Swim and Dive Teacher Training and Teaching Qualifications

Is it time for a career change or a new challenge? Have you considered a career in sports teaching/coaching? Or are you looking for help in advancing your teaching career with more qualifications and skills.  

Edinburgh Leisure offers a wide range of accredited courses and qualifications across all stages of your career. 

Introductory Courses

New to Teaching - not sure what it all entails? These courses are a perfect starting point for your swim teaching career.

Find Out More

Teaching Qualifications

Would you like to make a difference to peoples’ lives by helping them to learn to swim? We offer all the courses and qualifications needed to launch your teaching career.

These courses are run by Edinburgh Leisure but are booked through the Scottish Swimming website.


Find Out More

Career Development

Our Development Courses have been carefully designed to further develop your skills and knowledge in a range of key areas. 

Find Out More


This workshop will provide you with a unique opportunity to gain skills, confidence and experience, and it is a great way to expand your career options. It is designed to give you insight into the roles and responsibilities of a swimming teacher, and upon completion we can help you find volunteering opportunities, working alongside our skilled swim teachers, to continue to increase your experience and knowledge.

This 2-day course is designed as an introduction for those who are interested in becoming a swimming teacher. The course includes practical and classroom learning which will cover the following - roles and responsibilities of a swimming teacher and ways of working in a teaching environment.


If required, following the completion of this course, we guide you towards finding volunteering opportunities and access to the Scottish Swimming Teacher Qualification.

Scottish Swimming Teacher Qualification is the nationally recognised swim teaching qualification in Scotland.



Book this Course

Swimming and Dive Teaching Qualifications

Kick start your coaching career with accredited qualifications setting you on your way to becoming a certified Swim or Dive teacher. 

  • Scottish Swimming Teacher Qualification (Full and Conversion courses available)
  • UKCC Level 1 Coaching Swimming
  • UKCC Level 2 Coaching Swimming
  • Early Childhood Swim Teacher's Qualification (SVQ)


Our Swim or Dive Teaching/Qualification courses must be booked via the Scottish Swimming website using the link below. 


Book a Course with Scottish Swimming


In order to book a course you must be a Scottish Swimming member. If you do not currently have a membership with Scottish Swimming please follow this link to visit the Scottish Swimming website to become a member.

The new Scottish Swimming Teacher Qualification (SSTQ) is the industry standard for those who wish to teach unsupervised to groups of swimmers with a range of abilities and is essential for seeking employment as a swimming teacher. This qualification is achieved from a practically-based course and will allow you to gain the necessary skills and experience prior to progressing to an aquatics working environment. It will support your ongoing learning and development ensuring that you are fully prepared to deliver high quality lessons.

This course is taught over 8 days and costs £575.

This course is booked through the Scottish Swimming website. Please click here to book.

Our UKCC Level 1 Diving Course is aimed at giving you the skills to coach in a competitive diving environment. The Level 1 course is open to those from age 16. 

 

This course is booked through the Scottish Swimming website. Please click here to book.

Our UKCC Level 2 Coaching Diving Course is aimed at giving you the skills to coach in a competitive diving environment. The Level 2 course is open to those from age 17.

 This course is booked through the Scottish Swimming website. Please click here to book.

The purpose of the course is to enhance knowledge and standardise the current provision of delivery for Early Years.

In addition to developing knowledge of the fundamental principles that underpin child development, learners will also gain practical teaching techniques, games and activities which will enhance learning and development. Thorough feedback and peer evaluation will ensure that Teachers will have the opportunity to develop their skills for delivering in an Aquatic Environment.

The programme has been developed in consultation with specialists in child development to incorporate both enjoyment of an aquatic environment and ongoing development.

This course is taught over 3 days and costs £250.

 

This course is booked through the Scottish Swimming website. Please click here to book.

Career Development Courses

Take your Swim Teaching career to the next level with more advanced and speciailist skills and knowledge in a range of key areas including

  • Additional Support Needs
  • Advanced Swim Teaching
  • Developing Aquatics
  • Lead Teacher

This course is designed to further develop the understanding and knowledge of learners/swimmers impairments. It is designed to increase the swim teachers confidence and competence in teaching people with impairments to swim. It will include information and skills to develop the swim teachers knowledge and understanding of adaptations and modifications of swimming techniques.

Book this Course

Pre-requisite – ASA, UKCC Level 2 or SSTQ

This 3-day course is designed to further develop the skills and knowledge of an SSTQ teacher.

The course includes practical and classroom learning and is designed to enhance the quality of the swimming teachers’ skills. The following topics will be covered

-        management of larger mixed ability classes

-        development of observation skills through analysis

-        identification and understanding of faults and corrections

-        different ways to structure and deliver lessons to a variety of learners

Book this Course

Minimum age 16 years

This course is designed to develop the skills of swim coordinators and swim programme managers. Candidates will attend 1 day a month over 3 months and continually develop their skills in their workplace during the duration of the course. The course will include classroom learning and candidates’ presentations. The following topics will be covered

  • effective use of your pool space
  • programme development
  • retention of customers
  • recruitment and retention of swim teachers.

At the end of this course candidates will be expected to present a project they have completed based on introducing/developing an area of their own swim programme.

SSTQ Full Course

SSTQ Conversion

UKCC Level 1 Coaching

UKCC Level 1 Diving

UKCC Level 2 Coaching

UKCC Level 2 Diving

SQA Early Years

CPD ASN



Book this Course

Pre-requisite – ASA, UKCC Level 2 or SSTQ

This 3 - day course is designed to introduce experienced swim teachers into the world of developing and mentoring trainee and newly qualified teachers. The course includes practical and classroom learning.

The following topics will be covered

  • Mentoring and developing the skills of a swim teacher/volunteer
  • More advanced Lesson planning and schemes of work for a variety of levels
  • Self-reflection skills
  • Giving and receiving feedback
  • Resolving conflict

Book this Course