Inverclyde Leisure has renewed its partnership with STA, reinforcing its commitment to delivering high-quality, inclusive swimming lessons for local families following the continued success and growth of its STA Swim Academy programme.

Since becoming an STA Swim Academy in 2024, Inverclyde Leisure has continued to evolve its learn to swim programme, with more children and families taking part in lessons and more participants progressing through each stage of the STA International Learn to Swim Programme (ILSP), from babies through to adults.

Building on this success, the organisation has recently introduced dedicated SEND swimming lessons, supported by teachers holding STA’s Disability qualification, alongside intensive one-to-one swimming lessons designed to help children build confidence, develop their skills and accelerate their progress in the water.

These initiatives further strengthen Inverclyde Leisure’s commitment to ensuring every child has the opportunity to learn to swim in an environment that meets their individual needs, while continuing to deliver STA’s structured ILSP, which supports swimmers of all ages and abilities to develop essential swimming and water safety skills.

The introduction of the intensive 1:1 lessons has been particularly well received by families, with parents praising the personalised approach and the progress their children have made.

One parent, Jessie Friel, whose daughter Millie attended the sessions, said: “Great lessons. Bethan is a fab teacher with great patience. Millie had a complete fear of the water and is now confident getting in and out of the water. She has been excited every day to get up and go to her lesson. We would 100% sign up for any more 1:1 lessons.”

Another parent commented: “Made great progress with the 1:1 lessons. These lessons are a great option to allow speedy progress. I hope these continue in the future for all young people!”

Kathleen Johnstone, Swim Academy Coordinator at Inverclyde Leisure, said: “Renewing our partnership with STA reflects our commitment to continually developing our swimming programme to meet the needs of our local community. Over the past two years we’ve expanded our provision to include dedicated SEND swimming lessons and intensive one-to-one sessions, ensuring even more children can learn in an environment that suits their individual needs.

“We’re incredibly proud of how our Swim Academy continues to grow and evolve. Our teaching team is passionate about helping every swimmer achieve their potential, and the positive feedback we’ve received from parents demonstrates the real difference these initiatives are making to children’s confidence, enjoyment and progression in the water.”

Zoe Cooper, Commercial Director at STA, added: “It’s fantastic to see Inverclyde Leisure continually investing in its swimming programme and building on the success of its STA Swim Academy. Their commitment to inclusive swimming, workforce development and creating opportunities for every child to succeed perfectly reflects the values of the Swim Academy programme.

“We’re delighted to be continuing our partnership and look forward to supporting the team as they continue to develop their provision for the local community.”

The partnership also continues to strengthen Inverclyde Leisure’s workforce development strategy. As an STA Approved Training Centre, the organisation is able to deliver its own swimming teacher training in-house, helping to develop skilled, confident teachers, support future programme growth and ensure the highest standards of teaching across its swimming programme.