Swimming holiday courses
Our intensive holiday swimming courses will help toddlers and children in stages one to six improve their swimming skills.
Our short intensive swimming courses run during school holidays at Riverside Leisure Centre and South Woodham Ferrers Leisure Centre. Our swim instructors will help children perfect their swimming skills as toddlers or in stages one, two, three or four.
In small groups, children are gently guided through the key skills they need to swim safely and feel comfortable and confident in the water, under the watchful guidance of our swim instructor. Lessons are based on the ASA Learn to swim framework.
Toddlers (ages 3 to 4)
Held in our warmer, shallower Learner pool, this short course offers the perfect introduction to swimming for toddlers. Children are gently guided through basic swimming techniques using games and songs, while wearing armbands. Each toddler session has two swim teachers who supervise your little ones from in the pool as well as on poolside, and sessions are held outside of public swimming times.
Stages 1 to 3 (ages 4 to 8)
These courses are held in our learner or main pool depending on the stage, and outside of public swimming sessions.
Stages 4 to 6 (ages 5 to 15)
These courses are held in our main pool, and outside of public swimming sessions.
Day(s) running
Riverside Leisure Centre
- Monday 23 October to Friday 27 October
South Woodham Ferrers Leisure Centre
- Monday 23 October to Friday 27 October
Times
You will be allocated one half hour time slot per day from the following.
Riverside Leisure Centre
- Toddlers (age 3 to 4): 9am to 9.30am
- Stage 1 (age 4 to 8): 8.30am to 9am or 10am to 10.30am
- Stage 2 (age 5 to 8): 9.30am to 10am
South Woodham Ferrers Leisure Centre
- Stage 1 and 2: 9am to 9.30am
- Stage 3 and 4: 9.30am to 10am or 10am to 10.30am
- Stage 5 and 6: 10.30am to 11.00am
Prices
Riverside Leisure Centre
- Toddlers, and Stages 1 and 2: £30 for the whole five day course (full price)
- You can also pay using childcare vouchers.
South Woodham Ferrers Leisure Centre
- Stages 1 to 6: £30 for the whole five day course (full price)
- You can also pay using childcare vouchers.
Sibling discount
- We offer a 15% sibling discount when you book two siblings onto our course at the same time. You can request this discount when you call the centres to book the course.
To book you course, please call the relevant centre:
- Riverside Leisure Centre: 01245 615062
- South Woodham Ferrers Leisure Centre: 01245 605600
You will need an ourChelmsford card to book.
- Discounts can only booked in person at our centres or by phone Monday to Friday, between 9am and 5pm and cannot be booked online. Please see our pre-course information page for full details.
- Children must arrive swim ready and will be assessed on the first day. They may be moved to a different time slot to suit their swimming ability.
- We will provide discs as buoyancy aids during our lessons. If your child wants to use arm bands, they can bring their own if they have them.
- If you have not booked and paid for a session online, you will not be able to attend.
- Please arrive 5 minutes before your child's course is due to start.
Prerequisites for the courses are as follows:
- Toddlers: Pre-school beginners ages 3 to 5 years; swim with aids, with an assistant in the water and on poolside. All equipment supplied.
- Stage 1: Beginners ages 5 to 8 years and over, who swim with buoyancy aids, with an assistant in the water. All equipment supplied.
- Stage 2: Children must be able to swim at least 5 metres on front and back without aids. Lesson includes a class assistant in the water. All equipment supplied.
- Stage 3: Children must be able to swim both 10 metres back crawl and front paddle.
- Stage 4: Must be able to swim 10m front crawl and back crawl, or be in our Stage 4 weekly lessons. Course held in Riverside main pool.
- Stage 5: Must be able to swim 10m front crawl and back crawl, 5m breaststroke and butterfly legs, or be in our Stage 5 weekly lessons. Course held in Riverside main pool.
