Swimming lessons
STA Swim Academy @ Wakefield Council
Swimming is an essential life skill that stays with you for life. We believe everyone should feel confident, safe, and happy in the water - whether you’re taking your first splash or looking to improve your technique.
Our structured swimming lessons are designed to build confidence, develop vital water safety skills, and create a lifelong love of swimming. As one of the safest and most popular forms of exercise, swimming supports both physical health and mental wellbeing at every age.
We offer swimming lessons for all abilities, from 1-year-old through to adulthood. By learning to swim properly and mastering the fundamentals, you’ll be able to enjoy water safely and confidently:
- at your local swimming pool
- on holiday
- at the beach
Learning to swim also unlocks a wide range of exciting sporting and recreational opportunities. Water polo, diving, canoeing, sailing, and snorkelling are just a few of the activities that become accessible once strong swimming skills are in place.
We are a proud STA Approved Centre, delivering the nationally recognised Swimming Teachers Association (STA) Learn to Swim Pathway (LSP). This all inclusive programme is carefully designed to help swimmers progress at their own pace, develop correct technique, and reach their full potential.
All our lessons are delivered by fully qualified swimming teachers, each holding a minimum Level 2 qualification. Our team also undertakes ongoing professional development to ensure the very highest standards of teaching. On occasion, trainee swimming teachers may assist with lessons - always under the direct supervision of a qualified teacher and tutor.
Quality, safety, and progression are at the heart of everything we do. Learning to swim doesn’t just build a skill that could one day save a life — it opens the door to greater confidence, improved health, and a world of social and sporting opportunities.
Swimming lessons we offer
1 year + Adult and Toddler Swimming Lessons
This exciting programme features six structured awards that gently introduce toddlers to the water, helping them build confidence and learn essential safety skills in a playful, supportive environment.
For all sessions, a parent or responsible adult is required to be in the water at all times.
Pre-school lessons (2 years to 4 years)
STAnley First Steps Series is an exciting series of 7 progressive awards specifically designed to teach learners from 2 years - with an accompanying adult - basic swimming and water safety skills.
A child’s first learn to swim experience is one of the most important in terms of capturing and retaining their interest.
We believe the best way to achieve this is to create safe environments in which children can be introduced to the water whilst having fun and by providing a progressive learn to swim programme that is both challenging and rewarding.
This series culminates with the STAnley Star award, which covers all the skills in the 7 awards ensuring that the learner is competent and confident in and around water.
To make sure safety and confidence, a parent or responsible adult is required to be in the water at all times.
Junior Learn to Swim Programme (For children 5 years+ or learners that have completed our pre-school programme)
STA’s Learn to Swim Programme (LSP) is a series of 7 progressive grades designed as a comprehensive and engaging programme. The LSP recognises that participants can join the scheme at different ages and abilities, so there is a starting grade suitable for everyone.
The scheme focuses on water confidence, water safety and movement in the water throughout every grade, with progressive practices to challenge and increase the confidence of participants completing the LSP.
The scheme aims to provide a complete progressive aquatic pathway for participants to develop into well-rounded swimmers, as well as introducing other aquatic disciplines for participants to enjoy, such as lifesaving skills, water polo, artistic swimming and competitive skills.
Junior Lifeguard Academy
(learners must be able to swim 50 metres continuously unaided)
The fun-packed programme offers something for everyone; from lifeguarding skills and first aid, to boogie boarding, ocean awareness, distance, sports skills and health and wellbeing.
For more information visit the STA junior lifeguard website.
Adult Swimming Lessons
In our 'beginners' lessons, you will receive individual tuition in small classes of 6.
Lessons are for adults who are:
- non-swimmers
- lack water confidence
We will provide all the necessary equipment for your sessions.
Improver Swimmers are for adults who are:
- looking to improve their technique
- looking to improve stamina
We will provide all the necessary equipment for your sessions.
To Book Adult Swimming Lessons please click here for a 12-week course.
SEND Support Swimming Lessons
Junior SEND swimming lessons support children 5yr plus with special educational needs or disabilities.
What’s different?
Recognising the importance of swimming and water safety for people with disabilities, STA’s Rockhopper series and Emperor series are the most comprehensive and progressing programmes for people of all disabilities.
The Rockhopper series is an exciting programme consisting of 9 awards which introduce learners with disabilities to the joy of water. The series develops water confidence and water skills as well as increasing water safety awareness and knowledge.
To ensure safety and confidence, a parent or responsible adult is required to be in the water at all times.