FAQ

FAQ

FAQ

Enrollment Questions

(Accounts, Fees, Payments, etc.)

Classes run year-round, and are based on perpetual (ongoing) enrollment. Families can enroll any time throughout the year; however, new families need to start within the first two weeks of the month. Tuition is billed monthly. Classes meet once per week.

Students will automatically keep their spot each month as long as needed and as long as the class exists. Students may move out of time slots as they are promoted to another level, may request a different time, or may submit a withdrawal request.

If you are new to our program, though it’s not required, we recommend sticking with it for at least 3 months to truly start to see the benefits.

To enroll in our program, simply fill out the Water Babies Web Registration Form to create your family account. After you submit your form, you will receive an email confirmation which will include a link to your Parent Portal as well as a helpful instructional video. Once you have logged in to your Parent Portal, you will be able to enroll in classes, waitlist for classes, update contact and student information, edit payment details, and much more.

To enroll in a class, go to ‘Classes’, then ‘Find Classes’. Select the particular class you would like to enroll in, click ‘Enroll in this Class’, select the student, then ‘Enroll.’ A box will pop-up to confirm you were enrolled and you will receive a confirmation email. Once enrolled, you can view the class details on your portal dashboard or under ‘Classes’ > ‘My Schedule.’

Perpetual enrollment means once you’ve enrolled your child in a class, they will automatically continue each month unless we receive a withdrawal request. Students will be able to keep their time slot as long as needed, and as long as the class exists.

To enroll in a class, go to ‘Classes’, then ‘Find Classes’. Select the particular class you would like to enroll in, click ‘Enroll in this Class’, select the student, then ‘Enroll.’ A box will pop-up to confirm you were enrolled and you will receive a confirmation email. Once enrolled, you can view the class details on your portal dashboard or under ‘Classes’ > ‘My Schedule.’

To get on the waitlist for a class you want, login to your Parent Portal. Go to ‘Classes’, then ‘Find Classes’ where you will see options for Locations, Ages and Wait Lists. Click the slider to show you full classes with Waitlists. For the classes you want, click on ‘Join Waitlist’, select the student, then ‘Enroll’. A box will pop-up to confirm you were added to the waitlist. Now you can see all the classes you are waitlisted for on your Dashboard.

When a spot opens up in a class, we immediately look to the waitlist to find the next eligible family. First priority will be given to enrolled students who need to move up to a new level, followed by enrolled students who prefer the different class option (based on when they got on the waitlist.) After that, classes openings be will offered, on a first-come first served basis, to waitlisted students who are not yet enrolled in a class.

If a monthly payment is declined, you will be notified via automated email so that you can remedy the situation via your Parent Portal. If unresolved after one week, you will receive an email from our office alerting you to the problem and allowing one more week to make payment. If payment is not made within two weeks of the initial notification, the student may be dropped from the class.

If a monthly payment is declined, you will be notified via automated email so that you can remedy the situation via your Parent Portal. If unresolved after one week, you will receive an email from our office alerting you to the problem and allowing one more week to make payment. If payment is not made within two weeks of the initial notification, the student may be dropped from the class.

All payment processing is handled directly through our PCI compliant registration system, Jackrabbit Technologies, and all credit card and bank draft information is securely saved for ease with future enrollments. We ask everyone to ensure their payment details are up-to-date to avoid any issue during monthly billing.

If a monthly payment is declined, you will be notified via automated email so that you can remedy the situation via your Parent Portal. If unresolved after one week, you will receive an email from our office alerting you to the problem and allowing one more week to make payment. If payment is not made within two weeks of the initial notification, the student may be dropped from the class.

All payment processing is handled directly through our PCI compliant registration system, Jackrabbit Technologies, and all credit card and bank draft information is securely saved for ease with future enrollments. We ask everyone to ensure their payment details are up-to-date to avoid any issue during monthly billing.

Effective 2020, enrolled families will be charged a non-refundable $36 Annual Registration fee in January. Any family enrolling later in the year (after January) will be prorated the Annual Registration fee. This fee helps offset the administrative costs associated with enrollment each year.

This fee only applies once a family has enrolled in a class; they will not be charged for simply setting up their Parent Portal.

To withdraw from lessons, please complete and submit the Withdrawal form. To avoid being billed for the upcoming month, please submit your withdrawal request form no later than the 15th of the current month. If you submit the form between the 16th and the 23rd of the month, we can remove your student(s) from the next month’s lessons with a $30 per student late withdrawal fee. If between the 24th and the end of the month, we can remove them from next month’s lessons, and we will refund 50% of your tuition with no late withdrawal fee. If between the 1st and 7th of the same month, we can remove them from lessons, and we will refund 25% of your tuition with no late withdrawal fee. After the 7th of the same month, there will be no refund.

For more detailed information, be sure to visit our Policies and New Family Preparation pages.

Program Questions

Our Water Babies world, Oceans of Imagination, is an immersive swimming experience where little ones learn a skill for life. You’ll be guided by our team of Swimvincibles, on your own, individual swimming adventure, tailored to your needs. Every water baby will join one of our swimming superheroes, The Swimvincibles, in their Team. They’ll work towards progressing key swimming skills and collecting Water Babies Treasures along the way, with their Swimvincible Team member leading the way. This includes everything from badges and stickers to certificates, highlighting your little one’s achievements as they travel through our program.

The Swimvincibles are a team of swimming superstars, who head up our swim Teams at Water Babies. They’ll inspire and guide your little one through their swimming journey with us. Starting with Pearl for our new baby classes through to Saffi, Echo, Sculli, and finally Finn, as you head for independent swimming!

