Please note all new bookings require payment for 10 classes upfront. If you would like to discuss other payment options, please contact your local office.
Location & Directions
Rising Sun Cottages, Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, NE28 9JW
Park in the main school car park and please keep hold of your child’s hand and cross the car park at the marked crossings only.
On a weekend the main school will be closed so please use the Community entrance which is to the right of the main entrance. These doors will be locked so you will need to wait for your Poolside Assistant to let you in.
Baby & Pre school: A well-fitting neoprene swim nappy must be worn with a disposable swim nappy or one of our environmentally friendly NappyWraps & Liners underneath if your child is in Floaties, Splashers or Kickers and in other programmes if they are not yet fully potty/toilet trained. Why not buy one of our great value Starter Packs which contain everything you need for your swim lesson?
Swim Academy: A swim hat, goggles and swimwear that doesn't flap about eg. not bermuda shorts. You can find swim hats plus our range of goggles and other Swim Accessories here
Changing Rooms
There are 3 communal changing rooms which are clearly labelled for male and female carers. Our classes are busy and the changing area has limited space so please be courteous to other parents and don’t leave your belongings on seats or changing tables when you are in the pool
Please try to vacate the changing area as quickly as possible after your class to make room for the next group of parents. This is particularly important if you attend the last class of a Puddle Ducks session as the pool is very well utilised and turnover is tight before the next session.
If you need any assistance at all, our poolside assistant is there to help you and your child so please don’t hesitate to ask.
Additional Pool Information
Spectators are allowed to sit poolside at this venue but must wear blue shoe covers or have bare feet. Covers are provided at the entrance to the pool hall.
Beacon Hill School is fully accessible
Photography is only permitted during Splash Time and only if you do not include other swimmers in your photos / videos. Photography is not permitted at any time in the changing areas
No food or drink is permitted on the poolside or anywhere in the changing rooms, please save your child’s snack until after you have left the pool
Please ensure that you use the nappy bins provided in some of the changing areas for disposal of nappies, or take your nappy home with you
Please do not use nappy bins for disposal of rubbish please use the general waste bins or take your rubbish away with you for disposal
WARNING: Please don’t use the school’s beds or benches for changing your baby – they are raised and there is a real danger of babies rolling off and causing serious injury. We advise that you bring along a changing mat from home to use to change your baby at floor level
Please enter the pool using the main double doors in the corridor only. The doors in the changing rooms that lead on to the poolside cannot be used for access to the pool. Your poolside assistant will be on hand to help and direct you. After your class please use the poolside doors to re-enter the changing rooms by pressing the white exit button next to the door and make sure the door fully closes and locks behind you
Parents can bring their newborn as soon as they feel ready - our youngest Puddle Duck was just over a week old! We advise to allow the umbilical cord to have healed over to avoid infection, but you don't need to wait until your baby has had their jabs. We find that babies - as they have spent 9 months in their own watery world - have a natural affinity in our carefully selected, warm pools. Our programme is progressive, so you can join at any time. Your child can come to Puddle Ducks at any age between 0-10 years. We have Baby & Pre-school classes for 0-4 and our Swim Academy for primary school aged children up to 10. Each of the programmes focuses on nurturing confidence - our teachers know that children develop and learn at different rates, so will adjust each activity to get the best out of each child and encourage positive progression.
If your child is in Floaties, Splashers, Kickers, Little Dippers, Dippers or Dabblers in our Baby & Pre-school programme then yes, you will be in the water with them throughout the lesson, these sessions provide a fabulous bonding experience between you and your child and is all about building their water confidence. If your child is in any of our Swim Academy classes (i.e. they are in primary school) they will be in the water on their own, with two teachers in the water and a ratio of 1 teacher:4 children. If the pool allows spectators, you will be able to watch from poolside.
If you know that you won't be able to attend before the class takes place, you can let us know via your My Puddle Ducks account on both your Overview page and also your My Children page by clicking on ‘Let us know you can’t attend a lesson’ and following the instructions. This will generate a Courtesy Class for you to then use against any lesson where there is space in the next 6 months (provided you are currently in paid-for lessons). Read more in our Courtesy Classes FAQs. • If your child has a chest, ear, throat or eye infection they shouldn’t swim until it has completely cleared. • Please don’t bring your child to the pool during, or for two weeks after, suffering from diarrhoea. • Going swimming is unlikely to worsen a mild cold and will not increase the likelihood of an ear infection unless your baby has a perforated eardrum. • Please do not bring your child to a swimming class with anything that could be infectious, such as chickenpox, which is considered infectious until all the blisters have dried up. • It’s worth remembering that children are often exhausted after an illness and need some time to recuperate before returning to their swimming lessons. • We can’t offer a refund for missed classes, your payment secures your place in your class and the class takes place as usual if you are unable to attend but this is why we offer Courtesy Classes, because we understand life doesn’t always go to plan with a little one!
Meet the North East and Tees Valley team at Beacon Hill
Anne
Anne teaches Baby and Pre-school and Swim Academy at Beacon Hill
Kimberley
Kimberley teaches Baby and Pre-school and Swim Academy at Beacon Hill
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