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 he 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?
Your initial fee paid when joining will be for 10 x the lesson fee. Your subsequent monthly payments, the date of which will be advised by your local office, will only be a maximum of 4 x the lesson fee. The first of these regular monthly payments will be taken on the second monthly payment date occurring after your initial payment.
Our programme is a continuous learning journey that runs throughout the year with the exception of most school holidays (see the pool timetables for details of weeks when we don’t swim). Payment, either your initial payment or subsequent monthly payments, is required to secure your child’s place in their class.
Monthly Payments
Read our Frequently Asked Questions about Monthly Payments, the easy way to pay for your Puddle Ducks lessons.
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!
I'm interested in your Aquanatal classes - when can I start?
Mummies-to-be can join our Aquanatal classes from as early into their pregnancy as they like, although many join later on too. Once your new bundle of joy arrives, our Aquanatal mums are offered a 20% discount off their first Floaties booking (the first level in our Baby & Pre-school swimming programme).