STA Level 2 Swimming Teachers (2026)
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:
- Introduce, develop and refine all aquatic skills across all three ability groups.
- Introduce, develop and refine all four swimming strokes across all three ability groups.
- Plan and prepare a series of lessons and individual lessons across all three ability groups.
- Evaluate their own performance as well as participant performance identifying areas of future development.
- Adapt swimming lessons to meet the range of participants needs and environment they are working within.
Certification and Validity:
Upon completion, participants will earn the STA Level 2 Swimming Teachers qualification, a globally recognised certification that qualifies individuals to teach beginners and intermediate swimmers and is a lifetime qualification.
Course Structure:
- The recommended contact hours for this qualification are 52 hours, which includes direct teaching and assessing. The course may be run over 5-7 days as a fully face-to-face or blended learning course.
- Assessment: Assessment is carried out through multiple practical teaching sessions, written workbook and written exams to ensure a solid grasp of swimming teaching principles.
- All components of the course are delivered in English and a good level of written English is required to complete this course.
Who Should Attend?
- This qualification is for learners who wish to work with children and adults, helping them to develop, both as swimmers and individuals in the aquatic environment.
- Learners must be 16 years of age or older at time of assessment.
- No previous qualifications or experience required, however it is advisable that learners have a minimum of level 1 in literacy and numeracy or equivalent.
STA International Swim Teachers
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.
Baby and Preschool Swimming Teacher
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.
Disability Swimming Teacher
The STA Level 2 Award in Aquatic Teaching – Disability Swimming aims to train learners to teach aquatic activities to disabled individuals and groups. This qualification is for learners who wish to work with participants who have a disability in mainstream or disability swimming lessons and help them to develop both as swimmers and individuals in the aquatic environment. This qualification could appeal to those already working as a swimming teacher.
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.
KEY LEARNING OBJECTIVES
-Inclusive Teaching principles: for individual or small group swimmers with disabilities.
-Adapting strokes: learning how to design inclusive lessons with safety skills, games, entries/exits with stroke adaptations.
-Effective teaching: with appropriate manual support, teaching methods, communication
CERTIFICATE AND VALIDITY
Successful participants will receive the STA Level 2 Award in Aquatic Teaching - Disability Swimming. This allows them to provide private or small group (up to 4 people) lessons for people with a wide range of disabilities. This qualification is valid worldwide.
COURSE STRUCTURE
A blended programme of theoretical classroom sessions and practical pool-side training.
Includes written submissions and multiple choice exam.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
This course is ideal for swim teachers with some years of swim teaching experience who are interested in extending their knowledge to work with swimmers with disabilities. Participants should hold a STA Level 2 Award in Swimming Teaching, or acceptable equivalent. Previous qualification conversion may be required in order to join this course.
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.
Safety Award for Teachers
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.
Ask us about adding on a DCAS approved ASHI First Aid Certificate.
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.
Ask us about adding on a DCAS approved First Aid Certificate!
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, PE Teachers, club managers and anyone responsible for supervising swimmers or managing aquatic facilities.
Participants should be 14 years or older in order to join this course.
Junior / Teens Programmes
Junior & Teen Programmes
Explore a world of opportunities designed to inspire, challenge, and empower young people. We are proud to provide a dedicated and enriching space aimed specifically at junior and teen educational pathways. These programmes are thoughtfully structured to foster an environment that encourages safe, progressive, and creative learning experiences under the expert guidance of our highly experienced tutors and dedicated mentors. We prioritize the individual growth and development of our students, ensuring that each participant feels supported and challenged in their educational journey.
Our teen programmes help teens gain real skills, meaningful experience, and confidence for the future. Whether they're working toward part-time employment as a swim coach, a summer job as a lifeguard, or simply discovering what they enjoy, each course is tailored to support teens as individual learners and developing young adults.
The STA Junior Lifeguard Academy is the perfect programme for children who are curious about lifeguarding, first aid, or future careers in aquatics, rescue, or emergency services. Designed for ages 8 and up, it offers an exciting introduction to survival skills, rescue techniques, and personal safety.
This action-packed programme includes:
• Lifeguarding and first aid skills
• Water safety awareness
• Distance swimming challenges
• Fitness and sports skills
• Health and wellbeing activities
Participants work through five Seal levels and complete 10 special missions to achieve the prestigious President’s Seal.
Children can join holiday programme sessions or weekly classes, progressing at their own pace as they complete challenges and collect their badges.
To learn more, click HERE.
The Swim Coach Fundamentals is for competent swimmers who are looking for swim teaching volunteer opportunities (Duke of Edinburgh), or looking for part time work as an assistant teacher, or just looking to gain real life practical experience and work towards their swim teaching certification (from 16 years).
This programme is designed for 14–17 year-olds who are passionate about swimming and want to gain a head start towards becoming a qualified swim teacher. This interactive course combines classroom learning, poolside practice and essential qualifications, giving participants a strong foundation in aquatic coaching, safety, and first aid.
Alternatively from 14 years old, teens can also complete the STA Safety Award for Teachers or First Aid, CPR and AED qualifications independently.
To learn more, click HERE
The RLSS UK Lifeguard Qualification is the perfect pathway for teens aged 16+ who want a flexible, high-impact job they can take with them to university or summer work in the UK. This internationally recognised certification teaches you rescue skills, CPR, first aid and professional pool supervision—everything you need to step confidently into a paid lifeguard role. Build your confidence and open the door to exciting job opportunities in schools, leisure centres and aquatic facilities. To learn more, click HERE.
The STA Level 2 Award in Teaching Swimming is the perfect first step for teens aged 16+ who want to start a rewarding and flexible career in aquatics. This internationally recognised qualification gives you the skills to teach beginners to advanced learn to swim, plan fun and effective lessons, and help swimmers build confidence in the water. Whether you're looking for a part-time job during school or university, or dreaming of becoming a full swim coach, this course opens the door to exciting opportunities.
For next steps, complete your STA Safety Award for Teachers or First Aid, CPR and AED qualifications to be on your way!
Get in Touch
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