Explore the information below to learn more about each of the academy groups and find the best option for your child. When ready, complete the online registration
Read the overview of each swimming lesson group. Hat colour codes are shown for each group and can be purchased at reception. For more information about each level, review the Level Guide.
If you are unsure of which group to enrol the swimmer into, you can contact us via pool@pslc.ie
Seahorses is our introduction to the water for our younger swimmers where they will begin their swimming journey. They will focus on developing their water confidence and comfortability.
Goldfish will begin adding basic swimming skills such as water safety, kicking, putting their faces into the water and continue building water confidence.
Green Hat
Turtles will focus on independent swimming and adding their arm action in with their kicking practices whilst learning the basics of breathing.
Orange Hat
Starfish will practice their Frontcrawl breathing and coordination alongside their Backcrawl whilst also developing deep water confidence and skills.
Red Hat
Seals is our first level in the Deep End which is a big step for any young swimmer. Here they will continue developing their deep water safety skills alongside learning the basics of their new stroke – Breaststroke.
Blue Hat
Crocs will focus on the difficult task of coordinating their Breaststroke arms, legs and breathing while also building strength and distance in their Frontcrawl and Backcrawl.
Bright Blue Hat
Dolphins will continue building their stamina with a distance increase on their Frontcrawl, Backcrawl and Breaststroke and will be introduced to their final stroke- Butterfly.
Navy Hat
Orcas is our final level before swimmers graduate from the Academy. Here swimmers will fine tune their skills on all four strokes and increase their strength and endurance with a progression to full lane swimming.
Black Hat
Swimmers can continue on their swimming journey down a path of competitive swimming, lifesaving or other avenues with our partner organisations as they enjoy the water for life.
White Hats are for Advanced Lanes/Rookie Lifeguards & Adult Swimmers
The following information below gives a brief description of each swimming lesson group. Please read each group description carefully to ensure the correct swim group is selected. If you are unsure on which group to enrol the swimmer into, you can contact us at pool@pslc.ie.
✓ For all children who all not yet in primary school and or are in preschool.
✓ First time/ weak swimmers
✓ Armbands
✓ A teacher is in the water
✓ Will learn the basic swimming skills (safe entry and exits, kicking, face in the water).
✓ Needs to swim with an aid (float or woggle).
✓ All children must wear armbands for the lessons unless.
✓ Must be in Primary school or 5 years old for this group.
✓ First time/ weak swimmers
✓ Armbands
✓ A teacher is present in the water
✓ Will learn the basic swimming skills (safe entry and exits, kicking, face in the water).
✓ Needs to swim with an aid (float or woggle).
✓ Can swim with no aids on front.
✓ Can swim with no aids on back.
✓ Basic arms on their front.
✓ Can swim with no aids on front.
✓ Can swim with no aids on back.
✓ Swim with arms and basic breathing on their front.
✓ Swim with basic arms on their back.
✓ Able to swim on front and back with arms.
✓ Basic breathing
✓ Can swim 10 metres without stopping (deep end to the redline)
✓ Basic breast stroke legs.
✓ Confidence swimming in the deep end (beside the wall).
✓ Basic jumps- pencil jump, kneeling dive.
✓ Confident front and back swimming with good arms and breathing.
✓ Can swim 15 metres on front and back.
✓ Good breaststroke with legs.
✓ Dolphin kick/ butterfly leg action
✓ Confident in deep end.
✓ Thread water for 20 seconds
✓ Stand up dive
✓ Confident front and back swimming with good arms and breathing.
✓ Can swim 20 metres on front and back.
✓ Strong breaststroke.
✓ Dolphin kick/ butterfly leg action
✓ Confident in deep end.
✓ Thread water for 30 seconds
✓ Stand up dive
✓ 2 lengths of front crawl
✓ 2 lengths of back crawl
✓ 2 lengths breaststroke
✓ Very confident in the deep end.
✓ Butterfly
✓ Able to swim 3 lengths minimum without stopping in each stroke.
✓ Quality deep end skills (diving and treading water)
✓ Bronze, Silver, Gold Groups
✓ Swim Teacher will assess each person and select the appropriate group.
✓ Can swim 25m without stopping.
✓ Would like to learn basic lifesaving skills.
✓ Will Learn with swim in clothes
✓ Safety carry techniques and strokes.
✓ Straddle jump
2026/2027 timetable to be published soon. Follow pslc.ie/news for the latest updates on our pool
September 2026
If you need to make staff aware of anything during lessons please go to reception or the knock on the pool exit door in the changing rooms to speak to a lifeguard/ pool supervisor.
