Pool Club

Aldryngton School PTA Pool Club 2024 (7th May until 27th Sept)

At the time of writing the below is correct and the intended plan for 2024!

If you wish to join Pool Club you must read the Operating Procedure & Rules (link further down page), complete the online application form below, and then pay online via Crowdfunder. You must pay online via Crowdfunder immediately after submitting the application form to complete your application. Only application forms with full payment and a resus booking will count as a complete application.

Pool Club membership application has closed for 2024. The deadline was 5pm on 16th April 2024 or 85 members whichever is achieved first.

Pool club application form 2024

Crowdfunder for payment 2024 – Please select the reward to pay, DON’T make a donation

PLEASE ALSO READ ALL THE FAQ’S FURTHER DOWN THIS PAGE AS THEY CONTAIN USEFUL INFORMATION, INCLUDING OPENING TIMES.

Members open and close the pool by sharing 5 Supervisory Duties (1 duty session = 1 hour). Members will need to allocate themselves 5 duties on a Pool Club rota. New members must complete 2 x 1 hour shadow duties (to gain experience) and 3 Supervisory Duties. If you have limited availability to undertake duties, then it is advisable to complete the rota early whilst more slots exist.

The 2024 Pool Club season will run from Tuesday 7th May until Friday 27th September.

Pool Club opening times – Term Time:
Monday to Thursday – 3:30pm to 8:00pm (Rota = 3:30pm-5:30pm, Non-Rota = 5:30-8:00pm)
Friday – 3:30pm to 5:30pm (Rota = 3:30pm-5:30pm)
Inset Days – 9:00am – 5:00pm (Non-Rota = 9:00am-2:00pm, Rota = 2:00-5:00pm)
Weekends + Bank holidays – Closed

Pool Club opening times – Holiday Time:
Monday to Thursday – 2:00pm to 8:00pm (Rota = 2:00pm-5:00pm, Non-Rota=5:00-8:00pm)
Friday – 2:00pm to 5:00pm (Rota = 2:00pm-5:00pm)
Weekends + Bank holidays – Closed
At some points the site controller will be on holiday and during these periods the pool will be closed. For 2024 the confirmed dates when the pool will be closed are  27th, 28th and 29th May; 3rd June; 24th, 25th and 26th July; 29th and 30th July; 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th August; and 4th September.

Rota sessions are when Pool Club members sign-up to supervise the pool, the non-rota sessions (as detailed above) are when Pool Club members can keep the pool open, as long as 2 members are supervising, including 1 resus trained member.

Pool Club membership entitles the whole family – children and parents/carers – to swim.

2024 Membership price is £55 (£54 membership plus £1 to cover Crowdfunder admin fees).

ROTA: The pool rota will be on a first come first served self-booking system.  You will be emailed a link to the live rota after applications close.  It is then your responsibility to choose your rota duties.  It is advisable to book your duty slots quickly if you have limited availability for supervisory duties.

The Pool Club will be closed on the following days: for Try-a-Tri preparations and Year 6 Leavers Party (dates TBC).  School and the PTA reserve the right to close the pool at other times as occasion requires.

Pool Club members are required to attend one resuscitation training session except those that have a valid First Aid certificate (and have also been a Pool Club member previously).  There are 5 training sessions to choose from, all taking place in the school hall/Mrs Dunn’s classroom before the Pool Club season commences.  The details/booking are included on the application form and all first adult members (who will undertake rota duties) must book on to 1 of the 5 sessions and attend it. Sessions are fixed at 20 members and there will be no ability to turn up to another session as all are expected to be full.

IMPORTANT MESSAGE:  It is essential that all members read and understand the Pool Operating Procedure and the Pool Club Rules, even if you have been a Pool Club member previously – reading and understanding the Pool Operating Procedure and the Rules is a condition of our insurance so please ensure you do so, a copy can be found below.  Please contact us if there is anything you do not understand.

Documents for 2024:

Link to Operating Procedure & Rules

Link to Risk Assessment

Link to Visitor Disclaimer Form

Any queries regarding Pool Club please email pool@aldryngtonpta.com

Important Message:  When completing the online application form you must click on SUBMIT at the end of the form, failure to SUBMIT will result in your application not completing.  To pay online use the separate payment link AFTER clicking submit on the application form.  The payment link can be found on the PTA Pool Payment page.

