About Us

Today with more than 10,000 members, The Swimming Teachers’ Association (STA) is an independent swimming teaching and lifesaving organisation, and delivers the highest quality training across four key business areas – Swimming Teaching, Lifesaving, First Aid and Leisure Management.

Founded in 1932, STA is a registered charity whose objective is:

The preservation of human life by the teaching of swimming, lifesaving and survival techniques.

STA is internationally recognised and is uniquely positioned as the only awarding organisation in the UK that can deliver multi-aquatic programmes – Swimming Teaching, Lifesaving and Pool Plant qualifications – that are:

• Regulated by Ofqual (UK Government licensed regulator), and sit on the Register of Regulated Qualifications at levels 1-4
• Regulated by SQA Accreditation

All STA Qualifications are registered under Safety Training Awards, the awarding body for STA.

STA’s International Learn to Swim Programme (ILSP) also supports STA’s swimming teaching qualifications. The incentive based learn to swim programme, which promotes the importance of water safety, consists of 5 levels to provide people of all ages, from babies to adults, with a structured, progressive and transparent swimming and water scheme. It is supported with a range of colourful badges and certificates.

Importantly, STA is committed to representing the needs of the leisure industry and continues to advance its range of learning programmes, improve member services and innovate via its digital portfolio of leisure management and training services.