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press release: Swimming Teachers' Association (STA)

Gold company profile | Swimming Teachers' Association (STA)
PRESS RELEASE

Safety Training Awards achieves CIMSPA's highest 'Enhancing' quality mark

30 Mar 2026
CIMSPA Education Partner / CIMSPA

Safety Training Awards, the awarding organisation of the Swimming Teachers’ Association (STA) and a CIMSPA Awarding Organisation Partner, has achieved CIMSPA’s ‘Enhancing’ quality mark - the highest level of quality assurance awarded by the professional development body for the UK’s sport and physical activity sector.

This top 3* recognition demonstrates the organisation’s commitment to delivering high-quality, professionally recognised qualifications that support the development of a skilled and competent workforce. As well as gaining Enhancing overall, CIMSPA confirmed Safety Training Awards are the first Awarding Organisation to achieve Enhancing status against every audit criteria.

CIMSPA plays a central role in supporting the sport and physical activity workforce, ensuring members receive the education, training and professional development required to build sustainable and rewarding careers. As part of this, CIMSPA works closely with its education partners to ensure that endorsed qualifications and services meet robust professional standards and codes of conduct.

Safety Training Awards’ achievement of ‘Enhancing’ status confirms that it consistently delivers a high-quality experience for learners, centres and employers, with best practice demonstrated across its operations, processes and qualification delivery.

Kayle Brightwell, director of education at STA, said: “Achieving CIMSPA’s ‘Enhancing’ status is an important recognition for Safety Training Awards and reflects the continued commitment of our team and training partners to delivering high-quality, professionally recognised qualifications.

This provides independent assurance that our qualifications not only meet sector expectations, but support learners, employers and training centres with the knowledge, skills and confidence required to operate safely and effectively within aquatics and leisure.

We remain focused on maintaining these standards, ensuring our qualifications continue to evolve in line with industry needs and support a competent, confident and professional workforce.”



More press releases and updates from Swimming Teachers' Association (STA):
STA is pleased to announce that its Safeguarding Children and Adults at Risk CPD has been endorsed by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) against both the Safeguarding and Protecting Children and Safeguarding Adults technical specialism professional standards.
Active Lambeth has renewed its partnership with STA and is preparing to introduce STA's new graded Learn to Swim Programme (LSP) across its STA Swim Academy.
STA's The Ripple Effect initiative has reached an important milestone after learners completed the charity's first fully funded swimming teacher training programme, resulting in seven newly qualified swimming teachers.
STA has welcomed a new statement issued by the Swimming Alliance in response to the Government’s £1 billion investment into school sport and physical activity over the next three years.
Live Borders has become a new STA Approved Training Centre (ATC) for aquatics and is among the first organisations in Scotland to begin delivering STA’s newly accredited Swimming Teacher Qualification at SCQF Level 7.
Swimming Teachers' Association (STA)
Tel: 01922 645097
Address: Anchor House, Birch Street, Walsall, West Midlands, WS2 8HZ,
Dave Candler, CEO
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Company profile: Swimming Teachers' Association (STA)
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Swimming Teachers' Association (STA) press release: Safety Training Awards achieves CIMSPA's highest 'Enhancing' quality mark
Safety Training Awards, the awarding organisation of the Swimming Teachers’ Association (STA) and a CIMSPA Awarding Organisation Partner, has achieved CIMSPA’s ‘Enhancing’ quality mark - the highest level of quality assurance awarded by the professional d
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press release: Swimming Teachers' Association (STA)

Gold company profile | Swimming Teachers' Association (STA)
PRESS RELEASE

Safety Training Awards achieves CIMSPA's highest 'Enhancing' quality mark

30 Mar 2026
CIMSPA Education Partner / CIMSPA

Safety Training Awards, the awarding organisation of the Swimming Teachers’ Association (STA) and a CIMSPA Awarding Organisation Partner, has achieved CIMSPA’s ‘Enhancing’ quality mark - the highest level of quality assurance awarded by the professional development body for the UK’s sport and physical activity sector.

