independence in the water. Parents and carers can help us by encouraging their child positively and allowing our teachers to teach without unnecessary interruption.

Please do not coach or instruct your child from poolside while their teacher is teaching them. Different instructions coming from a parent and teacher can be confusing for a child and can interfere with the lesson.

If you have a question about your child’s progress, please speak to us and we will be happy to help.

Parents and carers remain responsible for their child before they are handed over for their lesson and once their lesson has finished.

Please ensure children are collected promptly and follow any instructions given by staff regarding entering or leaving the pool, changing areas and other parts of the premises.

Any siblings or other children who are not participating in a lesson remain the responsibility of their accompanying adult at all times.

Swimming pools are environments where safety must always come first. We ask everyone to follow instructions given by Ogden Otters staff, particularly where those instructions relate to pool safety, emergencies or safeguarding.

Please make staff aware of any relevant medical condition, allergy, additional need, injury or other information that may affect your child’s ability to participate safely in their lesson.

Children should not attend when they are unwell where their illness could affect their ability to participate safely or could present a risk to others.

Changing areas are particularly sensitive environments, and everyone’s privacy must be respected. Parents and carers should supervise their own children appropriately while using changing facilities and be mindful that other children and adults will also be changing.

Please do not approach, challenge or discipline another person’s child. If you are concerned about another child’s behaviour, speak to a member of the Ogden Otters team and allow us to deal with the situation appropriately.

Protecting children’s privacy is extremely important to us.

Photography, video recording or other recording is not permitted on poolside or elsewhere on the premises unless prior permission has been given by Ogden Otters.

Even where permission has been given, photographs or recordings must comply with our safeguarding and images/consent procedures. Please be particularly careful when using mobile phones in changing areas and anywhere that children may be changing.

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. If you see or hear something that causes you concern about the welfare or safety of a child, please report it to a member of staff or our Designated Safeguarding Lead.

Please do not investigate the matter yourself or confront another child, parent or member of staff. Safeguarding concerns will be handled in accordance with our Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy.

Designated Safeguarding Lead: Samantha Wright

We want parents to feel able to talk to us. Please use Ogden Otters’ official communication channels when contacting the swimming school rather than asking members of staff for their personal telephone numbers, social-media accounts or other private contact details.

If something has gone wrong, please tell us. Raising a concern gives us an opportunity to investigate it and, where appropriate, put things right. Where a complaint needs further investigation, we may ask you to put the details in writing so that the matter can be handled through the appropriate procedure.

Please respect the privacy of other children and families. Information you may become aware of while attending Ogden Otters should not be discussed or shared inappropriately, particularly where it relates to a child’s health, additional needs, behaviour or personal circumstances.

We recognise that parents and carers use social media and are entitled to share their experiences and opinions. However, please consider the privacy and safeguarding of children and other families before posting photographs, videos or information online.

Concerns relating to a child, another family, a member of staff or an incident at Ogden Otters should be raised directly with us rather than identifying or discussing children or confidential safeguarding matters on social media.

Most concerns can be resolved through a respectful conversation. However, Ogden Otters has a responsibility to protect its children, families and staff.

Serious or repeated breaches of this Code of Conduct — including abusive, aggressive, threatening, discriminatory or unsafe behaviour — may result in appropriate action being taken.

Depending on the circumstances, this may include asking an individual to leave the premises, placing restrictions on attendance or, in serious or repeated cases, ending the provision of services. Where behaviour raises a safeguarding concern, our Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy will be followed.

Our aim is not to create unnecessary rules. It is to make sure that everyone understands what they can expect from us and what we ask in return.

Our staff will treat you and your children with respect, and we ask that the same respect is shown to our team and to every family who attends Ogden Otters.

Together, we can create an environment where children feel safe, confident and happy while learning to swim.

These Terms & Conditions explain the arrangements that apply when a swimmer is registered with Ogden Otters Swimming School. They should be read alongside our Parent & Carer Code of Conduct, Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy and any programme-specific information provided to you.

By registering a swimmer with Ogden Otters Swimming School and continuing to book or attend lessons, the parent or guardian confirms that they have read and agree to these Terms & Conditions. The current version will be available through the Ogden Otters Parent Portal.

Swimming lessons are currently £44 per four-lesson block. All lessons must be paid for in full in accordance with the payment request or payment schedule issued by Ogden Otters.

A four-week notice period applies when leaving the swimming school. On joining, a further £44 block is therefore held in hand. This covers the swimmer's final four weeks once the required notice has been given.

Notice to leave must be given in week 4 or week 1 of a block, so that the four weeks' notice lines up with our blocks.

If notice is given in week 4 of a block, the swimmer's final four lessons are the first four lessons of the following block, which are covered by the block held in hand.

If notice is given in week 1 of a block, the lesson in that week counts as the first of the four final lessons, so nothing further is payable.

Notice given in any other week will only be accepted at the discretion of Ogden Otters, and lessons already taken in the current block remain payable.

Payment for the next block is due from lesson 4 of the current block in order to secure the swimmer's place. Where payment remains outstanding after the payment deadline, a £3 late payment fee per child will apply.

Lessons are allocated to the registered swimmer and are not transferable to another person.

Where a refund, credit or alternative lesson is due under these Terms, it will be dealt with in accordance with the relevant section below. Nothing in these Terms is intended to affect a parent's or guardian's statutory rights.

Please report to reception or follow the current Ogden Otters check-in procedure when you arrive, and arrive in sufficient time for your child to be changed and ready for the start of the lesson.

