FAQs

Our lessons take place at the exciting and high-profile indoor snow sports arena, The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. The facility has two training slopes, both of which provide an excellent platform for coaching and developing our students’ abilities on real snow.

The Snow Centre is conveniently located in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, which is 20 minutes from London and within easy reach of Luton, Harpenden, St Albans and the surrounding Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire area. See a map here.

Yes. There is a large car park at The Snow Centre with plenty of free parking.

Our opening hours are 1000 until 1000 week days and 0800 until 1000 weekends.

The Snow Centre is open seven days a week and we endeavour to schedule the teaching sessions to suit the preferred time for each student.

Our Ski and Snow Pass programme helps to gradually build the confidence of each student, firstly in the environment of the Snow Centre, followed by the equipment that we use and the people they will meet, from our reception team and rental staff to the slope patrollers. Each of these areas is equally important in helping to build the confidence of every student.

All our coaches undergo specialist training to teach students with additional needs. We understand the importance of students being able to build a relationship and form a bond with their instructor, so we aim to consistently allocate the same teacher for each lesson.

We offer a free 30 minute sensory session before committing to a course of lessons.

Each lesson lasts for one hour which is the ideal length of time to gain maximum benefits.

We understand that every student is unique and their individual requirements vary. For this reason, we discuss and negotiate the course price once we know what these specific needs are.

No. All of the necessary equipment and clothing is supplied through our hire facility as part of the lesson and at no additional cost. We also have a ski shop on-site with an extensive range of equipment that can be purchased if you wish.

Queuing is an issue with many of our students and our instructors are trained to support them with this. Generally, we will use the priority queue to keep this to a minimum. All our coaches undergo specialist training to teach students with additional needs. We also have a team of support staff with extensive experience in learning disabilities, nursing and social care assistance.

Our Ski and Snowboard Pass programme aims to identify the progression a student is making, with a particular focus on how they can be supported to overcome initial fears, or deal with any sensory issues. This method helps to build their confidence, firstly in the environment of The Snow Centre, followed by the equipment that we use and the people they will meet, from our reception team and rental staff to the slope patrollers. Each of these areas is equally important in helping to build the confidence of every student.

Our alpine-style café and bar with panorama windows and a balcony overlooking the slopes, provides a fantastic viewing point to enjoy watching the lessons in a relaxed environment. There is a Costa Coffee here and food is available to purchase throughout the day.

We absolutely welcome and positively encourage the participation of families and carers in our classes, where appropriate. This is an opportunity for each student to share and be proud of their new skills with the important people in their lives, which ultimately increases their confidence and self-esteem.

Our individual and group lessons are structured to accommodate family members and carers, so that the benefits of snow sports can be enjoyed together. On some occasions, our one-on-one sessions are either combined or replaced with friends and family sessions, depending on the individual needs of the student.

Eventually, the newfound skills can be taken beyond The Snow Centre to family holidays in the mountains, where a life-changing experience can be enjoyed as a family, surrounded by miles of snow and breath-taking scenery.

Every student is individual and we take the time to understand each personality, enabling their natural abilities and talents to develop at their own pace. There is no set time, but we recommend a course of regular lessons to achieve maximum benefits. Our aim is to gradually build the confidence of each student through our one-to-one tailor-made coaching.

We encourage a one hour lesson each week for a number of reasons:

• To allow our students to form a relationship with their instructor.
• The routine will encourage a positive development and enable the skills and abilities of our students to progress at the appropriate pace.
• To give our students a focus and something to look forward to each week. Eventually, it will become part of their regular routine.

Every student is individual and we encourage them to develop at their own pace. Their progression is recorded through our Ski and Snow Pass programme, so you can monitor their developments every step of the way.

Yes. Recognition and rewards for achievement enable our students to aim for their own personal goals to increase motivation and improve self-confidence. Our Ski and Snowboard Pass scheme is a step-by-step programme that awards our students with educational certificates and achievement badges, encouraging them to develop and gain new skills.

The programme aims to identify the progression a student is making, with a particular focus on how they can be supported to overcome initial fears or deal with any sensory issues. This method helps to build their confidence, firstly in the environment of The Snow Centre, followed by the equipment that we use and the people they will meet, from our reception team and rental staff to the slope patrollers. Each of these areas is equally important in helping to build the confidence of every student.

No. Our fully qualified instructors are trained to coach individuals right from the very beginning.

Students are able to start sessions at four and these can be continued throughout their lives. We also have students who joined Snowbility at the age of 65 and have been enjoying the benefits.

Absolutely! Eventually, the newfound skills can be taken beyond The Snow Centre to holidays in the mountains, where a life-changing experience can be enjoyed as a family, surrounded by miles of snow and breath-taking scenery. We work with partners in ski resorts overseas who teach students with additional needs. Please get in touch if you would like more information on this.