Reminders re Pool Safety, Care and Conduct in and around the Pool …

  • Safety is paramount.
  • Small children, non-swimmers or less confident swimmers must keep to the shallow end.
  • Older children and confident swimmers are encouraged to use the deeper end.
  • Children should not play games that might submerge another child under the water.
  • Parents and guardians must supervise their child(ren) at all times.
  • All those on Supervision duty must have their full attention on the pool.
  • Woggles and pool equipment should be shared and used sensibly.
  • To preserve the life of the woggles and other equipment, and to prevent harm to others they must be used sensibly and not be beaten against each other, hit against the sides of the pool or used to hit other pool users.
  • Pool equipment in particular the sinking rings must not be thrown at great distances as these could strike a person, the rings are to be used only for their intended purpose.
  • Children should be reminded to consider those sat in chairs beside the pool so that they are not splashed excessively.
  • Parents and guardians should ensure their child is abiding by the rules.

Information from Pool Club membership meeting on 1st March 2022: Meeting 01Mar2022

Pool Club FAQs:

Some of these questions have been asked before …

If your question isn’t answered here or within the Operating Procedure & Rules, please email your query to pool@aldryngtonpta.com

What size is the pool?

The pool is 17m x 7.5m and is 0.8m at the shallow end and 1.2m (4ft) at the deep end.

Who can join PTA Pool Club?

All Aldryngton families are invited to join the PTA Pool Club so providing you have a child in Foundation or Years 1 to 6 at the start of the summer term then you can join.

Please explain how the supervision duties work?

Members open and close the pool by sharing Supervisory Duties. All previous members must undertake 5 x 1-hour duties and new members in 2022 must undertake 2 x 1 hour shadow duties plus 3 rota duties once the shadow duties are complete. Duties are carried out from the poolside.  Each duty is a 1-hour shift.  Only those who have attended a Resuscitation Training session or who are qualified First-Aiders can be Supervisor, if you are not trained or exempt for any reason you must be on duty with someone that is resus trained.

What are the pool opening times?

The 2024 Pool Club season will run from Tuesday 7th May until Friday 27th September.
Pool Club opening times – Term Time:
Monday to Thursday – 3:30pm to 8:00pm (Rota = 3:30pm-5:30pm, Non-Rota = 5:30-8:00pm)
Friday – 3:30pm to 5:30pm (Rota = 3:30pm-5:30pm)
Inset Days – 9:00am – 5:00pm (Non-Rota = 9:00am-2:00pm, Rota = 2:00-5:00pm)
Weekends + Bank holidays – Closed

Pool Club opening times – Holiday Time:
Monday to Thursday – 2:00pm to 8:00pm (Rota = 2:00pm-5:00pm, Non-Rota=5:00-8:00pm)
Friday – 2:00pm to 5:00pm (Rota = 2:00pm-5:00pm)
Weekends + Bank holidays – Closed
At some points the site controller will be on holiday and during these periods the pool will be closed. For 2024 the confirmed dates when the pool will be closed are  27th, 28th and 29th May; 3rd June; 24th, 25th and 26th July; 29th and 30th July; 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th August; and 4th September.

If there is a shortfall in the expected number of members the rota will be adjusted to ‘non rota swimming’ on some days. These will mostly fall in the second half of the summer holidays.

Why is the pool not open at weekends?

The monitoring of the chemicals in the pool has previously been carried out by the Site Controller and Pool Club members.  For the safety of the Pool Club members, it has been decided that only the Site Controller will use the equipment in the chemical room and monitor the chemicals.  The Site Controller is not contracted to work weekends, so the PTA have examined other options to try and keep the pool open at weekends.  Local Site Controllers who manage pools, for example Loddon School, were contacted and have declined our offer to be paid for this work.  External companies have provided quotes and it would add at least £180 to the cost of membership, as they charge 1.5 times on Saturdays and double time on Sundays.  Longer opening hours have been introduced during week days to assist full time working Pool Club members and children in after school clubs/activities, who might be able to attend the pool later in the evening.

If I’m on duty do I need to enter the water? 

Except in the case of an emergency those on Duty do not enter the water – you are supervising from the poolside.

