It’s hard to believe we’re already more than six months on from launching our new regulated Level 2 Swimming Teacher qualification.

From the outset, our ambition was never simply to introduce a new qualification. It was about creating a clearer, more practical route into swimming teaching that aligns with the latest CIMSPA Professional Standard, better prepares people for the realities of poolside delivery and supports the long-term sustainability of our workforce.

Since launch, well over a thousand new swimming teachers have achieved the qualification, while hundreds more existing teachers have completed the upskill programme. Those are encouraging numbers, but what has been equally important over the past few months has been listening to the people delivering the qualification every day.

We’ve spent time speaking with our Approved Training Centres (ATCs), tutors and learners to understand what’s working well and where we can continue to improve. I’m delighted to say the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive from those who have delivered a course.

The results speak for themselves:

• Around 85% of ATCs are now delivering the qualification using the blended learning model.
• Almost three-quarters of tutors described their overall experience of delivering the qualification as positive.
• Almost nine in ten tutors said they would recommend the qualification to other ATCs.
• More than eight in ten highlighted the increased practical teaching focus as one of the qualification’s greatest strengths.
• Around three-quarters praised the quality of the course resources.
• More than eight in ten reported that learners are gaining more practical teaching experience than with previous qualifications.
• Almost three-quarters said learners leave with a stronger understanding of practical skills.
• Nearly two-thirds highlighted improved learner confidence.

These findings demonstrate that the transition to a single regulated swimming teaching qualification, aligned to the latest CIMSPA Professional Standard, is already delivering the greater consistency, stronger practical teaching skills and increased confidence we set out to achieve.

The feedback wasn’t just reflected in the statistics. Time and again, tutors told us they value spending more time supporting learners and less time on administration, while praising the balance between theory, practical teaching and blended learning. One tutor summed it up perfectly:

“A streamlined swimming teacher course that has the right mix of practical, theory and blended learning, preparing candidates for work once the course is completed.”

Another commented:

“Delivering this course is about developing people, not just instructors – building confidence, communication and the ability to adapt to every swimmer’s needs.”

Of course, introducing any new qualification is only the beginning. We’ll continue listening, refining and improving because that’s how great qualifications evolve. Every piece of feedback we receive helps us strengthen the qualification even further and ensure it continues to meet the needs of learners, tutors and employers.

Alongside these encouraging findings, we’ve also celebrated another important milestone in developing the swimming teaching workforce.

At the end of May, The Ripple Effect, STA’s charitable initiative designed to remove financial barriers into swimming teacher training, delivered its first fully funded course in Coventry.

The programme resulted in seven newly qualified swimming teachers joining the workforce, with one learner, former GB Artistic Swimming squad member Alyssa Anderson, securing employment as a swimming teacher less than a week after qualifying. It’s exactly the kind of outcome we hoped to achieve – creating opportunities for talented individuals while helping address the ongoing need for qualified swimming teachers across the UK.

The success of that first programme is only the beginning. We’re already working with Approved Training Centres, employers and community organisations to develop further Ripple Effect projects, creating more opportunities for people to enter the profession and helping build a stronger, more sustainable aquatics workforce.

For me, these two stories are closely connected.

Creating a high-quality qualification is only part of the solution. We also need to make sure talented people have the opportunity to access it, receive the support they need throughout their learning journey and continue developing throughout their careers.

I’d like to thank every ATC, tutor and learner who has shared their experiences with us. Your feedback is helping shape the future of swimming teacher education, and together we’re building an even stronger profession for the years ahead.

Thank you, as always, for your continued commitment to developing the next generation of swimming teachers and helping more people enjoy the lifelong benefits of swimming.