Aquatics programme terms and conditions

These terms and conditions cover how GO Gateshead's swimming lessons and aquatics programme will be delivered and managed.

Additional terms and conditions cover the management of the Direct Debit membership with our collecting agent Debit Finance Collections plc which can be viewed on the final page of the Direct Debit set up before submitting.

Please ask a member of staff if you do not understand anything in these conditions.

Course dates

50-week per year courses

Sessions that run after 4:00pm on weekdays or at any time on weekends will normally operate for 50 weeks per year.
There will be a two-week break over the Christmas period, the exact dates of which will be advertised in advance.
Lessons will not normally run on Bank Holidays.

37-week per year courses

Sessions that run before 4:00pm on weekdays will normally operate for 37 weeks per year during Gateshead standard school term time only.
There will be two further weeks where no lessons run. These will normally be the first week of the autumn term and last week of the summer term. The exact dates will be advertised in advance.
Lessons will not normally run on Bank Holidays.

All courses

Go Gateshead reserves the right to make changes to dates of operation.

Payment methods

Direct Debit - all courses

The Direct Debit will start from the day of registration. The first payment will be made up of a one-off joining fee (where applicable), one full month's fees plus a pro-rata amount of fee to cover the remainder of the current month: (Number of days left in current month / Number of days in the month + one full month's fees x monthly cost). No payment will be taken upfront and all fees will be taken with the first Direct Debit payment.
Direct Debit payments of fees will be a standard amount each month thereafter which is calculated as follows: (Per session cost for the price band x number of weeks per year / 12 months)
The pupil will be able to start on the first available session date after the registration date. No refunds will be given if starting later than this.
Where lessons do not run on Bank Holidays, reductions will be applied to customers who would normally have a session.
There are no reductions made for the weeks the sessions are not planned to be in operation as these weeks are already accounted for within the monthly fee.
If your Direct Debit payment fails then you must make a payment to bring your account up to date. The pupil will be allowed to attend for the first session after the failed payment (the grace period). After this the guaranteed space will be lost and the pupil will not be allowed to attend until the account is brought up to date.

Cash and card payments - all courses

Customers paying in blocks will be charged the per session cost for price band x number of sessions plus a one-off joining fee (where applicable). This payment will cover attendance until that number of sessions have been delivered (either on a weekly basis for weekly courses or on the advertised dates for crash courses).
For weekly courses, if there are any planned breaks or cancellations the booking end date will automatically be extended for and credits will not be offered instead. For crash courses if there is a lesson cancellation alternative arrangements will be made.
To continue on lessons beyond the last date that has been paid for another payment will need to be made. Pupils will automatically lose their space unless this further payment is made before the start of the last paid lesson.
Sessions are non-refundable once booked.

Other fees and charges you may have to pay

Where applicable, joining fees are payable for all payment types at the point of first booking and if subsequently rejoining after a break.
Late payment fees may be levied by the Direct Debit company if the payment is not made on time (for a breakdown of these check the terms and conditions of the Direct Debit).
Locker fees apply at Go Gateshead's leisure centres if you wish to use a locker.
Award fees (for example badges and certificates) are charged separately.

Changing, cancelling or transferring the booking

The customer can change the booking time at any point, however it is not possible to move sessions for a short period and guarantee a space back in the original class.
For the first booking there is a 14-day cooling off period (regardless of payment type) during which you can cancel and receive a full refund of any fees paid.
After this, Direct Debits can be cancelled atany time by giving notice by the 20th of the month you want your last payment to be via the Cancel swimming lessons (or ask a Go Gateshead receptionist to do the same). Cash/card payments are not refundable after the first 14-day cooling off period.
We do not charge a 'month in hand' payment so the pupil's last session will normally be the last session of the month that the final payment is made. Cash/card payments will run until the number of sessions has been delivered.
If any sessions are cancelled by Go Gateshead during this final month then the booking will be extended into the next month.
No refunds will be made for pupils who leave before the last paid session.
Non-attendance at sessions does not constitute cancellation and Direct Debits will continue to be taken until a formal cancellation notification is received.

