We understand that sometimes students and their parents have requests for their favourite teachers. We will always try to accommodate your requests but unfortunately due to the nature of the swim school we cannot guarantee teachers and we reserve the right to change teachers if / when necessary.

You can request to join a waitlist for your preferred class/instructor and we will contact you when a space becomes available.

You can find our most up to date Terms and Conditions via our website here - https://www.fultonswimschool.co.nz/terms-and-condtions/ 

Or if you currently have an account with us, these can be found on our app or parent portal. 

Web browser - Parent Portal 

ICP App

Please note by booking into lessons with us you are agreeing to our terms and conditions, so please ensure that you are familiar with these.

When / if our Terms and Conditions change at any time these are updated on website, when logging into app or portal you will be prompted to accept updated terms and conditions. 

Our booking system runs on a Perpetual basis. This means that your booking on the system does not have an end date. If you do not wish to continue your booking please cancel your lessons by following the below article:

https://fultonswimschool.freshdesk.com/en/support/solutions/articles/47000888470-cancellation-of-lessons

At Fulton Swim School we pride ourselves on having warm pools, we keep our pools to at least 32 degrees.

Botany - Slopes from 0.8 through to 1.2m

New Plymouth - Small Pool 0.7 and Large Pool 0.9.

Patumahoe - Slopes from 0.7 through to 1.2m.

Puni - Slopes from 0.7 through to 1m.

Upper Hutt - Slopes from 0.8 through to 1.6m.

Please note that where required we use benches in our pool at start and end points. These are for students that may not be able to touch the bottom of the pool.

Our facilities are solely used for learn to swim lessons. You can be sure your child will have less distractions at Fulton Swim School and we ensure our class sizes remain small. All of our learn to swim classes have an optimum of 4 and a maximum of 5 students to 1 teacher (8:1 for baby classes where parents are in the pool also). Our Ratio increases to 6:1 in our Legends level as they are confident swimmers and lesson time is extended. This is below the industry standard and enables our teachers to focus on their students and ensures progression is fast. At Fulton Swim School we’re focused and committed to making learning to swim an enjoyable experience at all levels.

We see it as vitally important to reward and encourage our children to swim and to try their best so place a huge emphasis on celebrating all of our students achievements. Its because of this that we offer differing forms of awards including the following:

• Ribbons which are awarded to a child when they move up a level.
• An electronic certificate which is emailed to you outlining your child’s achievements.
• Swimmer of the week award which is awarded to a child in the swim school whom has achieved something outstanding personally to them.
• Our achievement bell which a child gets to ring when they achieve something special.
• We also find the best award you can give a child is the teachers (and your) time and encouragement.

Absolutely. We believe that all adults should know how to swim comfortably. It is particularly important for parents, to help ensure the safety of their children. We have instructors who are trained to help adults learn to swim, perfect their strokes and gain fitness.

Our adult classes start at beginner lessons through to adult technique lessons. Note these are not currently held at all of our branches, so please enquire through our support office if you have particular learning requirements.

The bath tub is a great place to enjoy water play and to help a child become more comfortable with the water. Many skills can be practiced in a bathtub. Don’t be afraid to pour water over your child’s head and face. 

We also encourage parents to take their child in a pool as often as possible. Exposure to swimming and having fun in the pool is the best way to mitigate or eliminate any fear of water or swimming. Remember in any environment with water to watch your child, drowning is quick and silent.

Goggles and Caps are required for children from Explorers level up, however we do encourage them to wear caps from Rugrats level.
Girls: fitting one piece togs (no bikinis, rash vests or board shorts).
Boys: fitting swim briefs or shorts (nylon rugby shorts are suitable).

Children swimming in rash shirts and board shorts are disadvantaged due to the drag that is created in the water by wearing them. This swimwear is great for the beach and to protect children from the sun but makes learning to swim difficult. 

You can purchase Swim caps, goggles and reusable nappies at our on-site shop, located in each of our facilities or through our online shop.

If you find a class day/time that suits you to swim but the class is currently fully booked, you may request to join a waitlist for that class time. You can do this through our online parent portal or FSS App.

Your request will be approved and our team will contact you when a space is available. The space is offered in order of waitlist requests as you may not be the only one on the waitlist for that class.

If you are waiting for a space for siblings at the same time and are offered the space when it becomes available but decline it for now (space only available for one sibling) then that space is not held and will be offered to the next on the waitlist.

If your child is showing flu-like symptoms, has a fever or any stomach or digestion problems or generally unwell, we request that they do not attend swim lessons. 

Please log into the customer portal on our website or FSS App and mark your child as not attending.

Once logged in click on "Account" (if using the app you may need to at this point select the student's name) then "Future Absences" and record a future absence. Follow the prompts from here. You will receive a make up token after their scheduled class time. Tokens have no expiry, however can only be used whilst you have an active booking.

