The STA Award in Teaching Swimming is the perfect step to begin your exciting career as a swimming teacher and with no previous experience required, you can get started right away.

  • Recognised internationally, allowing you to take your swimming teaching career around the world
  • Develops the vocational skills and technical knowledge of a qualified swimming teacher, allowing you to independently teach your very own class of 12 participants from non-swimmers up to improvers (children and adults).

You will be able to gain employment as a swimming teacher, teaching non-swimmers to improver participants

You’ll be qualified to deliver up to the Goldfish stage of the STA’s progressive International Learn to Swim Programme 


Interested? Before You Get Started…

You’ll need to make sure you’ve met the following requirements before you attend your course:


Download the qualification specification by clicking the button below

STA Level 2 Award in Teaching Swimming

Some learners may have hidden disabilities that can make mainstream lessons less effective, or some may have severe physical disabilities. Teaching aquatic activities to people that may not be able to go swimming otherwise is an extremely rewarding and humbling experience. The People with Disabilities qualification is aimed at most types of disabilities.

Swimming has amazing benefits for everyone, and even more so for those with disabilities. If you want to help people with disabilities experience swimming in a safe environment, then this is the course for you.

  • Will give you the specialist knowledge to teach a specific group of learners
  • If you already work with people with disabilities, it will expand your skills further
  • You will be qualified to teach the Rockhopper and Emperor series of STA’s progressive International Learn to Swim Programme  – specific disability awards that focus on skills and distance


Interested? Before You Get Started…

You’ll need to make sure you’ve met the following requirements before you attend your course:


Download the Qualification Specification by clicking on the button below

Level 2 Award in Teaching Swimming to People with Disabilities

If you would like to be a part of a baby’s first steps into water, and help make their experience the best they can possibly have, then teaching babies and young children is for you!

You may have some nervous children (and adults) who are experiencing a swimming pool for the first time, but with lots of singing and encouragement, you will see just how rewarding it is to teach babies, young children and their accompanying adults!


When You Get Your Qualification

You will be qualified to teach the STARFISH and STAnley stages of STA’s progressive International Learn to Swim Programme


How to Take Your Qualification Further

If you enjoy being there for children who have never swam before and seeing them progress to confident beginners, then you may also be interested in the STA Award in Teaching Swimming. The participants may also be as new to swimming as the babies you are used to, and you can be the person to take them through the most crucial part of their swimming journey!

Alternatively, once you’ve had experience as a baby and pre-school teacher you may find you want to develop more advanced skills. In that case, the STA Level 3 Diploma in Aquatic Teaching – Baby & Pre-School qualification may be for you; it will expand and develop your technical knowledge and provide you with the latest academic research and theories, which you can then integrate into your lessons.


Interested? Before You Get Started…

You’ll need to make sure you’ve met the following requirements before you attend your course:


To download the qualification specification please click on the button below

STA Level 2 Award in Teaching Babies & Pre-School

The new STA Level 2 Award in Aquacise qualification has been endorsed against the CIMSPA Core Group Exercise Instructor professional standard. This endorsement is recognition from the sector’s chartered institute that the STA Award in Aquacise qualification is a professional qualification that meets the needs of employers.

The qualification consists of 3 mandatory units:

Learners must have independently completed Unit 1 and Unit 2 via pre-course online programmes prior to attending an STA Award in Aquacise course.

Recognition of prior learning (RPL) can be applied for the pre-course online programmes depending on a learner’s qualification. For example, if a learner holds a CIMSPA endorsed Level 2 Certificate in Fitness Instruction / Gym / Exercise to Music qualification and / or STA Level 2 Award in Teaching Swimming / STA Level 2 Award in Aquatic Teaching – Baby and Pre-School, STA will recognise prior learning for one or both of the pre-course programmes. RPL is only available for the online programmes.


To find out more click on the button below for the full qualification specification.


STA Level 2 Award in Aquacise

Progress on your teaching pathway with the STA Certificate in Teaching Swimming—the next step which meets CIMSPA’s employer-led swimming teacher professional standard.

The qualification will expand your expertise to teach competitive strokes, survival and rescue skills, diving, competitive starts and turns; allowing you to teach non-swimmers through to advanced participants.

  • Meets CIMSPA’s employer-led swimming teacher professional standard
  • Teach more lessons with a variety of skills
  • Retain existing participants by offering progressive lessons, extended skills and advanced awards
  • Benefit from 12 months free CIMSPA affiliate membership  (usually costing £30) with access to a wide range of benefits from the professional development body when you qualify.


Interested? Before You Get Started…

You’ll need to make sure you’ve met the following requirements before you attend your course:


Download the qualification specification by clicking the button below

STA Level 2 Certificate in Swimming Teaching

With the mermaid and mono fin swimming trend gaining momentum in the aquatic world, why not extend your aquatic offering and add something exciting to your lessons?

STA’s Award in Aquatic Teaching – Mermaid and Mono Fin Swimming, created in partnership with Mermaids UK, is the industry’s first regulated qualification driving best practice and standards, so you have the skills needed to deliver these sessions in a safe, controlled environment.


When You Get Your Qualification

  • You’ll be qualified to deliver Mermaid and Mono Fin Swimming sessions
  • Access support from Mermaids UK


Interested? Before You Get Started…

You’ll need to make sure you’ve met the following requirements before you attend your course:


Download the Qualification Specification by clicking on the button below

Level 2 Award in Mermaid and Monofin Teaching

The STA Level 3 Diploma in Aquatic Teaching – Baby and Pre-School is for teachers who have already completed a baby and pre-school course and have had experience teaching using their qualification. It expands and develops a baby and pre-school swimming teacher’s current technical knowledge and provides them with the latest academic research and theories, which they can then integrate into their swimming lessons.

The Diploma covers specific knowledge on child development theories and communication and how these core elements can be incorporated into practical teaching. Baby and pre-school swimming teachers will be reflecting upon their practice and their professional development.


Interested? Before You Get Started…

You’ll need to make sure you’ve met the following requirements before you attend your course:


To download the qualification specification please click on the button below

STA Level 3 Baby & Pre-School Diploma

For those who love open water and want to promote and share their passion by coaching swimmers in an open water environment, STA’s Open Water Swimming Coaching qualification will prepare learners for all aspects of open water swimming coaching, from planning, coaching and evaluating open water swimming sessions.

This qualification also meets CIMSPA’s employer-led coach professional standard.

Created by STA’s open water swimming experts, with leading open water swimming associations  plus double world champion and Olympic silver medallist in open water swimming, Keri-anne Payne – providing you with quality training


When you Get Your Qualification

  • You’ll be trained to effectively plan, deliver and evaluate open water swimming sessions in environments for which you have competence and experience in
  • Take swimmers into an open water environment for the first time, right through to training them for an event


How to Take Your Open Water Coaching Career Further

Once qualified, learners may wish to develop their knowledge in open water further by specialising in areas of open water swimming, such as cold-water or channel/long-distance coaching. These will be achievable through add-on CPD programmes coming soon!


Interested? Before You Get Started…

You’ll need to make sure you’ve met the following requirements before you attend your course:

  • Be at least 18 years of age
  • Hold current membership of STA 
  • Submit a CV detailing relevant open water swimming experience
  • Hold either a swimming teaching, coaching or triathlon coaching qualification
  • Learners who do not hold any of the above qualifications must complete the open water swimming coaching online up-skill programme


To find out more click on the button below to download the qualification specification

STA Level 2 Award in Open Water Swim Coaching
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