Access the home portal to register and complete your first and future bookings.
Have your credentials to hand. Forgotten your password? Complete the forgot password process before calling reception for support.
Complete all fields including address and phone number (using international format e.g. 00353 87 123 4567).
Enroll one child at a time
All bookings must be completed online only via our HomePortal.
We are not taking any new bookings or waiting list requests at this time.
Please review the Academy Overview and Level Guide above. If a child is a complete beginner they are strongly advised to enroll only in the Goldfish class. If after viewing our guidelines you are still unsure what level is most appropriate for your child, please do not hesitate to contact us – pool@pslc.ie
The initial enrolment takes place at the beginning of the academic year, and if your child is successful in securing a place, they will hold this spot for the academic year, September through June.
We generally run three terms a year: September to Christmas, January to Easter and Easter to Summer. The dates and lengths of these change year to year depending on school holidays. You will be notified of the full details of each term prior to re-enrolment via email.
These emails will inform you how to pay for the term, the length of each term, and whether your child has moved level.
If you enrol your child at the wrong level to a significant degree, i.e. more than one above or below the appropriate level, you risk losing your spot in the lessons. For the safety and consideration of the other children we cannot afford to move children into an oversubscribed class due to errors in admitting a child to the correct level initially.
The information on this page includes a clear roadmap of lesson progression and you may also contact us with any additional queries.
Failure to exhaust these methods followed by enrolment in the incorrect level will likely result in the loss of your child’s position in the class and a refund of your booking.
To start our Swim Academy lessons at the Goldfish level, a child must be 5 years of age. The only exception to this rule is if a child has graduated from our Seahorses level prior to their 5th birthday.
We also offer Preschool (Seahorse) lessons, which are appropriate for those over the age of 3 years old and are yet to have started primary school.
Despite huge demand for lessons, we have done our best to keep classes as small as possible as we believe this to be most conducive to an effective teaching and learning style. At the moment our current class capacities are as follows:
Seahorse (Preschool) – 6
Goldfish – 6
Turtles – 6
Starfish – 6
Seals – 7
Crocs – 8
Dolphins – 8
Orcas – 10
We have a buffer slightly above and below our standard capacities to allow for children to move up levels during the terms if they have reached the required criteria.
Our Preschool, Goldfish and Turtles class both have a teacher in the water with the children, as we feel this is the quickest way to advance both swimming ability and water confidence, and can allow for teachers to safely get swimmers out of their armbands. Once a swimmer moves up to the Starfish class, they should no longer have a need for assistance in the water.
If you are enrolling more than one child, register each child under their own name and sign them up for the appropriate level at the times that best suit you. Where possible, we will do our best to enrol them at the same lesson time or back to back. Unfortunately we cannot always accommodate this.
If a child has missed lessons due to an ailment or injury for which they can provide a medical certificate, we are more than happy to offer a refund or credit for the missed lessons. If you are worried about your child’s progress due to missed lessons, feel free to contact us and we can talk to their teacher about necessary actions or improvements.
If you have further queries regarding missed lessons, please send us an email at pool@pslc.ie
Our enrolment works on a first come first serve basis, with members getting the opportunity to enrol a week in advance of non-members.
Our enrolment tends to fill quite quickly so we advise being prepared in advance of it. If you miss enrolment and the classes appropriate for you are full, you can still add your child to the waiting lists for the classes appropriate to their level.
If spaces become available in these classes, the waiting list spots will again be given out on a first come first serve basis.
Please DO NOT enrol your child in a level that is not appropriate for them even if there are no available classes at their level. This causes disruption and unbalance in our lessons, as well as taking away opportunities for kids who are supposed to be enrolled at this level. This is not fair on our teachers, other children or your child.
We will not facilitate this, and your child will be removed from their current booking and put to the end of the waiting lists at the appropriate level.
If your child has additional needs that you feel their teacher should be made aware of, please contact us at pool@pslc.ie and we will discretely inform their teacher of whatever information you feel is appropriate. Please let us know in advance of lessons commencing, so we can do our best to accommodate as appropriately as possible.
If your child has additional needs that you feel their teacher should be made aware of, please contact us at pool@pslc.ie and we will discretely inform their teacher of whatever information you feel is appropriate. Please let us know in advance of lessons commencing, so we can do our best to accommodate as appropriately as possible.
If you have any further queries regarding our swimming lessons at PSLC please contact us at pool@pslc.ie
For juniors ready for post-Orca level lessons, our advanced Junior Lessons and further progress to Teen Team and Rookie Lifeguard are the next steps.
We’re raising funds to replace the roof of our pool and restore the PSLC for all.