This top 3* recognition demonstrates the organisation’s commitment to delivering high-quality, professionally recognised qualifications that support the development of a skilled and competent workforce. As well as gaining Enhancing overall, CIMSPA confirmed Safety Training Awards are the first Awarding Organisation to achieve Enhancing status against every audit criteria.

CIMSPA plays a central role in supporting the sport and physical activity workforce, ensuring members receive the education, training and professional development required to build sustainable and rewarding careers. As part of this, CIMSPA works closely with its education partners to ensure that endorsed qualifications and services meet robust professional standards and codes of conduct.

Safety Training Awards’ achievement of ‘Enhancing’ status confirms that it consistently delivers a high-quality experience for learners, centres and employers, with best practice demonstrated across its operations, processes and qualification delivery.

Kayle Brightwell, director of education at STA, said: “Achieving CIMSPA’s ‘Enhancing’ status is an important recognition for Safety Training Awards and reflects the continued commitment of our team and training partners to delivering high-quality, professionally recognised qualifications.

This provides independent assurance that our qualifications not only meet sector expectations, but support learners, employers and training centres with the knowledge, skills and confidence required to operate safely and effectively within aquatics and leisure.

We remain focused on maintaining these standards, ensuring our qualifications continue to evolve in line with industry needs and support a competent, confident and professional workforce.”



More press releases and updates from Swimming Teachers' Association (STA):
STA is pleased to announce that its Safeguarding Children and Adults at Risk CPD has been endorsed by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) against both the Safeguarding and Protecting Children and Safeguarding Adults technical specialism professional standards.
Active Lambeth has renewed its partnership with STA and is preparing to introduce STA's new graded Learn to Swim Programme (LSP) across its STA Swim Academy.
STA's The Ripple Effect initiative has reached an important milestone after learners completed the charity's first fully funded swimming teacher training programme, resulting in seven newly qualified swimming teachers.
STA has welcomed a new statement issued by the Swimming Alliance in response to the Government’s £1 billion investment into school sport and physical activity over the next three years.
Live Borders has become a new STA Approved Training Centre (ATC) for aquatics and is among the first organisations in Scotland to begin delivering STA’s newly accredited Swimming Teacher Qualification at SCQF Level 7.
Swimming Teachers' Association (STA)
Tel: 01922 645097
Address: Anchor House, Birch Street, Walsall, West Midlands, WS2 8HZ,
Dave Candler, CEO
Swimming Teachers' Association (STA) video gallery:
Key personnel
Dave Candler, chief executive officer
Zoe Cooper, commercial director
Kayle Brightwell, director of education
Brett Preston, director of digital services
Stuart Tanfield, finance director
Key customers
STA works with a broad range of customers across the aquatic sector, including independent swim schools, national leisure operators, local authorities, STA Swim Academies, Swim Star Swim Schools, training providers and international partners.

Its qualifications and memberships support individual swimming teachers, schools and organisations delivering aquatic programmes.
Plans for the next 12 months
STA will continue to embed its Level 2 Swimming Teacher Qualification across the sector, supporting training providers and employers with implementation, resources and workforce development initiatives. This includes modern approaches to delivery, combining blended learning and digital tools to support tutors and learners.

There will be a continued focus on expanding CPD provision with specialist partners, enhancing digital learning and improving accessibility to training.

STA will also progress charity initiatives to support recruitment within the aquatic workforce, including bursary programmes and outreach activity, while strengthening its work in inclusion, disability swimming and community engagement.

Testimonial
“Since partnering with STA in 2017, we have trained over 4,300 swimming teachers through their qualification framework, helping us build a consistent, scalable workforce model across our centres. Their support has strengthened our ability to recruit, upskill and retain staff.”

– Andrew Clark, national sport & aquatics manager, GLL
Testimonial
“Renewing our partnership with STA reflects our confidence in the quality and robustness of their qualifications. STA’s support has enabled us to deliver consistent, high-quality training across our clubs.”

– Stuart Dickinson, quality development and apprenticeship manager, Virgin Active
Testimonial
“Becoming an STA Approved Training Centre has given us the flexibility to manage training requirements in-house, enabling us to scale quickly and support workforce growth.”
– Kelly Gaffney, head of people and culture, swim@
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