Disruption and cancellation of sessions by the centre and sessions missed by the pupil

If there is any disruption to sessions then wherever possible customers will be informed in advance by email/SMS.
If the session cannot go ahead, where possible a reasonable alternative session time may be offered on the same evening. Where this is within an hour of the original session a credit will not automatically be applied.
If a session is cancelled by Go Gateshead and no reasonable alternative can be offered the customer will receive a reduction to the next available month's Direct Debit to the value of the per session fee (or an extension to the customer's booking dates for cash/card customers). This includes planned cancellations (such as Bank Holidays) and unplanned cancellations (such as the pool heating failing).
If there is disruption to part of a session (for example caused by a child being sick in the pool) recompense will be at the discretion of the Go Gateshead management team depending on the amount of the session disrupted. There is no guarantee provided by Go Gateshead that recompense will be provided in this regard.
Where the pupil misses one or two sessions in a row for reasons such as sickness, holidays, family emergencies, travel delays etc, no refunds or replacement sessions will be given.
Pupils who are absent for three or more sessions in a row caused by certified medical conditions, illnesses/injuries, operations, accidents or observance of religious festivals will usually be offered a replacement session for each missed session. You must notify the absence to aquatics@gateshead.gov.uk within one week of the first missed session. Replacement sessions will only be available after the period of absence, and in classes of the same stage which have spaces available. These additional lessons will be at different time from the original booking and may be with a different teacher.
Where it would be impractical for the pupil to attend additional sessions, at GoGateshead's management discretion then the missed sessions may be credited. Any credits will be subject to notifying within one week of the first absence and providing suitable evidence to aquatics@gateshead.gov.uk. Payments must be kept up to date during the absence period and if credits are offered for the missed sessions they would be applied when the pupil returns.
Pupils who are absent for three weeks or more due to extended holidays or travelling will not be entitled to credits, but replacement sessions (excluding the first two missed lessons) will be offered on the pupil's return, so long as the payments have been kept up to date during the absence. For example, a pupil absent for the entire six week summer holiday would be given four replacement sessions to use from September onwards. Replacement sessions will only be available after the period of absence, and in classes of the same stage which have spaces available. These additional lessons will be at different time from the original booking and may be with a different teacher.

Additional needs and medical conditions

It is the customer's responsibility to provide information on any special educational needs, disabilities, medical conditions, language issues etc. of the pupil.
Go Gateshead will operate sessions on an inclusive basis and, wherever possible, pupils will be encouraged to access mainstream sessions.
Where individual needs require specific provisions, these will be assessed on a case by case basis so that all pupils have fair and equitable access to learn to swim up to passing the standard of Stage 7 (or as close to this standard as they are physically able to achieve.)
Go Gateshead cannot be held responsible if individual needs are not disclosed by the customer and this leads to a failure adequately to provide for the pupil.

Progression through the aquatics programme

Pupils will be continuously assessed by the teacher and will be given the opportunity to move up to the next stage as soon as they have met the necessary criteria. The move will usually be completed automatically for pupils moving from Stage 1-7 where spaces are available in the same time slot. Where a space in the same timeslot is not available, the parent/guardian must complete the move via the HomePortal, via email to aquatics@gateshead.gov.uk or at reception.
Go Gateshead will endeavour to keep pupils in the same day/similar timeslot throughout Stages 1-7. Families with more than one child swimming in Stages 1-7 will be prioiritised so all children are kept close together - this is our 'sibling guarantee'.
If there are no spaces suitable for the customer then the pupil may be left in the current class (in which case the teacher will work the pupil towards the requirements of the higher class) until a suitable space becomes available in the next stage.

What Go Gateshead will provide

A suitably qualified teacher or coach will be provided for every session. To facilitate develiopment of new teachers, on occasion trainee teachers may be used (under supervision from a qualified Swimming Teacher Tutor).
The same teacher each week cannot be guaranteed but consistency will be provided as far as reasonably possible.
Suitable pool space will be provided to achieve the outcomes expected for the stage and for an appropriate number of pupils based on industry guidance.
Lessons will not exceed the advertised maximum pupil:teacher ratios. Assistant teachers/helpers, where provided, are in addition to this and are not guaranteed.
A rolling scheme of work will be used to ensure that every outcome of each stage can be taught and assessed a minimum of once within a five-week rolling period, regardless of which teacher is teaching the class.
The pupil's electronic progress record will follow the pupil and be available to the teacher of any class that the pupil is booked into and is available online for the customer to see. Assessment data will usually be updated within 24 hours of the session.
A maximum of 5 minutes per session will be allocated to registration and recording achievement.

