Level 2 Award

The STA Level 2 Award in Teaching Swimming provides a comprehensive foundation in teaching swimming to beginners and more experienced swimmers of all ages. This course focuses on developing essential swimming techniques and stroke correction skills while promoting water safety and confidence.
The course includes theoretical and practical modules, preparing teachers to deliver structured lessons that progress swimmers from basic water confidence to mastering all four swimming strokes. This internationally recognized qualification allows participants to work worldwide (including the UK) in swim schools, leisure centres, or offer private instruction.
Key Learning Objectives:
- Basic Swim Techniques: Learn to teach and correct key swimming strokes, including front paddle, back paddle, front crawl, back crawl, breaststroke, and butterfly.
- Lesson Planning: Understand how to create structured and progressive lessons that cater to various ability levels, ensuring continuous development.
- Water Safety: Gain insight into essential water safety practices and how to incorporate them into lessons to prevent accidents and promote safe swimming habits.
Certification and Validity:
Upon completion, participants will earn the STA Level 2 Award in Teaching Swimming, a globally recognized certification that qualifies individuals to teach beginners and intermediate swimmers.
Course Structure:
-Duration: The course generally takes place over 5-7 days, blending classroom learning with practical poolside teaching. Learners will gain experience in delivering lessons and correcting swimmer techniques.
-Assessment: Assessment is carried out through practical teaching sessions, written workbook and written exams to ensure a solid grasp of swimming teaching principles.
Who Should Attend?
This course is ideal for anyone looking to start a career in swim teaching, including swim school instructors, coaches, and teachers who work with children or adults. No prior experience necessary, however being able to swim all four strokes is an advantage.
Level 2 Certificate
The STA Level 2 Certificate in Swimming Teaching builds on the Level 2 Award, providing an advanced qualification for swimming instructors. This course enables teachers to deliver structured swimming lessons to more advanced swimmers, including stroke improvement, technique refinement, and competitive swimming techniques.
Participants will learn about advanced stroke mechanics, how to develop lesson plans for various swimming abilities, and how to improve swimmer performance.
This certification allows instructors to teach swimmers at all levels, in a variety of settings worldwide (including the UK).
Key Learning Objectives:
-Advanced Stroke Development: Refine your ability to teach and correct all four competitive strokes (front crawl, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly) at an advanced level.
- Progressive Lesson Planning: Develop comprehensive lesson plans that cater to swimmers of all ages and abilities, from intermediate to competitive level.
-Competitive Swimming Skills: Gain insights into teaching competitive swimming techniques, including starts, turns, and finishes.
Certification and Validity:
Upon completion, participants will receive the STA Level 2 Certificate in Swimming Teaching, qualifying them to teach swimmers at all levels, including competitive swimmers. This certification is recognized worldwide (including the UK).
Course Structure:
-Duration: This course generally spans 4-5 days and includes a mix of classroom-based theory and practical teaching sessions. Participants will have the opportunity to lead lessons and refine swimmer techniques under supervision.
-Assessment: Participants will be assessed through practical teaching sessions. written workbook and written exam, focusing on both theoretical knowledge and practical application.
Who Should Attend?
This course is ideal for experienced swim instructors looking to advance their teaching skills or specialize in competitive swimming. It is also suitable for swim coaches who want to deliver high-quality instruction to advanced swimmers.
Level 2 Safety Award
The STA Safety Award for Teachers equips participants with the knowledge and skills to ensure safety in aquatic environments and assisting emergency response. This course is essential for swimming teachers, pool assistants, and anyone supervising swimmers, ensuring they can effectively manage incidents and provide basic first aid when necessary.
The course emphasizes the importance of keeping both swimmers and instructors safe, preparing participants to handle emergency situations including CPR, AED, spinal injury management, rescues and tows.

