The swimming and leisure industry has entered an important new chapter in 2026, with a unified, industry-wide Level 2 swimming teacher pathway that reflects the ongoing evolution of aquatic education in the UK.

The newly updated CIMSPA Professional Standard has been central to this progress, helping to ensure the route into swimming teaching remains modern, aligned and reflective of today’s learner and workforce needs. For STA, this milestone builds on more than 90 years of experience in aquatic training and reinforces our long-standing commitment to high-quality, inclusive and confident teaching.

A qualification shaped by the sector

STA has worked closely alongside CIMSPA, Swim England and other industry workforce partners to help shape the latest Professional Standard for swimming teachers. This collaborative approach reflects a shared commitment to clarity, consistency and confidence across the sector – removing unnecessary confusion while strengthening trust in professional standards.

For many years, STA has been delivering Level 2 swimming teacher qualifications, working closely with employers, operators, tutors and learners across the UK. That long-standing delivery has generated extensive insight and feedback about what works well on poolside, and how qualification structures can better support both learners and workforce planning.

It is this accumulated experience – built through years of real-world delivery with swim school operators of all sizes, rather than theory alone – and the demonstrable success of that approach, that has not only directly informed STA’s move to a single, streamlined Level 2 Swimming Teacher qualification, but has also helped inform the direction of change across the wider industry. And with my brilliant team, I’m proud of that fact.

For some time, the presence of multiple qualification titles and levels created unnecessary complexity for employers, operators and teachers. Drawing on what has been proven to work in practice, the move towards a single, clearly defined Level 2 Swimming Teacher qualification provides a clearer and more consistent route forward – making it easier to understand what a professional swimming teaching qualification represents and how it supports effective workforce development.

Importantly, this clarity now extends across the sector. Booking onto a regulated Level 2 swimming teacher course – regardless of awarding organisation – means meeting the same regulated professional standard. This is a positive step for employers and learners alike, helping to remove long-standing confusion and making it easier to enter and progress within swimming teaching.

What’s important is that STA’s new regulated, CIMSPA-endorsed Level 2 Swimming Teacher qualification has been shaped through extensive engagement with tutors, swim schools, employers and learners to reflect the realities of today’s pools and the expectations of tomorrow’s workforce. It brings together flexible blended and face-to-face learning options, hands-on practical experience and advanced assessment tools – including AI-assisted marking – to support tutors and create a smooth, modern learning experience.

The qualification brings together everything swimming teachers need to deliver safe, high-quality and inclusive lessons across the full learn-to-swim pathway. The enhanced curriculum covers key strokes, aquatic skills, survival and rescue techniques, and water safety – ensuring teachers are confident in adapting lessons for all ages and abilities. With a strong emphasis on practical, work-ready skills, learners gain meaningful hands-on experience and qualify with the confidence to deliver effective lessons in real poolside environments.

From clarity to confident delivery

Research and insight across the aquatics sector continue to highlight the importance of swimming teachers being confident and prepared for real-world delivery from the point of qualification. For employers and operators, this means teachers who can step onto poolside with the skills, confidence and safety awareness required to teach effectively across a range of settings and learner needs.

Being ready for poolside is not just about completion; it’s about confidence, judgement and the ability to adapt teaching safely and effectively in real-world settings.

For STA, this focus is well established. Our Level 2 Award in Swimming Teaching has, for many years, been valued by operators and swim schools because of its strong emphasis on practical delivery, safety and real-world application – supporting confident teaching from day one, without compromise on quality. That knowledge and unique experience have been carried through into the new qualification.

Designed for the reality of modern delivery

At its core, the qualification is focused on developing confident, capable swimming teachers. It sets a clear professional standard while allowing employers, operators and swim schools the flexibility to deliver learn-to-swim programmes that best meet local need.

By prioritising professional teaching competence rather than embedding a single delivery model, the qualification equips teachers with the knowledge, skills and professional judgement to teach confidently across a wide range of settings and learn-to-swim award programmes. This reflects the reality of the aquatics sector, where operators and swim schools work across a mix of established and bespoke in-house frameworks, and where many swimming teachers move between multiple pools, operators and programmes throughout their careers.

Moving into live delivery

Building on this work with CIMSPA and industry partners, I’m extremely pleased that the new STA Level 2 Swimming Teacher qualification has now moved into live delivery.

With our 300+ Approved Training Centres and more than 170 (and rising every day) courses now registered and active, delivery is successfully underway across the UK. As courses get up and running this month, we’re starting to see how our digital systems, streamlined assessment processes and tutor-focused delivery tools are making a difference in practice – supporting both learners and tutors, and helping to create a more consistent and manageable training experience.

Throughout development, Approved Training Centres and tutors were clear with us about what they needed: simpler delivery, greater flexibility and less administration. That feedback genuinely shaped the qualification. Now that delivery is underway, we’re seeing those decisions play out in practice -with updated resources and technology making courses easier to manage, supporting flexible approaches to theory alongside a strong practical focus. Digital learner portfolios, blended learning options and AI-assisted marking are reducing the administrative load, giving tutors more time to focus on teaching and mentoring, and helping learners receive clearer, more timely feedback.

Early feedback from delivery

Feedback from some of the first courses reflects exactly what the qualification was designed to achieve. Learners have highlighted the balance between theory and practice, with one commenting that “the course content was relevant and well thought out, with a great balance of practical learning.”

Another shared how confidence developed through delivery, explaining: “I was nervous at first, but the trainer put my mind at ease, and it was really enjoyable once I got into it. I even learned how to do Butterfly for the first time and can now teach it.”

Tutors delivering the qualification have echoed this experience. Penny, STA Tutor, noted: “The resources and training materials were well thought out and supported the candidates’ learning. I feel confident they’ve qualified with the knowledge, skills and safety awareness to deliver quality swimming lessons.” Another tutor described the course as “smooth to deliver and clearly well thought out,” praising both the learners and the programme’s design.

Chris, another STA Tutor said: “Delivering the new STA Level 2 Swimming Teacher qualification has been one of the most intense but rewarding professional experiences I’ve had to date. From the very start, it was clear this course was something different, more detailed, more demanding, and ultimately more effective for learners. One of the biggest stand-outs was the new AI portfolio marking system. Honestly, it’s out of this world.”

Supporting teachers beyond qualification

Importantly, this is not just about qualifying new teachers. It is about preparing them to thrive. Every learner completing the STA qualification receives a bundle of CPDs and 12 months of STA membership – this supports continued development, real-world guidance and a strong sense of professional community. Together, this all helps to attract new people into swimming teaching while supporting retention by giving teachers the confidence, connection and support they need to build sustainable careers in the sector.

Equally, for those considering a future in swimming teaching, that journey can begin earlier with STA. Roles such as STA’s Aquatics Helper programme have been helping teenagers for many years by giving them a clear and supported stepping stone into the profession.

Swimming teaching is our passion because it can, and does, change lives. Teachers build confidence, inspire future swimmers and make communities safer. Their training, therefore, should reflect both the responsibility they carry and the potential they bring to poolside every day.

For STA, this milestone is not simply procedural. It is an opportunity to shape the future of our profession by strengthening what matters most – accessibility, quality training, tutor experience and real-world learner success.

As a national governing body for swimming and a UK-registered educational charity dedicated to saving lives through the teaching of swimming and lifesaving skills, STA remains committed to supporting educators, learners and employers – and working collaboratively with partners to strengthen the profession for the future.