STA Swim Academy’ M Swim, which operates out of its two M Club facilities in Stoke-on-Trent, is helping hundreds of young children develop essential swimming and water safety skills through a pioneering partnership with Nurture Childcare.

Since the initiative began in 2021, hundreds of early years children have benefited from free swimming lessons delivered by M Swim as part of their nursery day, helping them develop water confidence and essential swimming skills from an early age, while removing the financial and time pressures that can prevent families from accessing regular lessons.

The initiative is being celebrated as M Swim renews its STA Swim Academy partnership with STA.

For many families, finding the time to take young children swimming can be difficult, particularly when balancing work commitments and childcare arrangements. Through the partnership between M Swim and Nurture Childcare, children can enjoy regular lessons during their normal nursery hours, without parents having to arrange additional activities or pay for separate swimming lessons.

The programme also helps address a common challenge in early years swimming. Babies who attend swimming lessons may stop when their parents return to work, creating a gap in their learning. When they return to lessons as toddlers, they may have lost some of their previous water confidence and skills. By incorporating swimming into the nursery day, M Swim and Nurture Childcare help children maintain regular contact with the water and continue developing their skills and confidence.

Delivered by STA-qualified swimming teachers, the lessons follow STA’s International Learn to Swim Programme and introduce children to fundamental aquatic skills through fun, age-appropriate activities. These include floating, breathing, rotation and propulsion, helping to build the foundations for swimming competence and water safety.

The lessons take place at one of the M Club’s on-site swimming pools in Newcastle, providing a familiar and supportive environment where children can develop at their own pace.

Shanie Chaudry-Goodall, Company Director at M Club Spa & Fitness Limited, said: “Learning to swim isn’t just about sport, exercise or having fun in the water – it’s a life skill that could one day save a child’s life. That’s why introducing children to the water from such a young age is so important to us.

“One of the most rewarding things about our nursery partnership is seeing how much the children enjoy their time in the pool. Watching their confidence grow as they learn new skills is something our swimming teachers never tire of.

“We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved with Nurture Childcare over the last five years, and our continued partnership with STA will help us build on this success and create even more opportunities for children to learn to swim.”

M Swim first became an STA Swim Academy in 2021 and has since continued to develop its swim programme through M Swim, providing lessons for children of all ages and abilities.

Zoe Cooper, Commercial Director at STA, said: “This is a fantastic example of how swimming can be made more accessible by thinking differently about when and where lessons are delivered. By incorporating swimming into the nursery day and providing lessons free of charge, M Swim and Nurture Childcare are helping to remove barriers that can prevent children from learning to swim.

“We’re delighted to renew our STA Swim Academy partnership with M Swim and look forward to continuing to support the team as they create more opportunities for children to develop essential swimming and water safety skills.”