We are a popular Club with about 120 members at any time.  We have developed a fair and open way to run our waiting list, with priority codes as below (we actively promote the children of regular volunteers to the top of the waiting list)  As you read through, you will see that we refer to 'tryouts' - these are not a pass or fail test!  We run tryouts every 3-4 months.  It is an opportunity for the teacher to see which of the NPTS Levels (or Stages from about autumn 2008) will suit your child the best.  It also gives you a chance to meet us and see if you like what we do!  Please note that the invitiation to a tryout is NOT the offer of a place. If we invite you for 2 consecutive trials, which you don't attend with contacting us, we will remove your child's name from our tryout list. Click here to see that your child is on our trial list, and where they are on the waiting list.  A couple of general points to remember about our waiting list: We actively promote the children or grandchildren of regular volunteers to the top of the waiting list for their Level - they are Priority 1 Siblings of existing members are our next priority - so if you have one child in the Club, and the subs are consistently up to date, their brother or sister will go higher up the waiting list to Priority 2 All other applications are Priority 3 ALL applications are sorted in date order, so that applications received in January, for instance, are above those received later in the year Children's names do not go on the waiting list until after they have had a tryout We move existing members through the Levels, and fill any spaces from the waiting list Please be aware that all lesson providers have slightly different expectations of their swimmers - our expectations are relatively high!  For instance, this means that if your child is in Level 6 with another provider, we may assess them as appropriate to our Level 5.  Don't worry if your child has not had lessons before, or has not passed any NPTS Levels or badges!  We teach children across all ages and range of ability - that's what the tryouts are for! Sorry - it's impossible to say how long it may take to get a place if your child's name is on the waiting list!  Sometimes places become available very quickly (a couple of weeks), for other Levels it may be some months.   Please keep in touch with us if you move or your details change, and make sure that you print your email address clearly - we sometimes have places for children or would like to see them for a tryout, but can't contact them!  You can apply for membership in two ways: 1.  Complete a paper version of our Membership Application form.  This form, once completed, should be sent to our Secretary, Meryl Smallbone (see the Who's Who page for her details, or see the form). OR 2.  Use the online Membership Application, from the main menu on the left of this screen Here's how it all works once we have received your completed form: Children under 4 years old We hold the details of children under 4 until they reach their 4th birthday.  At this point, they are NOT on the waiting list.  At some point after that, we will contact you to see if you still require a place.  If so, we may invite your child for a tryout.  After the tryout, if we do not have space at the appropriate Level for your child, their details will be placed on our waiting list.    Children over 4 years old Once the Membership Application form has been received, we will contact you with a date for a tryout (this may be sometime after you have passed the form to us, so please be patient).  After the tryout we will tell you and your child what NPTS Level/Stage we think is appropriate for them - to have targets that they can achieve, but that will also keep them interested and challenged! An invitation to a tryout is NOT an offer of a place. If there is room for your child AND there are no existing members suitable to fill that space AND your child is the highest priority, they will be offered a place. If there is not a space at the appropriate Level, your child's details will be placed on our waiting list.  In the Small Pool, we may sometimes give priority within a Level or Stage to an older child.  We find that older non-swimmers can progress quite quickly and so they come and go through the lower levels in good time and move on to the Main Pool, freeing up a space in the Small Pool.  When there is some movement through the Levels, we will contact you to see if you still require the place.  In this case, we might ask your child to come back in for another look, to make sure they have not got significantly better (maybe through lessons somewhere else) or lost confidence or technique (possibly because they have not been swimming for a while), in which case they might be in another Level!  If your child has remained at that same standard AND we have a place AND your child's name is the next on the list, we will offer that place to you.  If your child has improved and needs to go up a Level or two, we'll see if there is room for them there.  If there isn't, we'll slot them into the new Level at the appropriate place. Membership is accepted and continued on the basis that the member stays within the Constitution, Code of Conduct and Club Rules.  Please make sure you have read,  understood and accept these before you apply for membership.  The Club will take action if members do not comply with these rules, for the safety of the swimmers, teachers, other children and the Club as a whole.  We want everyone to be happy and safe during our time with us.  If you have any questions about applying for membership, how we operate the waiting list, etc, please contact us: broadstairsswim@tesco.net    Here is the link to download the Membership Application Form: Membership Application Form