Registration, settling children into the lesson and the fitting or use of any teaching or buoyancy equipment form part of the allocated lesson time.

Parents and carers must follow reasonable instructions from Ogden Otters staff relating to pool safety, safeguarding and the operation of the premises.

Parents and carers are responsible for their children at all times outside the swimming lesson, and must be ready to collect their child promptly at the end of the lesson.

If you intend to leave the building while your child is swimming, please inform reception or the swimming teacher beforehand. Any siblings or other children who are not taking part in a lesson remain the responsibility of their accompanying adult.

Parents and carers are not permitted to sit on poolside during lessons or actively coach or participate unless the class is specifically designed as a parent-and-child session.

If your child cannot attend, Ogden Otters must be informed before the lesson starts. Where notice is given before the lesson, the missed lesson may qualify for a make-up lesson or other make-up arrangement offered by Ogden Otters.

Make-ups are subject to availability and must be used while the swimmer remains enrolled with Ogden Otters. If notice is not given before the lesson, a make-up is not normally available.

Missed lessons are not normally refundable or transferable to another swimmer.

Swimmers should not attend lessons when they are unwell or when illness may make swimming unsafe for them or others.

Parents and carers are responsible for ensuring babies and toddlers wear suitable swim-nappy protection where required. Food must not be eaten during classes and chewing gum is not permitted. Please take away all rubbish and recycle wherever possible.

If you are unsure whether your child should attend following illness, please contact Ogden Otters before the lesson.

Long hair must be tied back so that it is kept out of the swimmer's face.

Goggles are permitted — the child and parent/carer are responsible for looking after them, as with any personal swimming equipment brought to the pool.

Teachers may use appropriate teaching aids and equipment as part of lessons.

Children aged 8 and over should use the appropriate changing room for them. Children under 8 should use the changing facilities appropriate to the parent or carer accompanying them.

Parents and carers must supervise their own children appropriately in changing areas. The privacy of all children, families and other pool users must be respected at all times.

If a child has additional needs or circumstances that require a different changing arrangement, please speak to reception or management so that an appropriate arrangement can be considered.

Photography, video recording or other recording is not permitted on poolside or elsewhere on the premises unless prior permission has been granted by Ogden Otters. This is to protect children and the privacy of all users.

Any authorised photography or recording must comply with our safeguarding and image-consent procedures. Extra care must be taken with mobile devices in and around changing areas.

Ogden Otters may change a swimming teacher without prior notice where operationally necessary. Class sizes and teaching arrangements vary according to the programme, swimmer ability, staffing and safety requirements.

Ogden Otters may move a swimmer to a more suitable group or recommend a change of class where this supports safe and appropriate progression.

We aim to provide continuity wherever possible, but a particular teacher, lane, class grouping or teaching arrangement cannot be guaranteed.

Ogden Otters operates its own award and certificate schemes. Where a certificate package or registration award fee applies, this will be explained when the swimmer joins or when the relevant award programme is offered.

Badges or other merchandise associated with awards may be available separately.

Please take care of all personal belongings brought onto the premises. Ogden Otters cannot accept responsibility for items that are lost, misplaced or left behind, except where responsibility cannot lawfully be excluded.

Items found on the premises will be placed in the lost-property box, which is kept in the cleaning cupboard. Parents and carers are responsible for checking and collecting lost items — unclaimed items may be disposed of periodically, so please ask reception promptly if you believe something has been left behind.

Ogden Otters has the right to close the pool or cancel lessons where this is necessary for safety, operational reasons, pool contamination, maintenance, adverse weather or circumstances outside our reasonable control.

If Ogden Otters cancels a lesson, we will communicate the arrangement that applies. Where appropriate, the lesson may be rescheduled or a credit may be applied to a future block.

If lessons are running but a parent or carer chooses not to travel or attend because of weather or personal circumstances, the lesson is treated as an absence — the normal notified-absence and make-up rules will apply.

We will make reasonable efforts to communicate closures or changes as soon as practicable.

Everyone who attends Ogden Otters has the right to be treated with dignity, courtesy and respect. Parents, carers, swimmers and visitors must treat staff, other children, families and the premises respectfully.

Bullying, harassment, discrimination, threatening behaviour, abusive language or aggressive behaviour will not be tolerated. Please do not approach or discipline another person's child — raise any concern with a member of the Ogden Otters team.

Further expectations are set out in our Parent & Carer Code of Conduct. Serious or repeated breaches may result in restrictions on attendance or, where appropriate, termination of services.

The safety and welfare of children is our priority. Parents and carers must follow Ogden Otters safeguarding procedures and any reasonable safeguarding instruction given by staff.

Any safeguarding concern should be raised promptly with a member of staff or the Designated Safeguarding Lead. Safeguarding matters will be handled in accordance with our Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy.

We welcome feedback and want parents and carers to raise concerns with us so that they can be considered properly.

Complaints or formal feedback should be sent to Ogden Otters Swimming School in writing. You can contact the office at ogdenotters@outlook.com or telephone 01422 247500.

Ogden Otters may update these Terms & Conditions from time to time to reflect changes to our services, procedures or legal requirements. The current version will be made available through the Parent Portal.

Where a change materially affects the arrangements for existing swimmers, we will take reasonable steps to bring it to parents' and carers' attention.

These Terms & Conditions form part of the registration arrangements for Ogden Otters Swimming School. By registering a swimmer and continuing to book or attend lessons, the parent or guardian confirms acceptance of the current Terms & Conditions.