Change of career becoming a swimming teacher

[Julietta05]

Hi,

I am considering changing career and becoming a swimming teacher for babies and preschoolers. I am aware of all qualifications I need to do. I just don't know how financially viable the idea is.
Due to childcare etc. I would need to work daytime Mon-Thurs and possibly 2 evenings a week. It would be great if I could do 4-5 hours a day but I am worried that demand is not there.

I spoke with one owner of a swimming school and she sounded positive but what I cannot find out it what demand is out there.
Does anyone have experience into going into teaching swimming? Any thoughts or recommendations or regrets?

Hi OP, my best friend has just done this after working for the NHS for the past 18 years. She feels it is the best thing she has ever done and is really enjoying the flexibility. As an HR Manager in a health and fitness club with a very successful Swim Academy I've struggled to recruit instructors as there are just not enough people out there qualified. For the age range that you are looking to teach you can expect to be teaching in the evenings from about 4pm onwards plus weekend classes. We run intensive courses throughout the holidays (stroke improvers/rookie lifeguards) as the swim academy doesn't run in the holidays so for our instructors the work is there if they want it all through the year. My advice would be to seek out your local pools, whether they have a swim academy and their classes structure. The pay is good where we are (SE). We pay our L1 Assistants £19.25 ph and L1 Instructors £22.52ph. Its a really rewarding profession, ultimately you are teaching something that could save someone's life. All of our instructors are passionate about what they do and love their jobs. I hope this helps. PM if there's any questions you'd like to ask.

Hi I'm a swimming teacher. I teach school swimming and ducklings aged 3 up to extensions. You need a level 1 for teaching assistant and level 2 swimming teacher. You will then need a level 1 and 2 to teach in preschool and babies. So 4 qualifications in total.Some places will fund the courses if you shadow and assistance in the lessons. I work 24 hours a week. Majority of that is based around evening lessons working on the night. I do schools 1-3pm Then learn to swim 4-6.30pm some days the times vary. I get a higher rate for learn to swim than school swimming. Hours aren't always there you might find you struggle to begin with school swimming is like gold dust. To be a babies teacher will take alot of time to get fully qualified. Many qualify as a level 2 swim teacher and teach abit before proceeding to the babies course.

Also op you would be expected to work weekends I've managed to give mine up as I've worked 4 years doing them and do the schools. I think you would struggle to get 5 hours a day Monday to Thursday in all honestly unless you got. The water babies instructors I know do about 3 hrs 4 max as they hire pools.

Thanks for your replies there are some very good points.

I am just curious why would I need to work evenings if my age group would be babies and preschoolers, as evenings would be far too late for them.

I was thinking of doing STA COURSE so it is level 2 (they don't do level 1) and I can do Babies and Preschoolers course straight away.

I think it is such a risk to change my career. I struggle to make the decision.

My DD did her level 1 and 2 Swim England course last year when was 17. She gets paid just over £20 an hour for teaching, she also does lifeguarding and between both is full time now. Swim teachers are in huge demand.

Preschoolers can go to lessons till 6 we have some ducklings at that time. You will find majority will want lessons at the weekend especially if they are working during the day. Depending on the area if the local leisures do baby lessons. We dont have our own babh lessons but we let water babies hire the use of our pool for 3 hrs max and thats only 1 teacher. You would also need some experience teaching children from 3 upwards, I know water babies teach up until the age of 6 years old. Afew water babies teachers have left or are leaving because there's not enough hours on offer or it's only term time as that's when they have the hire of the pool so income is limited many have another job on top.

I think you’d need to be prepared to do some work at the weekend - and possible evenings with school age. DH is a former sports coach who gave it up due to the hours…

Thanks everyone 😊

I have a lot to think about

Surprised by people saying evenings and weekends, my last 2 areas didn't do any classes for pre schoolers outside of the working week (not even weekends), infuriated me as a working mum! So we couldn't start swimming lessons until they could start the stages, they prioritised stages/school aged kids for evenings and weekends, which makes sense I guess.

user8545 explains why evenings (well after 4pm) and weekends are necessary. Week day lessons worked for me though as I work shifts, so there is a market out there

@Coolblur yes I never understood why they couldn't have kept by some resource to provide some preschooler sessions on a weekend, they have several pools within the trust.