Devon Swimschool Achieves UK First

March 28, 2013 - PRLog -- One of Devon’s best known swimming schools, Aquarius Swimschool, based in Barnstaple, has become the first private swimming school in the UK to gain STA Swim Academy status. This has just been approved within the past couple of weeks by the Swimming Teachers Association. Until now only local authority run swimming organisations have been granted this status.

“It is a considerable honour for Aquarius to become an STA Swim Academy,” explains Marco Oliveira, Business Development Manager at Aquarius Swimschool.  “It is in recognition of the way Aquarius teaches swimming, and its high levels of customer service, and the way it works so closely with families and the community. Personally, I think it also recognises the passion that Lisa Bousted, founder of Aquarius, continues to show for the job and her commitment to raising the levels of teaching in swimming classes not just in the UK but overseas too.”  

Lisa has been closely involved with the STA for some years and is a member of the STA Education Committee, with the role of helping to establish teaching techniques, first aid provision and training, and STA course content.  In 2010, she was invited to work as an STA ambassador on a visit to China to help with the introduction of baby swimming classes there.

Becoming an STA Academy will allow Aquarius to raise its teaching standards still further, with its lessons now following the structure approved by the STA. “We are delighted to have Academy status,” says Lisa. “The STA’s approach is child friendly and ensures that the children have fun while they are learning. There is also a major emphasis on safety, which all the time is backed up by strong operational, technical and administrative support. We also believe it will allow the children, who are by far our biggest learning group, a greater sense of ownership of their progress through the use of the STA's awards scheme, with its excellent support material.”

Roger Millward, Chief Executive of STA, welcomed the new partnership with Aquarius Swimschool. “We are very much looking forward to working together to ensure that all learners with Aquarius have access to the best teaching practices available through our programmes.  We now look forward to working with the team at Aquarius, and creating innovative new ways in which they can further expand their swimming programmes for the purpose of encouraging more people to get involved in swimming and learn this important life skill.”

The new STA Swim Academy status comes at a time of continued expansion for Aquarius Swimschool. The company now offers swimming lessons at seven pools across Devon, including Exeter, West Buckland, Crediton, Zeal Monachorum and Chudleigh, with Woolsery being the latest addition. Aquarius employs twenty two staff and teaches fifteen hundred children and adults every week across the county.  It is also North Devon’s main provider for primary school swimming lessons.

Aquarius has plans to spread its wings further. “We’ve been in discussions over the past few months with a major leisure provider for the South West and also a major hotel chain to consider future expansion plans for providing our services within their pools,” says Lisa. “At some stage we would love to take the company to a national level and one of our long term aims is to build our own pool.”  

Aquarius has gone from strength to strength through the recession.  The company has just re-launched its website and updated its logo with a design devised by a company in New York. “We are now working on increasing recognition of the Aquarius brand,” adds Marco.

For Lisa, as Aquarius Swimschool expands, it is important that the company continues to focus on what it does best. “We are building on the family, caring atmosphere that we have always been proud of.  At the heart of this is the priority that we give to safety. If you live in the South West, you are never far from the sea, and we want to ensure that every child has a fighting chance. We are teaching them skills for life. We want to reach a point where families think of learning to swim in the same way as learning to ride a bike, as a key developmental stage, not just an optional one.”

Editors’ notes

1.      Picture attached showing Lisa Bousted teaching 5 month old Josie Nicholls. High res version available from debbie@ndmedia.co.uk

2.       For more information see www.aquariusswimschool.co.uk or call 01271 329750 or 07891 615714. Business Development Manager Marco Oliveira can be contacted on 07967 096888.

3.       The STA is the world’s largest and longest established independent swimming teaching and lifesaving organisation. For more information see www.sta.co.uk

4.       Aquarius Swimschool was established in 2000 by Lisa, a mother of four, starting with just twenty one pupils.  Her husband, Ian, joined the company in 2004. Two years later they set up a sister company Bebe Leisure, offering swimming accessories for sale.  

5.       In 2008, Lisa joined forces with former Olympic Swimmer and World Champion, Karen Pickering MBE, to create the Baby Swim Foundation (BSF), a free network for parents, teachers and health professionals.

6.      Press release issued by www.ndmedia.co.uk  

         Aquarius Swimschool, 36 Fairacre Avenue, St. Johns, Barnstaple, Devon, EX32 9DF