FAQ's

We've put together some of our parents' most popular and frequent questions, to provide you with all the information you will require before and during your journey with Beth Tweddle Gymnastics (formerly Total Gymnastics).

What happens at my first session?

 

Please arrive at your session approximately 5-10 minutes before it is due to begin to ensure your child is ready. If your child is particularly apprehensive about starting their gymnastics class, we will allow parents to stay and observe the first session. 

 

Don’t forget:           

Can I observe the sessions?

 

We do not allow parents into the hall to observe our sessions on a weekly basis. Our coaches require our gymnasts' full attention at all times and the coaches must be allowed to do their job for the full session. You will be invited into the final session of each term to observe a badge presentation and at the end of the summer term to watch a display at each academy. All venues do have space for customers to watch through the window should they choose to do so. 

 

What should I expect from each lesson?

 

Each lesson should be productive, structured and most of all FUN for all gymnasts, regardless of ability. Each lesson is led by a qualified and trained gymnastics coach, who is fully CRB checked. 

 

Each Gym Stars class will have a maximum of 24 children with 3 members of staff (1:8 ratio). Gymnasts will be warmed up for the first 5 minutes of their session, followed by approximately 10 minutes of conditioning and stretching. The main teaching section of the class will be taught either as a circuit or as a whole class lasting between 25 and 30 minutes. Gymnasts will then have 5-10 minutes of a gymnastics based game or sequence, followed by a cool down and the clearing away of equipment. Each academy class will last 2 hours and will have a maximum of 40 gymnasts with 4 members of staff. They will warm up and condition for 30 minutes, then rotate around 3 pieces of apparatus spending 25 minutes on each piece, before completing a cool down at the end of the session.

 

The children are assessed on a continual basis and each term will be working to complete skills set out in line with the award schemes we work with. Your child's progress will be recorded each week by their instructor and reported to you at the end of every term in an individual report for your child, which is uploaded to your online account. Our coaches aim for our gymnasts to achieve one skill per week from their rewards scheme, however parents should be aware that not all children progress at the same speed and that as the gymnasts progress through the badges, they do become more difficult and can result in it taking longer to achieve some skills.

 

What is the award scheme the children are following?

 

Our beginner gymnasts follow our in-house Gym Stars awards scheme. Our "HUB" academies follow the British Gymnastics Proficiency and Advanced Proficiency Awards Schemes.

 

Where can I purchase the awards?

 

The highest award your child achieves will be provided free of charge for Cheshire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester customers. In the case where your child receives more than one award in the term, or you wish to buy consecutive awards, you can call the office and pay over the phone for additional certificates at a cost of £3 each. SLM Everyone Active customers can purchase their awards at their leisure centre.

 

How long will it take for my child to progress through their awards scheme?

 

That all depends at what point your child joins our programme, and every child will progress at different speeds. We would expect our gymnasts to achieve one skill per week and one award per term. Therefore if there are 8 awards we would expect this to take 8 terms to achieve. Some children will achieve their awards quicker than others, if this is the case our coaches will move the gymnasts up a group, often before their programme is complete in order to challenge them, but parents should recognise that no one child is the same and they should not be compared to each other.

 

My child has done Gymnastics before... can they join your classes?

 

We welcome both beginners and children who have done gymnastics before to our classes. We would recommend that you call our customer service team on 0161 979 0611 to discuss what level of gymnastics your child has done before so that we can place them in the correct class for their ability. They will initially be placed into the classes based on their age, however the coaches will continually asses all of the children to ensure that they are in the correct class for their ability. 

 

What if I think my child is too advanced for their class?

 

Our gymnasts are initially placed into their groups by age and are continuously assessed throughout the term. Once a term, our Head Coach will visit all the academies and assess all of the gymnasts. They will have discussions with the coaches about the gymnasts and if any need to be moved up, this will be communicated to you as soon as possible. Although we cannot force any customer to change classes, we will offer our recommendations which have been made by coaches with over 10 years of coaching experience. The Head Coach's recommendations should be taken on board and their feedback should be the deciding factor on whether your child should move classes.

 

My child has not received a gymnastics award this term... Why?

 

If your child’s term report states ‘no award achieved’, evidence of why is usually provided. If you need more information, you can speak to our Head Coach for more feedback. Our coaches will always make the effort to inform you well in advance if your child is not achieving an award that term so their expectations can be managed. They will also offer some advice on skills to practice at home to help them to achieve their award. Any gymnast who does not achieve an award will receive a 'well done' certificate, highlighting the good work they have done that term so no gymnast leaves empty handed.

 

Please remember, as the stages progress, the skills and criteria become more difficult. It is not uncommon from badge 3 onwards, that it can take 2-3 courses for these awards to be achieved. All skills need to be executed at a high and consistent standard.

 

I need to speak to my child’s gymnastics Instructor. How do I go about doing this?

 

Our coaches will always try to make themselves available at the beginning and the end of any session for you to talk to them. They are all very approachable and will do what they can to help you with your query. If they cannot help you, they will forward your query on to our Head Coach who will contact you within 24 hours to discuss the matter with you.

 

During the sessions our coaches should not be interrupted. Parents must leave the coaching to the coaches and not interfere from the side as the coaches require the gymnasts full attention at all times.

 

My child has a disability, can they join?

 

We aim to be an all inclusive programme. Please call our customer service team to discuss the possibility of joining one of our classes.

 

Please remember to inform us of ALL medical conditions, no matter how small.

What happens if we miss a lesson?

 

Unfortunately, missed sessions cannot be re-arranged or transferred to another session / term. The lessons are booked term by term to secure your child’s place on the programme.

 

If your child is unable to attend for medical reasons, medical notes can be accepted.

 

What happens if a session is cancelled?

 

If we inform you that a planned session is cancelled, our main priority will be to re-schedule that session or add it onto the end of the term. Otherwise, we can transfer the lesson fee to the following term, or refund you the cost of the lessons cancelled.

What happens if I don’t pay for my fees during the payment window?

 

If you haven’t paid for the next block of lessons by the end of the payment window (usually the last 2 weeks of every term), your place will not be secured for the following term and will be offered to a person on the waiting list. If you have missed the payment window but still require a place, then call the customer service team and they will find you a session that is suitable for your child’s ability.

 

How can I pay for the lessons?

 

We accept payment by the following methods:

Online (using your unique username and password)

Phone (0161 979 0611)

Cheque (posted to our head office)

Please note that we do not accept cash or cheques at your child's gymnastics session.

 

I can’t access my online account.

 

Every current user has a unique username and password to access their booking and account information. You can also pay for the sessions this way. If you are having problems accessing your online account then please email info@totalgymnastics.co.uk or call our customer service team on 0161 979 0611.0161 979 0611√161 979 0611