Yes. If your child has special needs / a learning difficulty, please communicate with the staff and instructor about their individual needs. The more information we have on the needs of your child, the more effectively we can teach them to swim.

We can also offer private lessons when required which are made by prior arrangement only and subject to timetable and staff availability.

Maximum number of students in our private classes is limited to 1:1. The class runs for 25 minutes and cost is $60.00 per lesson. Enquire through our support office for more information. 

We recommend that children be exposed to water as soon as they are born. The bath tub is a great place to enjoy water play and to help a child become more comfortable with the water. Many skills can be practiced in a bathtub. Don’t be afraid to pour water over your child’s head and face.

We commence parent and child classes at three months of age. Our classes develop confidence, water awareness and improve motor co-ordination in an aquatic environment. Children will learn skills that are vital for their development as swimmers and also water safety.

Remember it's never too late to start! Here is a link below to a blog that we have that goes over when the best age to start swimming in detail.

https://www.fultonswimschool.co.nz/blog/14-09-2020/when-is-the-best-age-to-start-swimming-/

Our teachers are trained to work with even the most fearful or nervous swimmers. Reassure your child and stay calm and then let the instructor work with your child.

Some children experience separation anxiety or fear of a new place which both will diminish over time. Over the years we have developed many strategies to work through and overcome a student’s fears and anxiety.

We recommend that you do not pull your child out of the pool during a lesson or stop lessons altogether. This can be detrimental because it allows the fear to be reinforced without giving the lessons a chance to work and the instructor the opportunity to alleviate the student’s fears. Your child’s safety is our top priority.

Please be patient and allow the instructors and staff to do what we do best - teaching every child to learn to swim and love to swim!

If a group class is not full we reserve the right to change and consolidate classes in the timetable. However we will do our best to fill the class up rather than remove the class. 

Yes, we run lesson all year round as consistency is key to learning to swim, so we continue through school holidays.

We do however close on public holidays, Easter weekend and Christmas/New Year period for approx 2 weeks. Keep up to date with our holiday closure times through our social media sites our on our weekly Short Sharp Wrap (via our app).

If you are going away in school holidays, remember to record your child's absence so you can receive a make up token to use when they are back.

Our support office is open between 9:00am and 2:30pm Monday to Thursday, 9:00am and 2:00pm on Fridays.  Although our pools are open on the weekends and our support office is only open during the week.  Our support office is closed for Public Holidays.

Our lessons are booked on an ongoing weekly basis. You're not able to book in a lesson for every second week. Casual or one off lessons might be an option if you're unable to make it every week.

Until the age of 3 years we require a parent or caregiver to be in the water with each child.

If a parent or caregiver would like to be in the pool to reassure a first time swimmer (in an older than 3 years level) they are welcome to do so for the first lesson.

This is a very commonly asked question! Here at Fulton Swim School we do not run by term, we swim all year round and only close over the Christmas / New Year period (approx 2 weeks) and on Public Holidays. 

When booking lessons you will be required to provide credit card details to save on file to pay for the remaining lessons of the month and then ongoing monthly payments on the 1st of every month.

As consistency is key to learning to swim, so we continue through school holidays. The holiday period is a popular time that everyone is swimming through the warmer months, so we want to be keeping up the practice! 

We do however close for a period of time over the Christmas / New Year period (approx 2 weeks). To give our teachers a well deserved break. There is no charge for lessons of this time however our DD will still run on the 1st Jan for the pro-rata amount for lessons after this closure period.  Please note that unless you cancel your booking prior to the 20th of December your booking will automatically roll over to the New Year.

Our last lessons for this year will be on Friday 23rd December.
We will re-open for all lessons on Monday 9th of January 2023.

An active booking is your enrollment or your child's ongoing enrollment in lessons with us at Fulton Swim School. When you cancel your lessons your booking has a drop date added to it. Your booking remains active until this drop date is reached. Drop dates are often the last swim day of the month once you have requested to cancel.

You're able to keep up to date with your child's progress using our FSS App or online Parent portal.

FSS App

Login to App and select "Account"

You may at this point need to select the student's name

Select "Evaluations"

Click on your child's current level

Online Parent portal

Login to parent portal on our website

Select "My Account" 

Click on "Evaluations"

Click on "Group Lessons"

Scroll down and select your child's current level

After following the above prompts you're able to view the goals for this particular level.  You're also able to see by looking at the stars how your child is progressing.  1 star means that the goal has been attempted.  2 stars mean that the goal is currently being learned.  3 stars mean that the goal has been mastered!  You're also able to see the date that the goal was updated by selecting the down arrow on the right hand side of each goal.

Any time you like. We take bookings 24 hours per day, 7 days per week via our website. However we can only take bookings up to 1 week in advance. 

If you need any assistance with levels / booking please do not hesitate to contact us at info@fultonswimschool or give us a call.