Swimming teacher
Swimming coach
Swimming teachers help people learn to swim, improve their swimming skills and how to exercise in water.
Salary range: Variable
How to become a swimming teacher
You can get into this job through:
- an apprenticeship
- training with a professional body
Apprenticeship
You can do an intermediate apprenticeship in coaching swimming. You can also complete a leisure team member intermediate apprenticeship.
Entry requirements
There are no set entry requirements but it may help you to get in if you have:
- some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
More information
Other routes
You can qualify as a swimming teacher by doing Level 1 and Level 2 teaching qualifications awarded by Swim England or the Swimming Teachers’ Association (STA).
These qualifications will allow you to teach non-swimmers, improvers and people looking to learn advanced swimming skills.
More information
Further information
You can find out more about teaching swimming from Swim England and the Swimming Teachers’ Association.
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
You’ll need:
- knowledge of teaching and the ability to design courses
- customer service skills
- the ability to work on your own
- leadership skills
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to come up with new ways of doing things
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- excellent verbal communication skills
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
Restrictions and requirements
You’ll need to:
- pass enhanced background checks, as you may be working with children and vulnerable adults
- be over 16 years of age
What you’ll do
Day-to-day tasks
Your day-to-day duties may include:
- teaching or coaching one-to-one or in groups
- planning and delivering sessions
- demonstrating swimming techniques and correcting faults
- identifying ways to improve performance
- making sure safety standards are followed
- checking life-saving equipment is in working order
- organising and supervising assistants and helpers
- offering basic first aid
Working environment
You could work at a fitness centre or at a school.
Your working environment may be physically demanding and humid.
You may need to wear a uniform.
Career path and progression
With experience, you could be a swim co-ordinator or lead swimming teacher, checking the quality of swimming teachers.
You could work as the head coach of a sports club, or senior coach with a regional or national team.
You could also move into sports development or youth work.