SWS (Sensitive Water Solutions) Swim School has become one of the first swim schools in the country to achieve Gold in STA’s STAmark quality accreditation programme – the definitive standard for swim school business.

Kelly Gillings from SWS said: “We are extremely pleased to have achieved Gold, the highest possible award for our STAmark quality standard. This has been a culmination of several years work developing a swim scheme in Neath, Port Talbot, Wales that the local community can be proud of.”

“We are committed to providing a safe environment for swimmers, and delivering high standards of teaching through our partnership with the STA. We are therefore delighted to be recognised for our high quality standards, and be rewarded with a Gold STAmark,” added Kelly.

First launched in 2005, STAmark was developed by STA to provide greater clarity within the leisure industry in the standards that leisure facilities operate at. A general lack of restrictions in setting up swim schools within the UK had led to an immense growth in private swim school tuition. STAmark aims to provide a standardised level of accreditation that organisations can work to that demonstrates prestige in the key areas of running a swim school or leisure facility.

STA re-launched STAmark in 2014 via STAadmin.co.uk, which provides a platform where operators can apply for STAmark accreditation online and take the required assessments for their desired accreditation. When the assessments have been completed, they are externally reviewed by industry professionals and the appropriate action taken depending on the site’s score and the desired accreditation type. Swim schools can apply for Bronze, Silver or Gold accreditation.

Theo Millward, STA’s Operations Director congratulates SWS on their Gold Award and said, “Achieving STAmark adds real marketing value to a business and instils confidence in customers that the swim school is operating to the very highest standards. It also provides the all-important external validation that the swim school is operating in line with PAS81 BSi PAS 81:2012 – the Specification for the Management and Operation of Swimming Schools.”