Teaching Swimming Tutor Training

A tutor is the person who plans, delivers and assesses a course which enables learners to achieve a Swim England qualification.

Tutors will be delivering qualifications on behalf of Swim England however are employed by one of Swim England’s Approved Training Centres.

The Tutor Training Programme responds to the need of Approved Training Centres. Where there are geographical gaps in coverage, need is identified and tutors can be sought to work in these areas.

Due to there being more teaching swimming courses compared to other disciplines such as coaching and pool plant, there are more teaching swimming tutor training programmes each year. Typically 1-2 programmes per year.

Only Swim England Approved Training Centres can run Swim England qualification courses, therefore a tutor will work for the Approved Training Centre. The areas of need advertised are where Approved Training Centres recognise that they have the ability to run courses, usually at a specific centre, but they currently have no tutor to deliver and assess the course. Therefore Swim England advertise on their behalf to find a new tutor to work for them at that centre or in that area. To clarify: without an Approved Training Centre, someone cannot run a Swim England qualification course.

The Tutor Training Programme will give you the foundation skills to run a swimming teaching course from start to finish, including planning and preparing for a course, delivering effective sessions and assessing to meet the qualification requirements.

Because the Tutor Training Programme is run to meet the need of Approved Training Centres, it’s important to only apply if you have time to deliver courses once you are trained. Some tutors deliver around their current employment e.g. using their weekends or holidays, whilst a small number of tutors deliver around the country as their full time role.

The Tutor Training Programme is not a qualification. It is a training programme run by Swim England to train someone to deliver and assess effectively. This ensures that qualification requirements are met and Swim England tutoring standards remain high.

The number of applications for the Tutor Training Programme grows every year and competition is very fierce; for teaching swimming we can receive upwards of 80 applications.

Applicants are shortlisted against the person specification however most applicants have added experience in aquatics and training so if you want your application to stand out, add all of your relevant experience and qualifications.

• Gaining experience in delivering any kind of training will develop your presentation skills and confidence.
• Staying up to date with Swim England’s key messages via regular CPD

Qualifications and training: we require all trainees to hold a delivery qualification such as PGCE, PTLLS, Level 3 Education and Training etc and safeguarding training however these can be gained once accepted onto the programme.

Unfortunately there is no guarantee that having these qualifications at application stage will move you to the interview stage but we would recommend that if you don’t have a delivery qualification, you look into where and when you can access this training in case you are successful.

On average, the tutor training journey takes between 6-12 months to be signed off to deliver solo. Each programme can be adapted to suit the trainee in terms of time it takes to qualify. For example, some trainees will choose to observe more courses than others, some trainees will want longer to plan for their attachment, some trainees will have to wait longer for an attachment option that suits their needs. However, due to the regular review of qualifications, and to ensure training stays fresh, trainees will need to complete their programme in a 2 year period.

The process involves the following stages:

1. Application
2. Online Interview
3. Induction (online)
4. Face to face or online training days x4 (with associated tasks)
5. Research tasks (currently observation of 25% of a course and interview with an experienced tutor)
6. Attachment: A practical placement where the trainee is on course 100% of the time with experienced tutor, delivers 50% of the timetable and assesses 50% of the learners. The trainee will be guided and mentored by the experienced tutor (Advanced Practitioner).

Currently the programme costs £650. This cost can vary from programme to programme due to the delivery model and number of days of training.

The Tutor Training Programme is paid in instalments. The cost of the programme should not be a barrier to applying as some Approved Training Centres offer repayment schemes. This is something that can be discussed if a trainee gets accepted onto the programme.

The tutor training programme is ever evolving due to regular feedback we glean from Approved Training Centres, Trainees, Leisure Providers and Swim England. We try to meet the needs of all stakeholders whilst maintaining Swim England’s high quality of training.

Payment varies across the Approved Training Centres so it’s worth checking with the Approved Training Centres in your area if this is a significant factor for you.

Once you have completed your attachment, all of your research tasks have been handed in and the training payment has been made, you will be signed off to run your own solo first course. A member of Educator Training will support you in your preparations.

The Educator Training Department also offers regular training both online and face to face to keep you up to date and ensure you get regular professional development.