How To Join

Halesowen Swimming Club is first and foremost committed to competitive swimming. It is our belief that swimming offers an exciting and valuable experience in a young person's life. The value of training goes far beyond that of learning efficiency in the water with benefits in other areas such as health, time management and personal development.

Learn to Swim and Early Development
Non-swimmers or those with basic skills can join the club at any time from the age of 5 to 8 and will progress through our Learn to Swim scheme in the learner pool. Swimmers will learn and develop new skills through the Waterskills programme that will help to form a solid foundation for future progression. Click here for more information about our Learn to Swim scheme.

Improving Swimmers
Improving swimmers age 6 to 9 will continue to develop their skills through the higher levels of the Waterskills programme in widths sessions in the main pool. Swimmers will either join this programme by progressing from our Learn to Swim scheme or, if entering directly, by being assessed by one of our qualified coaches. The foundation of swimming skills will continue to be developed and swimmers will be given opportunities to take part at competitions within the club. Towards the end of the Waterskills programme swimmers may be asked to increase the number of their swimming sessions to speed improvements as part of pre-competitive training. Click here for more information about joining our improvers programme and competitive swimming training.

Early Competitive Swimming Training
Swimmers from age 8 and above will have completed the Waterskills programme and their skills will be sufficiently developed to begin training for competitive swimming. Swimmers may also enter the programme directly after being assessed by one of our qualified coaches. At this time swimmers will be training twice a week or more and aiming to represent the club at competition or to achieve County standards.

Competitive Swimming Training
At around the age of 11 or 12 swimmers will increase their training levels further and have begun a land-based programme to complement their swimming. Swimmers can still enter the programme directly after an assessment by one of our qualified coaches but will be expected to commit to the competitive programme. Competitive swimmers within the club should be aiming to represent the Club at competition and be aiming for County standards or higher.

Senior Competitive Swimming Training
Swimmers from age 13 and above will be swimming at least three times or more each week and be attending our land-based training programme. Swimmers may still join the programme but it is likely that these will be from a competitive swimming background. Senior competitive swimmers should be aiming to represent the club at competition and be at least at County standard or higher.

Adult & Masters Swimming
Adults can swim in recreational lane sessions on Mondays and Fridays from 9.15pm to 10.15pm at Halesowen Leisure Centre. Adult swimmers no longer in competitive training sessions can join our Masters sessions. These may be swimmers already within the club or those joining directly. Masters swimmers can continue to train up to and well beyond retirement age. Click here to send an enquiry about Adults & Masters Swimming

Members of Halesowen Swimming Club are part of a 350+ strong family in which no one member is any more important than another. We will do our best to help fulfil every member’s potential in whatever activity they take part. In November 2002 Halesowen Swimming Club was amongst the first three clubs nationally to be Swim 21 accredited and was the first of the original Swim 21 clubs to be re-accredited in February 2007. Clubs achieving Swim 21 also automatically meet the standards of Sport England’s Clubmark and signifies the Club’s commitment to being a safe, effective and child-friendly sports club. The Club runs the only accredited swimming programme in the locality.

Halesowen Swimming Club is run by an Executive Committee elected by the members at the Annual General Meeting in November each year and is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Club. The Club has an agreed set of rules and the Committee runs the Club in accordance with these.

Learn To Swim

Halesowen Swimming Club has run a Learn to Swim scheme since the Learner Pool facility was first opened in 1974 and has taught thousands of local children to swim.

Half-hour Lessons take place in the small pool on Friday evenings from 6.15pm. Children can join the scheme at any time after their fifth birthday and, after a brief assessment at their first lesson, enter at the appropriate level. Children progress from those who cannot swim at all through to improvers at later session times. We operate a rolling programme designed to work on various skills and these are rewarded with certificates and badges through the Waterskills award scheme. Lessons place the emphasis on fun and enjoyment in the water that ensures long-term progress.

There is more information below but if you are interested simply come along to our Club desk in the main foyer at 6.15pm on Fridays and ask to join our Learn to Swim programme.

You can E-Mail your Learn to Swim enquiry to this address lts@halesowensc.org.uk and we'll get back to you.

Some of the most frequently asked questions by parents are:

Does it matter if I join the scheme half way through a quarter?
No. We place children in the session appropriate to their ability. We treat and progress all children as individuals and not as a group.

What equipment is needed?
We provide arm bands and floats for children learning to swim and recommend the wearing of goggles and swimming hats to aid confidence in the water. The Club runs a swim shop on Friday evenings where equipment is available at a discount price.

How do children progress?
We have adopted the Waterskills award scheme that provides clear guidance on what children need to achieve before progressing. Although we do assess children regularly this is done as part of the lesson and children are not placed under pressure at any stage.

How structured are the lessons?
Lessons are structured but, like in the early days at school, play is a key feature in beginners’ lessons. When children are young it can be hard for them to concentrate for long periods of time and play makes it more interesting. Play also encourages confidence in the water that in turn aids progression. Lessons become more structured as children develop skills and confidence in the water.

