Swimming lessons by term and level: how to organise them

Organise swimming lessons as weekly groups by level, run in terms, with a small number of places that matches the pool time you have and the safety of each group. Create one service per level with a clear description of what swimmers can already do, open the term's slots on the same day and time each week, and offer a short assessment for newcomers who don't know which level to choose. Parents book for their children, one place per child.

Swimming teachers don't always control the pool. You may rent lanes at set hours, share the pool with a club or teach in a private pool at fixed times. That pool time is your real timetable: build the lessons inside it, not the other way round. Note the hours you have each week, how many lanes or how much space, and whether the shallow end is available for beginners.

These are examples: your group sizes depend on the water depth, your qualifications and local rules, and on whether you have an assistant. On Book, create one service per level, set the number of places on each slot, and each swimmer books one place. When a group is full, it no longer appears on your page.

Describe each level with what the swimmer can already do, not just a name, so parents and adults choose the right one.

Swimming progresses with regular practice, so a term of weekly lessons on the same day and time works well. Create the slot once and repeat it on that weekday until the end of the term. Families then book the lessons they want in a few clicks, or you can book a child's whole term yourself from your calendar if the parent prefers.

Between terms, leave a break before the next one starts, and use it for assessments and new groups.

The booking form asks for first name, last name, email and phone, plus an optional note. The parent books and writes the child's name, age and any concern, like a fear of water or a medical condition you should know about, in the note. For siblings in the same group, each child is a separate booking, so each has a place.

Say in the description what to bring, such as goggles, a swim cap or a towel, and when to arrive to be changed and ready on time.

Parents aren't always sure which level fits. A short assessment, 15 minutes in the water, avoids a beginner landing in an improvers' group. Create it as a separate service with a few slots before each term, and book the child into the right group afterwards.

Children don't all progress at the same speed. At the end of a term, tell each family which group to book next, and write it in a short message rather than leaving them to guess. If a swimmer is ready mid-term, move them yourself: cancel their remaining bookings in the old group and book them into the new one, as long as there's a place. Setting one extra place in the higher groups at the start of a term makes these moves easier.

School holidays are a good time for intensive courses: the same group every day for a week, for example to help a child reach a milestone before summer. Create a separate service for the intensive course, open one slot per day from Monday to Friday, and say in the description that the course is booked for the whole week. Parents book each day, or you book the five days yourself when they sign up by phone.

Pools close for maintenance, galas or problems with the water. When a lesson is cancelled, cancel or move the bookings from your bookings list and tell families yourself, since Book doesn't email them when a booking changes. If you know closure dates in advance, simply don't create slots for those weeks.

Book costs €5/month, everything included: unlimited bookings and services, no commission and no contract. It doesn't take payments; handle term fees your usual way.