Key Learning Objectives:
-Poolside Safety: Learn how to maintain a safe swimming environment and manage risks associated with aquatic activities.
-Incident Management: Understand how to assess and respond to emergencies, including rescues, dealing with unconscious swimmers, and handling accidents or injuries.
-Basic First Aid: Gain essential first aid skills, including CPR and treatment for common poolside injuries such as slips, falls, and cuts.
Certification and Validity:
Successful participants will receive the STA Safety Award for Teachers, valid for two years, allowing them to provide safety supervision in swimming environments.
Course Structure:
-Duration: The course is 6-8 hours and can run over one to two days, combining theoretical knowledge with practical demonstrations of rescue techniques and first aid.
-Assessment: Learners will be assessed through practical demonstrations of rescue skills in the pool and a written exam to confirm understanding of safety protocols.
Who Should Attend?
This course is ideal for swim teachers, swim coaches, club managers and anyone responsible for supervising swimmers or managing aquatic facilities.
Level 2 Baby & Preschool
The STA Baby and Pre-School Swimming Teachers course is a comprehensive qualification designed to equip instructors with the skills and knowledge to teach swimming to babies, toddlers, and pre-school children. This course focuses on child-centered teaching methods, water safety, and the developmental stages of young swimmers (birth to five years old).
Participants will learn how to structure engaging and educational parent and child group lessons that promote water confidence, physical development, parent and child bonding in a safe environment.
Participants will learn about child development stages, the importance of structured play, and how to build confidence in the water for both children and parents. Upon completion, teachers are certified to instruct baby and pre-school swim parent and child group classes, and the certification is recognised worldwide (including the UK).
Key Learning Objectives:
- Child Development: Understand the physical, emotional, and psychological development of babies and toddlers and how it relates to water-based activities.
- Safety and Water Confidence: Learn techniques to build water confidence, essential safety practices, and how to work closely with parents to ensure a positive learning environment.
-Interactive Lesson Planning: Master the ability to design fun and engaging lessons that incorporate songs, games, and activities to enhance learning and skill retention for parent and child pairs.
Certification and Validity:
Upon successful completion, participants will receive a recognized STA Baby and Pre-School Swimming Teachers certificate, allowing them to teach babies and young children in a variety of settings. This qualification is recognized internationally.
Course Structure:
-Duration: This course is a 3 day course, typically run as shorter sessions over several days and includes both theoretical and practical components. Learners will gain hands-on experience in delivering swimming lessons to parent and child pairs.
-Assessment: Participants will be assessed through practical teaching demonstrations and written assessments to confirm their competency.
Who Should Attend?
This course is ideal for swim instructors, early childhood educators, and those passionate about teaching young children to swim. It is especially beneficial for individuals working in nurseries, swim schools, or private swim teaching.
STA International Swim Teacher
The STA International course is for individuals looking to start a career in swim teaching, whether they have prior experience or are new to the aquatics industry. This course provides essential knowledge and practical skills to teach non-swimmers, beginners, and improver swimmers in a safe environment.
This course is ideal for aspiring swim teachers with no previous swim teaching experience and covers lesson planning, water safety and stroke progressions for all four strokes, ensuring participants gain the confidence to deliver effective swimming lessons. This course is assessed via a verbal exam and practical teaching components.
Candidates with the STA International Swim Teacher course can teach swimming worldwide (except in the UK).

Key Learning Objectives:
-Poolside Safety: Learn how to maintain a safe swimming environment and manage risks associated with aquatic activities.
-Incident Management: Understand how to assess and respond to emergencies, including rescues, dealing with unconscious swimmers, and handling accidents or injuries.
-Basic First Aid: Gain essential first aid skills, including CPR and treatment for common poolside injuries such as slips, falls, and cuts.
Certification and Validity:
Successful participants will receive the STA Safety Award for Teachers, valid for two years, allowing them to provide safety supervision in swimming environments.
Course Structure:
-Duration: The course typically lasts for one to two days, combining theoretical knowledge with practical demonstrations of rescue techniques and first aid.
-Assessment: Learners will be assessed through practical demonstrations of rescue skills and a written exam to confirm understanding of safety protocols.
Who Should Attend?
This course is ideal for swim teachers, coaches, pool lifeguards, and anyone responsible for supervising swimmers or managing aquatic facilities.
CPD: Safeguarding in the Aquatic Environment
The CPD: Safeguarding in the Aquatic Environment course is essential for anyone involved in aquatic activities, providing the knowledge and tools to protect vulnerable individuals in swimming and water-based environments. This 2.5 hours seminar covers safeguarding principles, identifying signs of abuse, and understanding your responsibilities as a swim teacher and your legal responsibilities in the UAE.
Designed for swimming instructors, school PE teachers, lifeguards, and aquatic staff, this training ensures participants can create a safe and supportive environment for all swimmers, especially children and vulnerable adults. The course equips professionals with the confidence and understanding to act appropriately, ensuring safety and well-being in aquatic settings.
Key Learning Objectives:
- Child Development: Understand the physical, emotional, and psychological development of babies and toddlers and how it relates to water-based activities.
- Safety and Water Confidence: Learn techniques to build water confidence, essential safety practices, and how to work closely with parents to ensure a positive learning environment.
-Interactive Lesson Planning: Master the ability to design fun and engaging lessons that incorporate songs, games, and activities to enhance learning and skill retention.
Certification and Validity:
Upon successful completion, participants will receive a recognized STA Baby and Pre-School Swimming Teachers certificate, allowing them to teach babies and young children in a variety of settings. This qualification is recognized internationally.
Course Structure:
-Duration: This course typically runs over several days and includes both theoretical and practical components. Learners will gain hands-on experience in delivering swimming lessons to young children.
-Assessment: Participants will be assessed through practical teaching demonstrations and written assessments to confirm their competency.
Who Should Attend?
This course is ideal for swim instructors, early childhood educators, and those passionate about teaching young children to swim. It is especially beneficial for individuals working in nurseries, swim schools, or private swim teaching.
Junior / Teens Training Program
Junior / Teen STA Programmes
A dedicated space for junior and teen educational pathways, structured to encourage safe and progressive learning under the STA's comprehensive educational framework.
The Aquatic Helper program provides teenagers with valuable hands on teaching experience serving as a stepping stone to a career in the aquatics industry. This can be run as a small group program after school ECA or tailored to suit your teens needs.
STA Junior Lifeguard Academy is a great holiday program or school ECA adding survival and rescue training for children from 8 years. The fun-packed programme includes lifeguarding and first aid skills, ocean awareness, distance badges, sports skills and health and wellbeing.

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