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SOS Newsroom - Our Recent Notices
🐣 BOOST Easter Intensive Courses – Coming Soon! 🐣
12th March 2026
Our full programme of BOOST Easter Intensive Courses will be officially released later this week!
We’re aiming to offer two 4-day courses at Fitzalan High School over the following dates:
📆 Course 1: 30th March – 2nd April
📆 Course 2: 7th – 10th April
Each course offers a range of intensive lesson formats tailored to support swimmers of all ages, stages, and abilities:
🏊🏻♀️ Group Crash Courses 🏊🏻♀️
Ideal for Foundation stage swimmers (Waves 1, 2 & 3)
- A committed 4-day programme covering the full foundation skills syllabus
- 1-hour lessons each morning, condensing the equivalent of 8 weeks of lessons into 4 consecutive days.
- Small groups, separated by Wave level.
- Maximum of 4 swimmers per class, with the instructor present in the water for hands-on support
- Ideal for increasing time in the water and building confidence in nervous or new swimmers.
🏊🏾♂️ Individual One-to-One Lessons 🏊🏾♂️
Suitable for all ages and abilities
- Individually bookable lessons across both courses, offering flexibility around other commitments.
- Ideal for beginners needing confidence building or more advanced swimmers targeting specific strokes or skills
- 30-minute personalised sessions. Fully tailored, distraction-free instruction focused entirely on the individual swimmer’s needs
🏊🏽 Group Masterclasses 🏊🏽
For intermediate to advanced swimmers (Wave 4+)
- A short, focused 3-day programme with 1-hour sessions each morning
- Choose from three technical skill-focused classes:
💦 - Breaststroke Masterclass
💦 - Butterfly Masterclass
💦 - Starts & Turns Masterclass (including block diving)
- Perfect for refining technique and building confidence across commonly challenging strokes / skills
Masterclasses are scheduled based upon demand so please notify us early to avoid disappointment
📣 Please note: All classes are subject to minimum booking numbers, and we reserve the right to cancel any sessions where the required demand is not met. We recommend booking early to secure your space and avoid disappointment.
More information coming soon. Keep an eye out for our official release!
Many Thanks
The Sink Or Swim Team 🏊🏽♂️
🏊🏼♀️🏆 Awards Week 🏆🏊🏾♀️
11th March 2026
We will be holding an awards week next week, where certificates and badges in recognition of your swimmers completed Wave classes can be purchased and collected from the pool.
All awards need to be pre-ordered by 5pm Saturday 14th March and will then be ready for you to collect from the pool manager when you visit the pool next week.
Certificates are available in both 🏴 & 🏴. We will assume you want English unless Welsh is specifically stated on your order.
To order your awards please email your order request to hello@sinkorswimcardiff.com
Each certificate & corresponding badge is priced at £5 and payable in cash when you collect at the pool.
We will hold ‘Award Weeks’ throughout the term. Please keep an eye on this group for the next.
Many Thanks
The Sink Or Swim Team 🏊🏻♀️
🔔 Half Term Continuation 🔔
9th February 2026
Please be reminded that all lessons continue as normal over school half term periods.
If you are away over the half term and wish to request a planned absence, please complete a ‘Request a Planned Absence’ form via the contact page.
Each swimmer is entitled to book up to 3 planned absences per full term. Please be aware that planned absences are a timed feature of our booking system and must be submitted with a minimum of 7 days notice. Full conditions regarding booking planned absences can be found at the top of the form on our contact page.
As a rule of thumb, our lessons only ever pause for bank holidays or over the main end of term holiday periods of Easter, Summer & Xmas.
Many Thanks
The SOS Team 🏊🏽♂️💙
Our Course Timetable
Course Schedule 2026/27
Term Time Lessons
Holiday BOOST Courses
Your Questions Answered
Frequently Asked Questions
At what age should my child learn to swim?
Children are typically introduced to structured swimming lessons around the age of 3.5 - 5yrs old. However, some programs offer earlier introductory aquatic experiences for babies and young children with an adult present. The earlier that a child experiences being in and around water the easier they will find it to develop their aquatic skills
What are ‘Waves’?
“Waves” are the names used to identify the different class levels or grades of ability throughout our swim programme, e.g., Wave 1, Wave 2, Wave 3, and so on. Lessons start at Wave 1 for complete beginners and progress up to Wave 8, which represents a confident and competent swimmer.
How long does it take to pass each ‘Wave’ class?
Every learner is different, some progress quicker, some slower also some classes are more demanding than others, but on average with regular and consistent attendance we find it take between 3-4 school terms to complete each wave. Approximately between 21-27 hours of practice.
Can I cancel my booking?
We don’t lock customers into fixed-term bookings. Regardless of the duration initially booked, you have the right to cancel your class at any time, subject to the following conditions:
New customer cancellation As a new customer of Sink or Swim, we treat your first 5-session period as a trial booking. If you wish to cancel for any reason during this initial period, no notice is required, your booking will be cancelled immediately, and you’ll receive a refund for the value of any remaining sessions. After your first 5 sessions, all cancellations must adhere to the General Cancellation terms outlined below.
New booking / Top-up cancellation If you’ve booked in error or your circumstances change unexpectedly, you have the right to cancel any new booking or top-up within 3 days of purchase, providing the booked period hasn’t started. In this case, you’ll receive a full refund for the value of the booking. After 3 days or once the booked period has begun, any cancellation must adhere to the General Cancellation terms outlined below.
General cancellation You have the freedom to cancel your class booking at any time without cause upon receipt of 14 days written notice. All scheduled lessons during the notice period may still be attended, and we will refund the value of any paid lessons remaining.
Prolonged medical absence In the case of an extended absence due to medical reasons, such as a broken limb, we’re happy to cancel your booking with immediate effect. The value of any remaining paid lessons will be held as credit on your swimmer’s account, which does not expire and can be later used to rebook once they’re fit to return.
For full terms regarding our cancellation policies please see our Terms & Conditions document linked on your booking confirmation email or found on our website.
What is a SAFE swimmer?
Being safe in the water is about far more than simply crossing the pool. It’s about having the right balance of technique, strength, and confidence in every stroke. Most children develop these skills by the time they complete Wave 7, which is why we consider it as the minimum goal for all our learners. At this stage, they’re not only swimming, but doing so efficiently, effectively, and with real confidence, giving you peace of mind that they’ve truly learned to swim.
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