Fish Links Swim School

Please take the time to read through this page for all the swim school information some may be relevant to you other parts may not however this forms the terms and conditions of the swim school, as signed by you when you enrol.

Please be aware that there are no refunds, transfers or make up classes for missed lessons

The school is a small business owned and operated by Katie Clarke with several very dedicated and experienced staff.

Our swim program has been especially researched and developed to cater for infants from 3months of age through to approx 6 years of age. We also cater for ages above this upon request and can provide private lessons where needed. We also have the skills to work with children with special needs. We do run sessions for mothers groups, special needs groups and multicultural groups.

Fish Links is a private swim school that is Nationally registered with Swim Australia and we are proud to have been one of the founding members of Swim Australia. All our staff are AUSTSWIM or ASCTA qualified as well as CPR and Level 2 first aid. Staff have police background check and have extensive experience with our swim school and our programs.

All children under the age of 2 need to wear a Swim Nappy to avoid any 'accidents' in the water. These can be purchased at the pool for $25.00 (Eenee Brand) we do have some older stock which we are selling for $5.00. We ask that babies only wear their aqua nappy in the water and that children do not wear rash vests in the water, we want babies and children to 'feel' the water on their skin.

Rash Vests can restrict their 'feel' for the water. In Winter rash vests do not help keep your child warm, they can do the opposite as the water cools on their body leaving them susceptible to the cooler air. Appropriate swimwear should be worn at all times unless a medical or religious beliefs prevents your child from doing so. Caps and Goggles are needed for all children over the age of two. The caps aid in keeping our water quality at its best. Goggles - though not used every lesson - open a whole new world for your child to discover allowing them to see clearly in the water. Your teacher will let you know when your child is ready to try goggles and we do sell these at cost price.

We work out of Vaucluse hydrotherapy pool in Brunswick East. It was unfortunate that after six years we lost the lease on our old venue mid 2008 at Moomba Park Primary School. We do hope to move to a bigger more permanent venue as soon as possible. Meanwhile Vaucluse is ideal.

The pool itself is Liquid Chlorinated and maintained at a comfy 35 – 36oC with the air temperature kept ‘comfortable’ for both those in and out of the water.

We do not own the pool at Vaucluse, we rent the pool space. We do not have access to chemicals or any other parts of the pool. We do test the water ourselves before using the pool to ensure the pool is suitable to swim in. Our responsibility is to look after the pool and the pool area while we use the facility. The hospital takes full responsibility for looking after the pool, water quality and for the cleanliness of the change room areas. Should you have any concerns about the pool, surrounding area or change rooms please let us know and we will take action immediately.

Assessments are usually conducted over the telephone or via email and an appropriate class found for the swimmer based on a brief questionnaire. You will need to arrive early the first day of lessons to complete and sign an enrolment form. The teacher will assess swimmers during the first class and if that level is unsuitable changes will be made at the end of the first lesson.

We do our best to cater for families with more than one child in attempting to keep lessons as close together as possible, minimising the amount of time you have to spend at the pool. We offer families a discount where the fourth child enrolled in the same family is free of charge.

Please read our 'Program Page' for full details of each level. All our programs focus on each individual child within the group developing their skills to their full potential. Swimmers will learn a combination of water safety and swimming skills in ALL levels. Private lessons and Adult lessons can be arranged upon request.

You must always supervise children when in or around the water regardless of how many lessons they have had or how well they can swim

We have designed the Fish Links program and continue our research to keep the program up to date within industry standards. Programs are regularly revised to ensure the latest teaching techniques and industry standards are being met. Classes run for 1/2 hr sessions once a week. By contacting our office we can provide you with a list of times and availability if you have not already done so.

If you would like feedback about your child please email or call us to arrange a time to catch up with your child's teacher. It is best not to discuss your child's progress while a lesson is running. In baby and toddler classes, we teach you, the parent, how to teach your child, allowing you to follow up and practice at home or your local pool. It is a good idea to try and visit a pool outside class times to practice with your child. Children once a term will swim fully clothed giving them the experience of feeling slightly weighed down in the water. We ask you bring a long sleeved top, long pants, shoes and socks for each child to wear in the water, also a garbage bag to take the wet stuff home in!

