Heworth Leisure Centre will be closed for approximately eight weeks from Monday 18 July.
Stages 1-7 swimming lessons will be moved to Gateshead Leisure Centre and will take place on a Monday night from 18 July at the same time as current lessons.
Children will be returned to the appropriate lesson stage/time on Tuesdays at Heworth Leisure Centre when the centre reopens in September.
However, the new lesson times at Gateshead Leisure Centre will continue to run so children will also have the option of staying on the new day/time at Gateshead Leisure Centre.
Other available swimming lessons
If your child cannot attend the new centre/day/time please speak to one of the team or email aquatics@gateshead.gov.uk with your child's name, stating that you want to be marked to move.
You will be given access to see and choose other sessions on other days/times at other centres. These other spaces are very limited but if you do find one you will still get the opportunity to move back to Heworth in September.
How to freeze your child's booking
If you cannot find a suitable alternative, or you are unable to travel, you will need to advise us that you wish to freeze your booking for the summer period by 20 July. No Direct Debit payment will be taken in August and the September payment will be reduced to account for the missed lessons in July and September.
If you have prepaid for a 12-week block instead of paying by Direct Debit then the number of lessons you have remaining will be frozen and will not start counting down until lessons resume.
If you move lessons but find it's not working out email aquatics@gateshead.gov.uk with your child's name and stating that you want to freeze due to the centre change.
Change of day
Unfortunately, to keep these lessons running on Tuesdays a wider change to the programme and staffing arrangements at Gateshead Leisure Centre would be necessary.
The lessons have been put on nights where they will be running at Gateshead Leisure Centre permanently, so this has already been factored in.
Returning to Heworth
If your child has moved up in the stages, then they will be moved to whatever stage/time they are doing at that point on returning to Heworth.
We will move everyone back to Heworth on Tuesday evening by default unless you let us know otherwise.
If your child would like to stay, lessons will continue at Gateshead Leisure Centre at the same date and times.
We will email everyone who was moved in early September confirming arrangements for moving back. Please reply to this email if you would like your child to stay at Gateshead Leisure Centre. Lessons will continue at Gateshead Leisure Centre at the same date and times. Teachers may change as the Heworth teachers will return there.
Teaching staff at Gateshead Leisure Centre
Phil, Victoria and Sarah will be teaching their existing lessons on the new days at Gateshead Leisure Centre (other than weeks where they are on holiday).
Unfortunately, due to other commitments Paul and Inna will be unable to teach on the new nights at Gateshead. An alternative teacher will be found.
Attending lessons throughout the summer
We know that children have missed out on a lot of swimming due to leisure centres being closed during the pandemic.
We do not want another eight-week break to interrupt their progress so we hope that as many families as possible will be able to continue attending lessons at Gateshead Leisure Centre or another centre. All centres follow the same programme.
Pool set up at Gateshead Leisure Centre
The pool set up will be like Heworth, with Stages 1-2 and Stage 2-3 classes in the small pool. Stage 4, Stage 5 and Stage 6-7 will be in the main pool.
As Gateshead Leisure Centre has a six-lane pool there will be two lanes open for public swimming (along with the medium pool) so you can swim while your child is in lessons if you wish.