What do the supervision duties entail?

Both members on the duties rota will be responsible for opening, operating and closing the pool as outlined in the operating procedure and rules.  The duty of supervisor means you must watch the pool to ensure children are safe and are behaving in accordance with the rules, you should conduct frequent headcounts to ensure number in the pool match the number in the attendance book, you must ensure the Pool Rules are adhered to. One of the two supervisors will also need to be stationed near the entrance gate and will write the names of swimmers in and out of the attendance book as they arrive, the supervisor on the gate must keep an eye on numbers in the attendance book ensuring the pool doesn’t exceed maximum capacity and they will also conduct a headcount of swimmers in the pool to be sure they match the number in the attendance book, both supervisors must watch the pool at all times (including not using mobile phones which can distract).  At busy times there may be a third member on duty acting as supervisor watching the pool, they must be resus trained, this enables the pool to exceed 20 and go up to a maximum of 35.  If Covid restrictions are re-introduced, the maximum number will be reduced to 25 to prevent overcrowding both in and out of the water.

Please explain the situation with children under the age of 5.

Siblings or guests under the age of 5 are permitted to use the pool, but in order for an adult to operate the pool either on rota or non-rota, arrangements should be made for a friend or family member to look after your under 5 while you’re on duty.

Can adults use the pool?

Adults are welcome to use the pool.  To clarify, unless accompanying a child under the age of 5 then any adults entering the water should be included in the number of bathers in the pool.  An adult with an under 5 counts as 1.  Numbers must not exceed 20 with 2 supervisors on duty or 35 with a 3rd supervisor.  This is a condition of our insurance and must be adhered to.

Are guests welcome to swim?

Members will be able to bring 2 guests to the pool (each visit) From June 2024 onwards.  Guests can be paid for on the gate at £3.50 per person, payable by any person entering the water (max 2 per family, per visit).  A visitor disclaimer must be completed for all guests entering the pool.  The disclaimer form is available on the gate or can be printed from the website and completed in advance.  Only visitors that are not Aldryngton families are permitted to use the pool as a guest.  During the school summer holiday, year 6 pupils having just left Aldryngton and any other leavers are still considered Aldryngton pupils and therefore cannot use the pool as a guest of another member, current year 6 pupils must have purchased a family membership to swim in the summer holiday.

We are pool club members, but I cannot take my children as I’m working, can my parents take them? 

Yes, as long as you are pool club members your children can be taken to the pool by other adult family members such as grandparents, or they can be taken to the pool by childminders or friends.

How do I contact other pool club members?

You can contact all members by emailing poolclub2023@aldryngtonpta.com.  A list of phone numbers can be found on the members list with the attendance book.

You can contact the main pool club organisers by emailing pool@aldryngtonpta.com

Why is the pool only open until 5:30pm on school days?

Members will be rota’d for Supervisor and Gate duty from 3:30pm until 5:30pm on school days, but the pool does not have to close at 5:30pm, it can remain open for non-rota swimming until 8pm. If the pool is kept open after 5:30pm, the rules governing non-rota swimming must be observed. In particular, those staying on must be willing to relieve the rota’d supervisors (unless they are responsible for under-5s) and help with closing the pool at the end of the session. (See the Operating Procedure and the FAQ on non-rota swimming below.)

Why don’t we abolish supervision duties and employ a lifeguard?

The PTA examined this option several times some years ago. At the time it was established that to employ a lifeguard, even at National Minimum Wage, would increase the cost of membership. There would be the additional burden of dealing with the administrative side of employing someone, along with the issues of recruitment and retention. In addition, the pool could only be open when the lifeguard was on duty, i.e. there would be no non-rota swimming. It is also felt that this would undermine the principle that the Pool Club should be a community collective, needing the input of all its members to function.

Do I need to carry out my duty if raining?

You must be prepared to open the pool come rain or shine unless there is thunder and lightning.  If it is raining before your opening up duty starts and you suspect nobody will want to swim then you can email all members to ask if there is interest in swimming, if there is then you should open.  The pool should not be opened in thunder and lightning.  There are some golf umbrellas in the Pool cupboard.

After I’ve opened the pool for non-rota swimming, I can’t get anyone to take over as supervisor. What can I do?