What we expect from you

Pupils are expected to arrive on time. If the pupil is persistently late, access to the session is at the discretion of the teacher and may be refused with no obligation to recompense the customer.
The individual needs of the pupil and the mobile number and e-mail address of the customer must be kept up to date so we can contact you regarding fees, lesson cancellations or in an emergency.
Pupils must wear appropriate swimwear and the correct coloured swimming cap for their stage.
Customers and pupils must remove outdoor shoes (or wear overshoes) beyond the 'No outdoor shoes' signs.
Customers must not leave belongings in changing cubicles. Unattended belongings will be removed.
Parents/guardians should not distract pupils or the teacher while the lesson is running.
Customers must abide by Go Gateshead's admissions policy, in particular:
- Children under 8-years-old must not be left alone in the building without a parent/guardian. If older children are being left then appropriate collection/travelling arrangements must be made.
- Instances of bullying or unwanted physical contact of any sort with another pupil will not be tolerated and could lead to the pupil being removed from the programme and the booking being cancelled with no refunds offered.
- Aggressive, abusive or intimidating behaviour by any pupil or customer towards any other person will not be tolerated and could result in the booking being cancelled, the booking being cancelled and/or banning orders being implemented with no refunds offered.

Video, film and photography

Customers who wish to take still or moving images of activities taking place within the leisure centre must complete a photography form.
Photography or filming of any sort is completely banned in the changing areas.
Go Gateshead staff may on occasions wish to take photographs or videos of sessions for quality assurance, staff development or marketing purposes. In these cases, written permission will be sought from the pupil and/or parent/guardian (for under 18s).
Video analysis may be used by the teacher to aid the pupil's development. Written permission will not be sought for this however the pupil's assent (and parent/guardian's consent for under 18s) will be sought on each occasion which can be refused. All images will be deleted after the session.

Go Gateshead Card

A Go Gateshead card will be provided as the membership card.
The card must be shown at reception to gain entry through the turnstiles. Entry may be delayed or refused if the membership card is not produced.
Membership cards used by someone other than the pupil to access activities, or by the pupil to access activities other than those paid for, may result in the whole booking being cancelled with no refund being made.
Replacement of lost membership cards will incur a fee.

Free swimming offer

For aquatics memberships that state free swimming, the pupil may swim for free during any general swimming session at any Go Gateshead leisure centre. Pool sessions with inflatables / other activities may incur an additional charge.
The pool admission policy must be followed at all times.
For pupils aged over 4 any accompanying adults must pay to swim (an accompanying adult is not required if the child meets the requirements of the admissions policy to be anble to swim on their own). For pupils under-4, free swimming will also be offered to one accompanying adult.
Access to free swimming will start from the day of registration. Upon cancellation of the booking free swimming will be available until the last day of the month in which the last aquatics membership payment is made (or the day of the last session for cash/card payments).
The free swimming entitlement will still be available during periods when lessons are not running (e.g. the Christmas break for 50-week per year customers, and all school holidays for 37-weeks per year customers) so long as the aquatics membership is live.
Free swimming will not be available if the aquatics membership is in arrears.
All free swims must be registered at reception immediately prior to the swim using the pupil's Go Gateshead card. This includes when swimming before or after the normal lesson. If you are an adult accompanying an under-4 then you must advise the receptionist so that you are not charged.
Swimming prior to lesson times is not advised due to the risk of fatigue meaning the pupil will not be able to perform at their best during the lesson.
Pupils who cannot produce a Go Gateshead membership card must pay the standard admission fee.
There is no limit to the number of free swimming sessions that can be attended but during busy periods entry may be restricted or time limited.
Go Gateshead reserves the right to remove the entitlement to free swimming if the pupil or customer is found to be in breach of the above conditions.

Data Protection

Customer and pupil personal data will only be used for the purpose of delivering your booked sessions and for 'service' communications to keep you informed of session times, cancellations etc. and to allow you to manage your bookings. It is not possible to opt out of this.
As part of the sign up process you may provide express consent for us to use your personal data in other ways (e.g. marketing), but this is optional.
The full details of how we use your personal data are available at https://www.gogateshead.com/article/8569/Privacy-notice

Liability

Go Gateshead reserves the right at its discretion (without prior notice) to terminate bookings, sessions and membership for any customer and/or pupil who misuses the programme or who does not confirm to these terms and conditions at no liability to Go Gateshead.
Pupils and customers are subject the general terms and conditions of the leisure centre they attend and the limitations of liability therein. Liability is not limited in respect of death or personal injury caused by negligence or fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.