Question 1

When can my child start swimming lessons with VSA?

Accepted Answer

We take children from 4 years of age (or slightly earlier if they are fully potty trained). It is the age when most children are confident and independent enough to be given instructions by a coach without needing a parent present in the water for support. We find this is the fastest way to develop independent swimming at a young age.

Question 2

Why is it important for them to learn to swim?

Accepted Answer

Unlike other sports, swimming is a vital life skill. Not only will it develop fitness but it could save your child’s life. We don’t just teach the children to swim, we teach them to be the best swimmers they can possibly.

Question 3

My child's scared of the water, how can I encourage them to swim?"

Accepted Answer

It is very common for children to be apprehensive or even scared of swimming. The unknown can be very frightening for them, but our methods get them to believe in themselves very quickly. There are a lot of things you can do at home to encourage water confidence:  making bath time fun; picking up toys from the bottom of the bath; and going swimming as a family as much as possible. Of course, showing how comfortable you as parents are in the water is a great start.

Question 4

How many children do you have in each class? Why is it good to have small class-sizes?

Accepted Answer

All of our classes have no more than 3 students as a maximum. This small teacher-student ratio enables us to cover a huge amount of content in every lesson and also enables us to hone their skills with an attention to detail second to none.

Question 5

I can't swim, do I have to be in the pool with my children, and can I still learn at my age?"

Accepted Answer

We encourage all parents to be out of the water and leave the teaching entirely to us. Your children are perfectly safe with us and the fastest way for them to learn is for your child to engage with their coach 100% without any parental distractions. You are very welcome to be present and watch at all times.
If you are a nervous swimmer your children will pick up on this and will very probably be nervous themselves around water. We can break that mould very quickly. It is never too late to learn to swim so if you as a parent are nervous and would like some lessons to improve, then we would be delighted to work with you in our adult 1-2-1 lesson (javascript:void(0))program.

Question 6

How quickly will my children learn to swim?

Accepted Answer

This is a very tricky question to answer but one we get asked a lot. Each child will progress at their own rate so some are noticeably quicker than others at taking to the water. What we can promise is that your child will progress vastly quicker with us than they would with any other swim school. With our unique formula of small lessons, warm pools and exceptional coaches we see great results time after time. To give you a more accurate idea of progress, if a child starts with us at 3 years old, and comes with basic water confidence from family swimming, we can usually have them swimming unaided front crawl, back stroke and breast stroke by their 4th birthday.

Question 7

Do you still give swimming badges to children? Why?

Accepted Answer

We give every single student in our weekly lesson program a VSA badge and a certificate which follows the national ASA curriculum. We do this at the end of each term to reward the children for all of their hard work.

Question 8

Where are your swimming classes held?

Accepted Answer

We only work in our luxury, warm, clean private pool.

Question 9

Why should parents choose Vale Swim Academy rather than their local leisure centre classes?

Accepted Answer

Investing in lessons with VSA is a big decision as we are a lot more expensive than leisure centre lessons. You do however get the results you pay for and can be assured of a very different level of service to what you will experience anywhere else. Our teacher is world-class and our pool provides a relaxed environment with no distractions. Combine this with our small classes of just 3 students and you can understand why we are confident we will get your child progressing years quicker than anywhere else.

FAQ'S