Terms & Conditions

as of June 26th 2023

Seasonal Payments

Each payment will entitle customers to a (13) thirteen-week swim term with Penguins Palace. 

The first payment will be acquired upon registration. On the seventh week of each active swim term, a payment will be requested for the following term. Failing to make payments in time will lead to a withdrawal from forthcoming terms. 

Penguins Palace communicate by phone call, text message and/or email in regards to confirmation of payment, lesson information, lesson changes or cancellations. Therefore, we accept no responsibility if you have changed any of these addresses or numbers and not informed us of the change via your online account.

Monthly Payments

Payments are processed automatically on the third week of each month, according to the amount of lessons in the respective month. All payments are made two months ahead of time. 

Upon enrolment, customers will pay for a total of two months at Penguins Palace to align with existing swimmers.

All details acquired at Penguins Palace are stored safely and securely, and are strictly used for billing purposes only. The only card information visible to our staff after data entry, would be the last 4 digits for reference. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information on this matter.

Refunds & Customer Cancellations

Customers have up to (28) twenty eight days before the first day of their respective swim term or forthcoming swim month to cancel lessons. Customers are entitled to full refunds so long as they notify Penguins Palace by email or via phone in the aforementioned timeframe. A verbal and written receipt will be issued to confirm this. 

If a customer is enrolled in an active swim term or monthly plan, and have opted to cancel the following term or month, they will receive an additional email from Penguins Palace outlining the lessons remaining before membership ceases.

You will be removed from lessons with immediate effect if; You directly cancel your Direct Debit with your bank or building society. 

Penguins Palace will not provide any refunds if you decide to cancel your membership when the new swim term or month has begun.

Absences & Administrative Cancellations

Customers are not entitled to refunds in the case of absences. Refunds and catch-up lessons will be allocated only in the case of ill health with a doctors note (Please see the section, “Health conditions of the swimmer”)

If any lesson or lessons must be cancelled at any point by Penguins Palace, you will be entitled to either a catch-up lesson, which may be redeemed on any other day or time we operate, or a deduction from your next payment with us. Penguins Palace is not responsible for any associated costs you may incur because of this action. 

Penguins Palace will adhere to government guidelines in the case of a pandemic. In the case of rules that may hinder swimming lessons, (i.e the closure of gyms and swimming pools), Penguins Palace will freeze all payments and lessons. Penguins Palace will resume lessons once government guidelines deem it fit to continue. Customers are not entitled to refunds for this reason. Lessons missed due to a pandemic or lockdown will roll over to the forthcoming swim term or month.

If for any reason the allocated teacher cannot deliver a lesson, Penguins Palace will do their best to ensure another qualified member of the team covers this lesson. If this is not possible, we endeavour to inform you in advance of the lesson. Affected customers will be entitled to either a catch-up lesson, which may be redeemed on any other day or time we operate, or a deduction from your next payment with us.

Penguins Palace reserves the right to cancel, or change the day and time of a lesson if there are insufficient participants booked on.

If due to unforeseen circumstances, there are health and safety concerns or insufficient staff to safely conduct the lesson, we reserve the right to cancel the said lesson(s), as the safety of our participants is paramount. Affected customers will be entitled to either a catch-up lesson, which may be redeemed on any other day or time we operate, or a deduction from your next payment with us.

Health conditions of the swimmer

If for medical reasons your child cannot attend their scheduled lesson(s), your account will be accredited with the amount of lessons missed. This can only be processed upon the evidence of a medical note. Accredited lessons are to be redeemed at a further date/time upon approval by both Penguins Palace and the parent of said child.

Please do not bring your child to Penguins Palace if they have developed a suspected medical condition. Never bring your child to lessons if they have any illnesses that could be worsened or passed on to others in this environment, such as corona virus, chickenpox, sickness and diarrhoea, ear infections, impetigo, conjunctivitis or a bad case of a cold / flu like symptoms. In the instance of sickness and diarrhoea please ensure your child has been clear of all symptoms for 48+ hours before returning to our sites.

Penguins Palace may refuse your child entry into the lesson if it is suspected they are unwell/unfit to participate.

Please ensure any toddlers who are not yet potty-trained wear swim nappies for the entirety of their swim lessons. 

You must provide disability or medical information upon signing up to Penguins Palace. If there are any changes or updates to the fitness of your child, you must update their teacher accordingly. Alternatively, customers can send an email to management@penguinspalace.org

General Rules

If Penguins Palace deems that a customer is not acting in a proper manner or conducts in inappropriate behaviour/language, it is at the discretion of the Penguins Palace team to refuse entry and/or revoke and cancel memberships.

Parents and guardians must be on site for the entirety of their children’s swim lessons. If it is brought to our attention that parents have left children unattended without good reason, their membership access will be reviewed. 

In alliance with Covid Guidelines, we plead with parents and guardians to only allow one adult in the changing room with the respective swimmer. This will keep our numbers down and potential risk of outbreak to a minimum. On this note, we currently allow one parent per family in the poolside area. This ruling allows us to accommodate for all of our students and their respective guardians.  

Penguins Palace does not accept any liability for any loss or damage as a result of your use of the car parking facilities, all such use is at your own risk. 

Customers’ items and belongings are the responsibility of the customer alone, and leaving them unattended will be at your own risk. Once all lessons are finished, our staff will check each changing room and poolside to see if any items/belongings have been left behind. We have a lost property box on both sites. Dry items will be stored for four weeks from the day of discovery, and to prevent the build up of mould and bacteria, wet items will be stored for only one week from the day of discovery.

Swim Rules

All customers must shower before entering the swimming pool. It is advised they also shower upon leaving the pool. 

We plead with customers to not eat full meals up to an hour before swimming. 

Whilst customers are using Penguins Palace swim equipment, they must respect the equipment and not damage it. Failure to do so will result in the customer’s reimbursement for respective items and/or the removal from our swim school.

No outdoor footwear should be worn once you arrive on poolside. Please wear blue overshoes, flip flops or sandals on poolside. 

All customers must comply with the NOP, EAP, Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy and Health & Safety policies provided by Penguins Palace.

Use of phones and recording devices

Use of mobile phones and any electronic or photography equipment are not permitted to be used in the changing rooms or in the viewing area of swimming lessons. If you are seen to take images or videos that may have other children in the background, you will be asked to delete the aforementioned footage and possibly removed from the premises.

Penguins Palace will always require and request the consent of the respective parent or guardian in regards to recording or taking photos of their children. Consent forms are presented upon enrolment, and available upon request.

Switching classes and times 

If a customer would like to change a class or time of their lesson, you must email Penguins Palace explaining the circumstance. The team will do our best to adhere to these changes so long as they are within reason and the desired lesson has space for more participants. Customers are not allowed to change lessons or the time of their lesson without the verbal and written conformation of Penguins Palace. In the case we are unable to fulfil said request, customers will be placed on a waiting list for their desired class.  

Once a swimmer has passed all of their assessments, their teacher will sign them off and begin the process to move students to a higher swimming stage. Penguins Palace will notify customers as soon as their children have passed their assessments, so we can work together to find the right day and time for their new class. Our swimming stages are in accordance with Swim England guidelines.

Changes to terms and conditions

We regularly assess and review our terms and conditions, and privacy policies. In the case that we make amendments or add new material to the aforementioned, all customers will be notified by email. If a client is not happy to accept the changes, they should notify Penguins Palace in writing of their non-acceptance within 14 days of receipt of the changes. Failing any such communication from the client, the franchisee will deem that they fully accept the updated terms & conditions.

These terms were last revised on the 26th of June 2023.