A large emphasis is placed on water safety skills and preparing the child for the unexpected, this is done with a fun and caring approach that is not distressing to the child. All children are different in their personalities and for this reason, our classes allow for personal development.

Children learn through interactive play so we try to make our classes fun and enjoyable for both parents and children. It is important to remember that regardless of the number of lessons your child has they can never be ‘completely’ safe in the water or ‘drown proof’. The best prevention is to never take your eyes off children when they are in or around water.

Throughout the progression of lessons, parents and children will participate in many activities to enhance learning and water safety skills, as well as developing the four main competitive strokes when ready. We may run small competitions from time to time as well as fund raisers to help purchase additional swim school equipment.

Please make cheque payable to Fish Links Swim School. Receipts will be written for all payments made. Remember you can claim your swimming lessons on some private health covers for example Medibank Private extras and Australian Unity

If either you or your child has a cold or gastro, please do not come to your lesson until it has cleared completely, this will reduce the chances of passing germs onto others in the class. Should you become ill after a class please let us know so we can make other parents aware if necessary eg Chicken Pox

All children and parents should have a water bottle or drink to replace fluids especially during Summer

The swimming industry recommends parents not allow children to play with caps in the bath at home

as they may cover their face with them causing breathing difficulties or suffocation

You will receive a complimentary cap when you enrol or when your child turns 2, Silicone caps are available for purchase at the pool - swimming caps are not a toy and adult supervision is advised if young children are playing with these at home. Please do not 'powder' your caps when at home as it will shorten the life of the cap.

Be sure to leave the pool dressed – even in summer to avoid colds and flu and ALWAYS wear shoes to avoid cut feet

Bring something for your child to eat and/or drink after class as they will need to replenish their energy. We do have some foods available for sale. Remember eating is only permitted on pool deck not in changerooms

As the pool temperature is quite high we recommend that if you are pregnant you do not get in the water with your child.

The reason for this is the water temperature is higher than that of a 'normal' leisure centre usually 35 - 37oC. When pregnant research has shown that you should not exert yourself where your core body temperature increases to OVER 38oC. This can cause serious complications in pregnancy. If you do not have anyone else there to take your child into a parent and child class, please let us know and we will happily take your child in the lesson which you stay close by on the edge.

Again this is a recommendation, some Mums choose to continue in the water but are aware not to over exert themselves. Either way please let your teacher know if you are pregnant. Thank you

We have had this policy since the swim school opened in 1997 where we do not have make up classes or refunds. We found in the past that we get behind in paying pool hire and teachers when we offer these. When lessons are missed teachers still have to be paid as does the pool hire which is what your fees pay for. Should a child be ill for a long period missing lessons please let us know we will assess each case individually.

If the pool is closed or a lesson cancelled for any reason we will provide several options for you to make up the classes. It is better children make up the class to cover the skills they missed out on otherwise we will refund the class if this can not be arranged.

For insurance reasons please do not enter the water until the teacher has asked you too. Participants must exit the water as soon as the class ends. This is to ensure everyone’s safety.

We have full insurance covering the swim school, through ASCTA/Swim Australia Marsh Insurance Brokers

When enrolling in a class, consider your child’s sleep time - It is recommended to swim either prior to sleeping or just after. Try not to feed babies immediately before a class, allow at least a ½ hr for food to settle.

Please note the best method of contact for us is via email as we can check this at anytime of day or night. Given the hours we spend at the pool the business phone line is set up as a message bank. There is no phone at the pool itself. Enquiries can also be made online Once enrolled we add you to our sms database and you will have a direct mobile number to contact also. We ask you not to give this number out to new enquiries and should you prefer not to receive sms messages please let us know as soon as possible. You will also be added to the email database.

All pictures, articles and design of this web site are copyright to Fish Links Swim School and/or Graphic Allsorts - unless otherwise stated

Office: (03) 9306 1548

Pool: Brunswick Private Hospital (formally Vaucluse) Hydrotherapy Pool 82 Moreland Rd Brunswick

Mail: PO Box 566 Pascoe Vale 3044 - Email: admin@fishlinks.com.au