A Team represents where your little one is in their swimming journey with Water Babies, with our littlest water babies starting with Team Pearl, and our big water babies swimming in Team Finn.

Mystery Island weeks are a chance to have extra fun and let imaginations run wild!  We have few sprinkled through the year as special events in class, with a chance to wear fancy dress and get involved in a themed lessons.

Water Babies badges are awarded at special celebratory Island badge weeks planned into our swimming calendar. There are three spread out evenly throughout each swimming year, which are collected on the way to achieving each Team Swimvincible badge.

You get four Water Babies badges per year! There are three Island badges (Cloudfish Cove, Lighthouse Lagoon and Floating Forest) spread out evenly throughout a swimming year, which are collected on the way to achieving each Team Swimvincible badge.

It will depend on when you join us, as there are set Island celebrations planned for the year! These are spread out evenly throughout a swimming year, so they’re never too far away. There are also stickers and certificates awarded along your journey, so lots to look forward and add to your Water Babies Treasures collection.

Yes! If you joined after a specific badge week but would like to collect the badge to complete your set, you can purchase any missing from your local office.

The specific Team Swimvincible badge is awarded when your swimmer achieves their critical skills set.

Water Babies Badges are awarded as you go through the program, but you can buy any from an earlier stage if you didn’t join us at the start of Team Pearl – just ask your local office.

Badge week is a chance to celebrate all your swimmer has been learning and working towards in the pool with your whole class. There are three Island badge weeks (Cloudfish Cove, Lighthouse Lagoon and Floating Forest) spread out evenly throughout each swimming year, as a chance to reflect on progress and development for each island’s set of swimming skills. You’ll leave the class with a sense of pride and an amazing cloth badge to add to your collection of treasures!

No! The Water Babies Treasures awarded to you, as you make your way through the Teams with the Swimvincibles, are all part of the journey. You are able to purchase any which may have been awarded prior to you joining us.

Water Babies is the world’s leading baby and toddler swimming school, teaching over 40,000 little ones in the UK and US a week the lifesaving skill of learning to swim. Aimed at families of all shapes, sizes and blends who want to give the children in their lives the best start in life, Water Babies takes each child on a journey of aquatic discovery, adventure and purposeful play. We advocate holistic learning through creating water quests and adventures tailored to every stage, prioritising child personal development, and nurturing every little mind, body and soul through swimming. We’ll support you and your little one’s unique swimming journey, helping to build water confidence and safety in a creative and imaginative way.

We’ll find you a class in the Team which is most appropriate to your child’s age and experience. All our new babies will join Team Pearl. But if you’re joining us with a toddler or pre-schooler, you could join in Team Saffi, Team Echo, Team Sculli, or even Team Finn. It’s about getting you settled with similar age class mates and skills which will be at the right development stage for your little water baby.

We understand every child develops and learns at their own pace. Water Babies teachers are trained to teach what’s in front of them, and will work with you and your little one to help achieve skills in their own time. Not achieving a particular skill won’t affect your child’s ability to be rewarded for their individual progress and be awarded with their badges.

Water is a leveller, a place where everyone can flourish and have fun in a non-competitive environment. Swimming has a whole range of benefits for babies and toddlers with disabilities and learning difficulties, and at Water Babies, we welcome all little ones to swim with us. Our teachers are trained to teach every baby and toddler as an individual, and at their own pace. When booking on to your lesson, just speak to your local office about any additional support which might be needed for your little one to help them in their swimming journey. Your teacher will then be on hand to help you and provide you with this support in lessons.

Class Questions

(Which level, Tracking progress, Make-ups, etc.)

If this is their first time in a swim class, please enroll them in the appropriate class based on their age when you plan to start classes: Water Babies 1 (4-10 months), Water Babies 1 (10-18 months), Water Babies 1 (18-36 months), Water Kids 1 (3-5 years), or Water Youth 1 (6-9 years.)

To help figure out the most appropriate class level for your child, please complete our online Swim Assessment.

Please note: If your child is under 3 years and has taken lessons elsewhere, we highly recommend starting in our Water Babies 1 class since they will be brand new to our particular program. The Water Babies program is unique, and is different than other programs. Quite often, parents believe their child can come into our program starting in a higher level because of prior swim experience, only to find that the next level up is much too advanced.

There are no make-ups, credits, or refunds if you miss a class.

Once the instructor is confident a student is ready for the next level (they’ve mastered the required skills in their current level):

  1. We will work with you to find an open class in the level needed or waitlist you for desired time slots.
  2. If there’s no space, the instructor will adjust their curriculum to challenge the student with higher level skills so they can remain where they are until a more appropriate spot becomes available.
  3. If most of the students in class are ready to move up a level, we will simply advance the class to the next level and everyone can remain in that same time slot.

As instructors progress the students through the critical skills, they will update your child’s progress within your portal. Parents will be able to see when new skills are started, tested and attained. Instructors can also leave notes, so you know where your child needs a little more work before they can confidently say the skill is attained.

If you need to change your class time, we will work with you to find a class that fits your schedule to the best of our ability.

For the purposes of consistency and stability, Water Babies recommends that the same parent attends each weekly class. However, if parents would like to take turns being in the pool, we recommend that both parents be on site during each class to observe, as different skills are taught weekly.

Health Questions

(COVID-19, Colds, Ear Infections, etc.)

Please reference our Health Guidelines section for answers to this question.