Swimming at Ferndown Leisure Centre
Swimming is a great way to stay physically active, whatever your age or ability. Whether you’re lane swimming to maintain and develop your fitness, splashing around with the family or learning to swim so that you can join in the fun, we have something for you!
Enjoy a range of swimming and pool activities for you and your whole family where you can have fun and be active together.
Learn to swim with our swimming lesson programme, book a swim session from our timetable or find out about our pool.
Swimming lessons
Our team follows the Swim England Learn to Swim Framework to deliver swimming lessons. We use fun and games to build water confidence from the first splash to a lifetime of loving swimming and being safe in the water.
Swimming lessons
Ready to get started? Most of our lessons can be booked online.
Learning to swim is an essential life skill - if you can swim you can enjoy all of the exciting activities that the water has to offer. We offer lessons for all ages and all of our lessons are taught by qualified teachers. Our team follows the Swim England Learn to Swim Framework to deliver swimming lessons.
Already on lessons with us? Please visit our useful information page for frequently asked questions about getting started and what to do after you've enrolled.
Children's lessons
- Lessons for school age children run at various times from 3.30pm - 6.00pm on weekdays and 8.00am - 11.00am on Saturdays.
- Adult & baby or adult & toddler sessions aimed at 18months-3 years run on Tuesday at 9.15am and Saturday at 10.05am.
- Pre-School lessons for 3-4 years run on Tuesdays at 9.45am and 3.30pm, Wednesdays & Fridays at 3.30pm and Saturday mornings at various times between 8.30am and 11.05am.
- Lessons for older beginners (7 years and older) are available on Monday, Thursday, and Friday during after school lessons. Times are dependent on swimmer experience.
- We also run intensive courses during school holidays. Click here for the most up to date course information.
To practice their swimming skills, all children on our swimming lesson programme benefit from free swimming in selected pool sessions.
Adult Swimming Lessons
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Adult lessons are available for all abilities whether you have a fear of the water, haven’t been swimming since school or if you want to refine your technique ready for an event.
Lessons are available both as a group or privately.
Other lessons
- Private lessons are available for children and adults that would benefit from 1 to 1 tuition
- Intensive courses are available during selected school holidays
Aquatic Skills Lessons
We run a variety of lessons for competent swimmers.
- Competitive Swimming (Stage 8,9,10), which develops their swimming abilities by focusing on technique and builds past the foundations of the Learn to Swim Programme.
- The Rookie Lifesaving Course teaches children crucial lifesaving skills, such as rescue methods and builds upon the skills within the Water Safety Awards.
- Aquatic Fun & Fitness, which incorporates elements of the competitive swimming with water safety and rookie lifesaving skills in a fun form of training.
Course Hub
When you join our swimming lessons you will be able to register for the Course Hub where you can:
- View the outcomes for each stage
- Track your child’s progress
- Get notifications when your child achieves an award
- Move your child to their next class
My Learn to Swim App
As a participant on our lesson programme you and your child can also benefit from the Swim England My Learn to Swim App. Watch our video at the bottom of this page for a preview of all the exciting features.
To find out more or join our swimming lessons, please book online.
Swimming memberships
We offer a range of Swim memberships that will allow you to enjoy your time in the pool – whether for fun or structured, fitness activity.
Take a look at what else is included in each membership type and learn how you can join today.
Pool info
We have two pools to enjoy at Ferndown Leisure Centre - our Main Pool and Teaching Pool.
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Main Pool |
Teaching Pool |
Family Fun
Make a splash at Ferndown Leisure Centre.
Baby and Toddlers through to weekend Family Fun sessions. Check out our timetable for details.
Aqua classes
We operate a number of Aquafit classes throughout the week. Take a look at our timetable to book your space.
Swimming clubs
Swimming across a wide range of ability levels, from novice to senior masters, our resident swimming clubs offer the opportunity to competitively swim and train.
Swimming clubs at Ferndown Leisure Centre
Here are the clubs that use our facilities.
Poole Swimming Club
We look at each individual who, with hard work and commitment, can be helped to reach their potential. This can be achieved if the swimmer is prepared to work hard, engage with the teacher/coach as well as other staff and parents.
Contact Barry Alldrick on 07725 910077 or via email.
Seagulls Synchro
Seagulls are the largest multi-disciplined competitive water based sports club in Dorset and offer youth swimming, masters swimming, synchronised swimming and water polo to the highest competitive standards.
Contact Chris Roach on 07508 242031 or via email.
Swim Bournemouth
Swim Bournemouth will strive to be the best trained and most successful club in Dorset while pushing to uphold the best ideals of sportsmanship. To achieve our goals we have a threefold mission:
Contact via email.
SWIMTAG
SWIMTAG is the latest, waterproof wearable technology that helps you track your swim strokes, lengths, times and calories burned. You can enter challenges and competitions to compete against other swimmers or your own personal best.
SWIMTAG is free for members. Simply sign up for SWIMTAG at reception, or via the link below.
SWIMTAG
Keep up to date
SWIMTAG keeps you up to date with your progress and achievements; we will notify you of your new personal best as well as competitions and challenges. Plus you’ll get notifications from your local pool on the latest news and events.
Challenges
Challenge yourself and others to take on an epic swim. Select a start and finish date for your challenge and SWIMTAG will update your progress as you move along the map. Invite your swim mates to join you and you could find yourself racing across the Channel or around the Isle of Wight!
Rule the Pool
Rule the Pool is a weekly competition for you to compare your swim against past swims and measure your progression over time against yourself and others. You will be able to upload a 400m swim (using any stroke) every week during any public session. Your 400m time will be added to an interactive league table which is published every Sunday night.
Don’t forget you can link your SWIMTAG activity into the Places Locker app.