New swim teacher recruitment academy boosts lessons across Wirral
More than 430 additional children and adults have taken up swimming lessons across Wirral in the past year, thanks to a successful new approach to recruiting and training swimming teachers.
The Swimming Teacher Recruitment Academy, delivered by Wirral Council’s Active Wirral service in partnership with Swim England, has enabled 11 new teachers to qualify and begin delivering lessons at leisure centres across the borough. By cutting training costs to just £85 per trainee, compared to the usual £1,000, the programme has removed a significant barrier to entering the profession.
Over the past 18 months, two Recruitment Academies have strengthened the local workforce and increased lesson capacity, allowing Active Wirral to expand its swimming programme. This has given more residents the opportunity to learn a vital life skill close to home, while also generating additional income to support local services.
Wirral, like many areas nationally, has faced ongoing challenges in recruiting qualified swimming teachers. Between 2021 and 2023, the service lost several experienced staff due to retirement or students moving on to university, and vacancies advertised in early 2024 attracted no applications. These pressures were exacerbated by the long-term impact of the Covid pandemic, which significantly reduced training opportunities and the number of newly qualified teachers entering the profession.
To address this, Wirral Council commissioned Swim England to review local swimming provision. While the review identified clear potential to increase participation, it also highlighted the need to grow the workforce to unlock that demand.
Active Wirral subsequently worked with Swim England to design a bespoke Recruitment Academy focused on attracting, training and retaining teachers to meet local needs. The programme combines targeted promotion by Swim England and the Institute of Swimming with a robust selection process, including shortlisting and interviews, before final decisions are made by Active Wirral.
Although the qualification process is demanding, participants are supported throughout and gain valuable skills and confidence. The existing swim workforce mentored and developed the new teachers, who are now excellent additions to the team. Many are now delivering lessons across Wirral’s leisure centres, resulting in more sessions and increased overall capacity.
In the past 12 months alone, an additional 430 pupils are now benefiting from swimming lessons across the borough. With two academies now complete, Active Wirral will continue to monitor demand and performance before considering further cohorts.
Through partnership working and investment in people, Active Wirral is building a more sustainable workforce, helping ensure swimming lessons remain accessible for Wirral residents now and in the future.
Councillor Ian Lewis Chair of the Tourism, Communities, Culture & Leisure Committee said:
“Learning to swim is a vital life skill, and this innovative Recruitment Academy has made a real difference for Wirral residents. By working in partnership with Swim England and removing financial barriers to training, we’ve been able to grow our local workforce, expand lesson capacity and help hundreds more children and adults access swimming lessons close to home. It’s an excellent example of how investing in people delivers long‑term benefits for our communities and local services.”
For more information on swimming lessons visit the Active Wirral website.