If no-one is prepared to take over supervision, close the pool. (See Rule 2)

The Operating Procedure for non-rota sessions states: “The names of those acting as supervisors must also be recorded in the Attendance Book. Should anyone refuse to participate in supervisory duties (other than those with children under 5) this should also be recorded in the Attendance Book. Members are reminded that the Pool Club is a collective community activity that relies on the mutual cooperation of its members for its success. If you are asked to take on Supervisor duties during non-rota swimming, please be willing and prepared to do so.

I’m Supervisor and there are over 20 getting in the pool – how do I choose the third Supervisor?

By custom, the third supervisor is the adult accompanying the 21st child. If they are exempt (not qualified by attendance at a Resus Training session or if they are in charge of an under-5) then the next qualified adult should be asked. (See Rule 6).  A third supervisor will enable 35 bathers in the pool.

There are more than 35 bathers wanting to swim, what shall we do?

In particularly busy periods there might be more bathers than normal wanting to use the pool.  This is rare at any time other than straight after school on a hot day.  In this instance the supervisors should initially find out if anyone will soon be leaving, this could immediately solve the problem if someone is about to leave.  Once the pool is full to capacity, it is full, and members can choose to wait or not.  With each duty lasting 1 hour, it is likely that after an hour bathers will leave the pool, proving space for additional swimmers, so you can wait or return in an hour.

I am responsible for 2 children in the pool, one is under 5 and I need to change them in the changing room, but I have another child in the pool, what do I do?

You can ask another adult around the pool if they can supervise your child in the pool, while you are in the changing room.  If this is not possible, all children under your responsibility will have to exit the pool and remain in your care.

Can we use inflatables for swimmers to play on in the pool?

A flotation safety device/buoyancy aid for young or weak swimmers, can always be used and is recommended.  For inflatables to play on, see rule 4 of the pool rules, as it stipulates that, ‘Inflatables to play on (not flotation safety device/buoyancy aids) should only be used if 15 swimmers or less are present in the pool and with the agreement of the pool supervisors. Accompanying adults are responsible for safety of swimmers using the inflatable while in the water. No more than 2 inflatables to play on, are allowed in the pool at any time.’

Accidents, Incidents and Emergency Procedures:

  • A stocked first aid kit is available in the Pool cupboard.
  • All accidents must be reported in the accident book and brought to the attention of the Pool Club Co-Ordinators, this includes incidents of sickness or other bodily waste in the pool.
  • The PTA take all accidents and incidents extremely seriously, if you have any concerns then you must bring them to our attention so they can be dealt with.
  • Laminated documents containing Resuscitation Flow Charts and Swimming Pool Emergency Procedures are dotted all around the pool area – on fences and on doors, please familiarise yourself with these documents.
  • The Swimming Pool Emergency Procedure provides details the Whistle Blowing Policy (one sharp blow = stop/look/listen, two sharp blows = everyone out).
  • If a child has sustained a bump to the head, it is the discretion of the parent and those on duty as to the action taken.  If child has sustained a bump that is visible and/or requires treatment, then the recommendation is they do not re-enter the pool.
  • If bodily waste ends up in the pool, then the pool should be immediately cleared of swimmers and the pool should be closed.  The waste should be removed from the pool, if possible, using the net provided and disposed of down the toilet.  Contaminated play items such as floats and woggles etc should remain in the pool as they will be sanitised as part of the next chemical dosing process. Place the cover on the pool.  The pool should remain closed, and the Site Controller and Pool Club Co-Ordinators notified.
  • In the case of a total evacuation of the area, the assembly point is the gazebo/junior playground.
  • A defibrillator is located just outside the pool gates located on the brick wall next to the PTA garage. Another defibrillator is located inside the school building in the office foyer, access to it is only possible if the main school building is open for holiday club or for staff.

I have a serious safety concern, who shall I talk to?

Refer to Point 3 of the Operating Procedure, laminated copies are with the attendance book and also copies are attached to the poolside fences.  All accidents must be reported in the accident book and brought to the attention of the Pool Club Co-Ordinators as soon as you can, email pool@aldryngtonpta.com.  The PTA take all accidents and incidents extremely seriously, if you have any concerns then you must bring them to our attention so they can be dealt with.