Frequently Asked Questions
1. “Which lessons do you offer?”
2. What time do you run lessons?”
3. "Do lessons run all year round?”
4. “How much are your lessons?”
5. “Do you run family swimming or lane swimming sessions?”
6. "I’m interested in becoming a swimming teacher myself. How do I do this?”
7. "Do you have links with clubs that my swimmer(s) could join?”
8. "Do you run adult swimming lessons?"
1. “Which lessons do you offer?”
Children aged 4 years and above (and at least 1.0 metre tall due to pool depth)
- Stages 1 – 7 of Swim England’s Learn to Swim Framework.
- These stages are the most widely known part of swimming lessons for children and they are the backbone of swimming lessons for primary school aged children.
- Weekday evenings and Saturday mornings.
Children aged up to 11 years
- Rookie lifeguard programme
- This programme gives your child the skills they need to be confident in the pool or the sea. Built into the programme are lessons in valuable survival, rescue and sports skills. The course can run parallel to your child’s current swimming lessons and will enhance the skills they learn in the pool.
- Thursday evenings
Older children aged 12 years and above
- Survive & save programme
- A lifesaving award scheme which is challenging but fun to complete. Awards are arranged into Bronze, Silver and Gold levels to ensure that participants get the opportunity to develop their lifesaving skills as they progress through the awards.
- Thursday evenings
Private lessons, any age or ability
- These are offered on a 1-to-1, 1-to-2 or 1-to-3 basis.
- Lessons are available for children and adults.
- Due to space and timetable limitations, there is reduced availability of private lessons compared to group lessons. We do, however, offer private lessons where possible.
Intensive/holiday lessons
- Stages 1-7 and private lessons
- 3-5 days during each holiday period. Lessons take place if enough swimmers register interest and are also dependant on swimming teacher availability during the holidays.
Primary school curriculum lessons
- Hosted for primary schools, using the Swim Star Awards programme.
We are more than happy to provide advice. If your initial swimming group does not suit your ability, we can propose alternative stages - if lower or higher stages are more suitable.
2. “What time do you run lessons?”
- Stages 4-7 Mondays, 5:00pm – 8:00pm
- Stages 1-4 on Tuesdays, 3:45pm – 6:00pm
- Stages 1-7 on Saturdays, 8:00am – 11:30am
- Rookie lifeguard and survive & save on Thursdays, 6:30pm – 8:30pm
- Private lessons on Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings.
- We can offer exact lesson timings for individual stages once we know your swimmer(s)’ ability levels.
- Availability depends on levels of enrolment and progression of swimmers at any given time of year
Our swimming lesson timetable is expanding. If the days and times do not suit you, please let us know and we will aim to form a new class on a preferred day and time.
3. “Do lessons run all year round?”
- We run lessons every week during term time.
- Lessons are scheduled in accordance with the Oxfordshire County Council school term dates and holidays.
- Lessons do not take place on bank holidays nor during major Bloxham School events.
- Intensive lessons run during holiday periods
4. “How much are your lessons?”
| Swimming Lessons (2020-21 Academic Year) | Price (Per Session) | Block Booking |
| Children, stages 1-7, half hour group sessions | £7.40 | Paid half-termly |
| Children, stages 8, 9, 10, survive & save, rookie lifeguard, one hour group sessions. Fees for handbooks/manuals may apply separately. | £10.10 | Paid half-termly |
| Sibling discount (1 sibling remains full price) | 15% off | Paid half-termly |
| One-to-one (adult or child), half hour | £21.20 | £95.25 for 5 |
| One-to-two (adult or child), half hour | £31.75 | £133.60 for 5 |
| Certificates & badges (issued upon completion of each stage) | £3.10 | Not applicable |
- Lessons increase in price every September to take account of UK inflation rates at minimum.
- Payment requests for lessons are issued via email ahead of every half term. There are 6 half terms in total, with an average of 6 lessons per term. Bank holidays and other events may affect the number of lessons per term.
5. “Do you run family swimming or lane swimming sessions?”
- We reviewed our timetable during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, family swimming and lane swimming sessions are not financially viable due to our pool’s design, location and staffing requirements. These sessions are now cancelled indefinitely. Swimming lessons, however, meet relevant requirements.
6. “I’m interested in becoming a swimming teacher myself. How do I do this?”
- Please let us know. We can offer guidance towards achieving swimming teacher status.
7. “Do you have links with clubs that my swimmer(s) could join?”
- We have links with several clubs including triathlon and SCUBA clubs. We are more than happy to provide more information.
8. "Do you run adult swimming lessons?"
- We offer private lessons for adults. These take place on Thursday evenings, 6 - 8:30pm, or Saturday mornings, 11am - 12:30pm. We previously attempted to schedule group adult lessons within our busy timetable, however we found difficulty with grouping ability levels of adults. We now only offer private lessons and we currently have a waiting list of 6 months to 1 year. Private lessons are £21.20 each (Sept 2021 - Aug 2022). We arrange lessons to cover each term, therefore we must request payment for 6 lessons (on average, depending on term length). We don't offer private lessons for any length other than the full term. We are happy to add you to our waiting list and would inform you when spaces become available.