in at the deep end Swim School Pledges Commitment to High Standards by Signing Up to STA Swim Star School

The programme, launched by STA (Swimming Teachers' Association), one of the world's largest swim teaching and lifesaving organisations, is the first of its kind and is designed to help independent swim schools achieve high standards throughout their offering.

in at the deep end, which teaches swimming at two venues across Sunderland (at the Castle View Community and Fitness Centre and Thornhill School), has committed to providing excellent standards and has achieved the Bronze STAmark, STA's health and safety accreditation specifically designed for swim schools.

Zoe Cooper, Sales and Marketing Director at STA, said the Swim Star programme will offer another level of reassurance to parents who entrust the care of the children to the swim schools.

"We are thrilled to welcome in at the deep end to the Swim Star programme," she said. "There are many excellent independent swim schools across the country but those signing up to our scheme, like in at the deep end, are providing extra assurance to their customers of their commitment to maintaining the highest of standards in teaching."

Mark Mc Nichol, founder and director of in at the deep end, said that "in at the deep end was set up to provide cost effective, safe and fun swimming lessons to swimmers in the Sunderland area. We currently teach over 470 swimmers a week across the two pools we run out of and decided to join the STAmark scheme to show our swimmers and parents that we are committed to safety and pupil progress and engagement. Parents can be assured that when swimming with is all of our staff are direct employees (and so accountable to us rather than self-employed subcontractors) who are fully safeguard trained and hold valid DBS certificates. They can also be confident that our prices are some of the lowest in the area with some of the best teacher student ratios for beginners".

STA Swim Stars are required to complete Bronze STAmark, an online audit, to ensure they adhere to minimum health and safety standards and are operating in line with best practice. STAmark offers a progressive scheme with the pinnacle achievement of Gold STAmark status which includes an external assessment from an industry expert.

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