Swim School FAQs

Yes! All RALC instructors are licensed by AUSTSWIM, Royal Life Saving and Swim Australia and CPR certified. Our teachers all hold a qualification as Teacher of Swimming & Water Safety at a minimum. Many of our instructors also hold additional qualifications.

Bookings can be done over the phone with a credit card or in person at Ryde Aquatic Leisure Centre.

If your child can swim unaided in the pool an assessment is required, please book online or call RALC on 8878-5111 for booking times.

A responsible adult must enter and remain in the Centre for the duration of the lesson. Children may not be left unattended. Failure to comply may result in the child being unable to attend the lesson.

You can join at any time throughout a session with payment only needed for the remaining lessons. You do not pay for lessons that have already passed.

Payment & Ongoing Enrolment

We offer two payment plans:

Upfront Payment

Pay the full 10-week term enrolment.

Partial payments are not accepted.

Upfront enrolments do not automatically continue to the next term. Families must re-enrol to maintain their child’s place. If an upfront-paid session ends and you do not re-enrol, your child’s place may be offered to another swimmer. Re-enrolment will be week 6 of each term.

Refunds are not issued.

Fortnightly Direct Debit

Fees are paid via fortnightly Direct Debit regardless of attendance, which continues automatically unless you submit a cancellation request. In the event of failed Direct Debit payments, we will notify you via email. Payment must then be made via the Client Portal or through reception prior to the next Direct Debit date. Entry to your student’s lesson may be restricted until the outstanding payment is resolved.

Additional charges for Direct Debit:

• Visa and Mastercard 1.87%
• Transaction card fee $0.33
• Transaction bank account fee $0.88
• Transaction rejection fee $10.00

You will be given a swimming pass the first time you enrol which must be scanned at the turnstiles before entering. This registers your attendance. You will receive a pass for each child attending and 2 adult spectators are allowed free entry per swimmer.

Swimming Passes are your responsibility. If a Pass is lost or stolen, a $2 replacement fee applies.

Make-up lessons are not offered for any reason.

Missed lessons are not refunded or credited.

Swim Passes are valid for 3 months. Passes are only issued with medical documentation.

Refunds are considered only for major illness or injury resulting in 4 or more consecutive missed weeks. For illness or injury causing 4 or more consecutive weeks missed, contact Swim School with documentation to discuss the best option.

Refunds and credits are calculated from the date Swim School is notified, not the last lesson attended.

All refund or credit requests must be made in writing to swimschool@ryde.nsw.gov.au

Cancelling before the end of the minimum 10-week commitment means remaining fees are still payable.

All enrolments include a 7-day cooling-off period from the date enrolment is accepted. Lessons during this period are charged as normal.

Cancellations cannot be processed if there are outstanding fees.

Holiday Intensive Program is not eligible for cancellation or refunds.

Submit your cancellation request via email to swimschool@ryde.nsw.gov.au.

Upfront enrolments do not automatically continue to the next term. Families must re-enrol to maintain their child’s place. If an upfront paid session ends and you do not re-enrol, your child’s place may be offered to another swimmer. Re-enrolment will be week 6 of each term.

Fees are paid via fortnightly Direct Debit regardless of attendance, which continues automatically unless you submit a cancellation request. In the event of failed Direct Debit payments, we will notify you via email. Payment must then be made via the Client Portal or through reception prior to the next Direct Debit date. Entry to your student’s lesson may be restricted until the outstanding payment is resolved.

A responsible adult must enter and remain in the Centre for the duration of the lesson. Children may not be left unattended. Failure to comply may result in the child being unable to attend the lesson.

Instructors’ Duty of Care begins when your child is placed into their class and ends when the lesson finishes and your child is returned.

Children must wait on the pool deck for their instructor and must not swim under lane ropes to get to their lane.

At the end of the lesson, children will only be released to a parent or guardian.

The Program Pool and Ramp Areas are used exclusively for swim school at certain times of the day. Our instructors’ duty of care extends to those enrolled in lessons only during their lesson times. It does not extend to the general public as this distracts our instructors, over crowds the pool and prevents their ability to teach safely.

If you are waiting to commence your lesson, ALL children must wait on the side of the pool for instructions from their instructor. We also ask that you please consider other lessons in progress.

All lessons are overseen by a deck supervisor who helps co-ordinate our programs from out of the water on pool deck.

They are the best person to speak to about lessons and how your child is progressing throughout their classes.

They can talk to you about the lesson structure for your child’s level and the skills they need to achieve before moving to the next level.

Each week one school aged level of our program will be assessed during the lesson; level will be displayed in the foyer.

Our instructors have a very brief window between your class and their next so it is best to find the deck supervisor or speak to reception instead.

This ensures that you receive the time required to discuss any questions you might have. Asking our instructors directly may eat into your or another child’s valuable lesson time.

Our instructors are always happy to have a chat if they are available to.

You are absolutely welcome to change times or instructors at any point throughout a session. We understand that schedules change and sometimes rearranging lessons is part of that. Please be mindful that changing times or instructors is dependent on yours or an instructor’s availability or class vacancies.

Not at all! All of our instructors understand that everyone has different skills, needs, personalities and abilities. We know it is best being matched to an instructor that meets these requirements to achieve the best outcomes for you and your family. If it’s not clicking for you or your child then it only holds your child back and we all want to see them grow!