Is half an hour a week enough for children to learn to swim quickly?
Yes. We have found, through many years experience, that young children learn very quickly with only half an hour in the pool each week.

What happens when my child is ready to leave the Learn to Swim scheme?
When children have progressed to our later sessions we discuss with parents what can happen next. Although many parents enrol their children with the sole aim of learning to swim a large number go on to become full members of the Club and continue their development in the main pool.

Why isn’t there a telephone number on your website?
Our experience is that people who have access to our website are more than happy to send E-Mail enquiries and ask further questions to our contact addresses. We have found that there is no substitute for coming to the pool and seeing our swimming lessons in action to see if it meets your expectations.

Will you be able to give me a place straight away?
We do our very best to fit swimmers in but we do have limited spaces available. We give priority to swimmers already within the club programme and there are occasions where you may be placed on a waiting list while existing club swimmers complete their progression. If you are placed on a waiting list we will hold your details and contact you if a place becomes available.

What order do you call swimmers from the waiting list?
Places do not become available in a set order and therefore we call swimmers as and when vacancies occur. This means that swimmers are not called from the lists in any specific order. In addition, we must ensure that we have a fair spread of age groups across our lessons.

Payment for Lessons
Payments for lessons are due on joining or at the beginning of each quarter (January, April, July and September) and are payable at the Club desk in the learner pool. Fees are set annually at or below similar Local Authority schemes.

Other Club Activities and Facilities
The Club also runs training sessions in the main pool on Friday evenings from 6.15pm for developing young swimmers right through to adults and we also train regularly on other days. We have a successful swimming squad through which children develop a strong sense of team spirit and enjoyment. We encourage parents of children in the Learn to Swim scheme to keep up to date with Club activities by reading our noticeboard in the main foyer, through our regular Newsletter and by visiting this website regularly.

Still want to know more?
We hope that we have given you enough information but if you want to know more then you can E-Mail your details or questions to us at the following address lts@halesowensc.org.uk and we’ll get back to you. You can also talk to us at our Club desk in the main foyer on Fridays from 6.30pm.

Click here to go back to the top of this page

Improvers & Competitive Swimming

Can I join the improvers’ scheme at any time?
Yes. We place children in the group appropriate to their ability. We treat and progress all children as individuals and not as a group.

What standard do swimmers need to have achieved to join the improvers’ programme?
Broadly speaking, swimmers will need to demonstrate the ability to swim a minimum of 25 metres continuously and be able to perform two different strokes.

What equipment is needed?
We provide pool equipment for children but swimmers will need goggles and swimming hats to aid confidence and efficiency in the water. The Club runs a swim shop on Friday evenings where equipment is available at a discount price.

How do children progress?
We have adopted the Waterskills award scheme that provides clear guidance on what children need to achieve before progressing. We assess swimmers continually as part of the sessions and children are not placed under pressure at any stage.

Is half an hour a week enough for children to learn to swim quickly?
Yes. Young children learn very quickly with only half an hour in the pool each week but as swimmers approach the higher Waterskills level we may ask them attend another session each week to speed progress further.

What standard do swimmers need to have completed the Waterskills programme?
There are a set of detailed skills for swimmers to have achieved but, broadly speaking, swimmers will be able to demonstrate a range of skills in the water, swim all four strokes and swim set distances in specific times. Early competitive swimmers will be able to swim continuously for at least 600 metres.

What happens when my child completes all the Waterskills levels?
When children have completed all the Waterskills levels they will be progressed into the next swimming session as part of early competitive training.

Why do all the ages of each stage overlap?
No two children are the same and will progress at different rates. It is true that children who start swimming early have an advantage but swimmers who join at the upper end of the age ranges can and do catch up very quickly.

What is early competitive training?
This is the first stage of becoming a competitive swimmer. Swimmers will gradually increase their time in the water, enter club competitions or compete for the club.

My child is a little older and wants to join the club but does not want to compete. What should I do?
We are first and foremost a competitive swimming club and base our sessions around this. Many, many swimmers join the club who did not intend to swim competitively but have gone on to become outstanding swimmers. If you are not sure that competitive swimming is your thing then why not at least give it a try? Remember that there are other clubs based in the Leisure Centre that may be just what you’re looking for.

Why isn’t there a telephone number on your website?
Our experience is that people who have access to our website are more than happy to send E-Mail enquiries and ask further questions to our contact addresses. We have found that there is no substitute for coming to the pool and seeing our swimming sessions in action to see if it meets your expectations.

If I come to the pool will you be able to assess my child straight away?
We do our very best to assess swimmers on their first visit. However, it is possible that you may be given an appointment for another time so that we can make sure your child can have a full assessment by one of our qualified coaches.

Payment for Sessions
In addition to session payments we charge a joining fee to help cover the costs of enrolling you as a member of the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) which provides mandatory insurance cover – this fee is then payable once a year in January. Payment for sessions are due on joining or at the beginning of each quarter (January, April, July and September) and are payable at the Club desk in the main foyer (Friday evenings only). Fees for single sessions are set annually at or below similar Local Authority schemes. Full payment details are provided when you enrol with the club.

Click here to go back to the top of this page