Julie's Swim School
Julie's Swim School
Welcome to the STA International Learn to Swim Programme
Awards Scheme
Welcome to the STA International Learn to Swim Programme
Awards Scheme
Swim schools mostly use one of two award schemes in this country. They are the ASA Learn to Swim Pathway and the STA International Learn to Swim Programme. In the past we have used the ASA but for the last year have been using awards from both schemes. This has led us to make the decision to move over wholly to the STA scheme which we feel has advantages for our swim school. Both programmes provide a progressive pathway for learners to follow but there are some differences.
The STA introduces complex skills more gradually and earlier. It has more levels of awards which means more regular badges and increased motivation. It also puts more emphasis on water safety. Set out below, as a guide, are the ASA stages and how the STA awards, as we currently use them, roughly equate to them:
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Stage 4
Stage 5
Stage 6 plus
Stanley 1, 2 & 3
Stanley 4, 5 & 6
Stanley 7 & Goldfish 1
Goldfish 2 & 3
Angelfish 1 & 2
Angelfish 3 & Shark 1 & 2
From here most of our swimmers progress to our STA Junior Lifeguard Academy where they learn more about water safety, survival swimming, lifeguard and rescue skills and get to try other skills such as fin swimming, snorkelling, body boarding and water polo. We also have other classes where the emphasis is still on swimming with an occasional tasters of something else like, body boarding or fin swimming which are very popular. For us it is all about providing choice as a swimming pathway can offer so much more than just swimming up and down!