Swim lessons in English & French for babies, toddlers and children in heated pools .
Based in Geneva & Lausanne
Welcome to Red Whale Swim School - BELLEVUE!
We are very pleased that you are joining our school.
Please take note of all this important information to ensure that swimming lessons run smoothly for you, your child and us!
To find out about lesson dates and times, please visit your family portal: https://red-whale.ud.io/account/login
At what time is your lesson ?
The schedule of the lesson can be seen at any time within your family portal. Do log in: https://red-whale.ud.io/account/login
Pool Address:
BELLEVUE - chemin des limites 1B, 1293 Bellevue - next to Espace Santé. There are about 70 available parking space free of charge.
More info about the Bellevue pool can be found here
1. PERPETUAL SYSTEM AT BELLEVUE
Once registered at our swimming pool in Bellevue - Geneva, you are registered until you decide to cancel. An invoice is issued on the 15th of each month for the following month. Should you like to cancel, you need to send an email to bellevue@redwhale.ch no later than on the 13th of the previous month. If you cancel, your spot is no longer guaranteed.
2. WE WORK DURING THE HOLIDAYS
We only have 5 weeks of breaks during the year. This means that you have lessons during the school holidays. Our five weeks off are: 2 weeks at Christmas/New Year, Easter and one week in August. The teaching calendar is available on our website here.
This means that if you are away during school holidays, you lose your lesson.
3. ABSENCE - SICKNESS
Lessons missed for any reason, even if justified by a medical certificate, are neither reimbursed, changed or replaced. There are no exceptions.
Prolonged absence justified by a medical certificate
In case of an accident, justified by a medical certificate and announced immediately, which cancels your participation to lessons for a prolonged time, we will cancel your subscription and credit the lessons you have already paid. However, your spot will not be held and there is no guarantee that the same lesson will be available when you re-enroll.
4. MOVING CLASSES
Once we have started the lessons, you cannot move classes within the paid month. However, before the 15th of the month, you can email us to bellevue@redwhale.ch and request a change. If we have a free spot in the right level, this will then be possible for the following month.
5. Covid-19 Rules
Currently the Swiss Conseil Fédéral does not require a covid certificate to enter our facilities. However, should rules change, it will compulsory to follow these rules. Not complying to these rules will mean you cannot enter our facilities. If the government changes the requirements for entry to public spaces again, we will implement these new measures. There are no refunds or make-up classes if you cannot comply with the new regulations.
Masks are not compulsory in our facilities anymore either. However, should rules change, you will need to follow these new rules. There are no refunds or make-up courses if you cannot comply with the new regulations.
6. What to bring to the swimming lesson?
- ALL swimmers, children or parents must bring a towel
- No armbands or flotation devices are allowed
- ALL jewellery must be removed before entering the water (we are not responsible if you lose it)
2a . Parent/child classes
- The accompanying parent and child must have a swimming costume
- For children swimming with their parents, a swimming cap or goggles are not required.
- The child who swims in the parent/child class MUST wear a double nappy: a disposable swim nappy (which can be bought in supermarkets) AND a washable neoprene nappy.
- We sell them for 15 CHF but you can also buy them in the shop. Indeed, the slightest accident leads to the total closure of the pool for a few days.
2b . Children swimming without parents
- Children must wear a swimming costume
- A cap is MANDATORY if the child has long hair and/or fringes that come over the eyes. This is important when the child starts to swim as without a cap, he/she will stop swimming to remove the hair from the eyes and therefore will not swim.
- Swimming goggles are optional for platypus, but we strongly recommend them so that the child is comfortable wearing them for higher levels. A good pair of goggles is a good investment to help your child progress. We recommend double-closure goggles, not scratch goggles. We sell goggles at the pool for 30 CHF.
7. How to get ready for the lesson?
- If your child swims without a parent but is a little apprehensive, REASSURE THEM. Explain that the separation is only 30/40 minutes and that you will be there at the end of the lesson.
- Explain to your child that you will not be able to enter the pool with him/her
- Do not hesitate to take your child to the pool in addition to the lessons so that he/she can show you his/her progress and become more and more comfortable in the water. Spend some quality time with them and they will be even happier to return to the lessons the following week.
- Do not hesitate to repeat certain exercises at home, such as taking a shower instead of a bath to get used to the sensation of water on the face.
- We have many blogs on our website that can help you
8. What happen on the first day ?
- A Red Whale staff member will show you around at your first lesson
- Please enter the changing rooms MAXIMUM 15 minutes before the start of the lesson.
- Please arrive at the pool deck ready to swim 5 minutes before the start of the lesson
- It is IMPERATIVE that your child goes to the toilet BEFORE the lesson and takes a SHOWER.
- Lessons start exactly on time.
- The accompanying parent is allowed to return 5 minutes before the end of the lesson. In the meantime, he/she can watch the lesson from the viewing area. However, please do not distract your child.
- Photos and videos are strictly forbidden in the pool
- Shoes are forbidden in the changing rooms and on the pool deck
9. What to expect during lessons ?
- We make it fun! We do everything we can to make the children look forward to coming to the pool. We use lots of games and activities to keep the children smiling and engaged. All of these games are specifically designed to practice a skill
- Encourage approach and fun: Learning to swim should be a positive experience for the child. We try to create an atmosphere in which children feel comfortable progressing at their own pace and feel good about their personal achievements.
- Lots of repetition: We take a progressive approach to teaching. Once certain skills can be learned, children move on to the next stage. This often requires a lot of repetition and reinforcement. It is essential to correct the basic skills before progressing. This will allow the child to become a better swimmer.
6. General terms & Conditions
- In case of disruptive behaviour for the group, we will ask the children to sit out of the pool for a short period of time.
- Payment of your invoice signifies your acceptance of the terms and conditions that were shared with you prior to your registration (via the family portal and website).
- As a reminder: once the invoice has been paid, there are no refunds. Changes are only possible if we have free spots. Payment of the invoice implies that you have read the general conditions.
- There are no make-up lessons and NO refunds for illness or absence.
- There are no trial lessons.
- If the pool is closed due to a technical problem or a covid closure, a lifetime credit for the number of cancelled lessons will be added to your family account. This credit will be deducted automatically at the next registration. However, there are no refunds or make-up lessons, even if you do not return. If you do not return, the credit is lost. Credit is transferrable to siblings only.
- Although we make every effort to maintain teacher continuity, Red Whale cannot guarantee that your child will have the same teacher all the time (due to sickness or urgent matter). Red Whale does not guarantee teacher requests. We do our best to maintain continuity for children as they move from one term to the next or from one level to the next, however, we cannot guarantee the same teacher.
We hope that you will find all the answers to your questions in this document. More questions are answered on our FAQS document
