The Swimming Teachers' Association (STA) will take over the management and delivery of Shropshire County Council's Learn to Swim Programmes as part of a new Swim Academy initiative being rolled out across the county.

The five-year deal marks STA's first step into managing programmes on behalf of local authorities.

The Swim Academy is the brainchild of Shropshire Council and STA and has been established to help deliver one common teaching system, a standardised programme for swimming lessons and a single pricing structure across the county.

It is hoped the initiative will raise standards across Shropshire and to attract more people into using local pools.

Roger Millward, STA chief executive said: "Shropshire Council has been pro-active and innovative in its approach to how it manages the county's swimming lessons programmes.

The Shropshire Swim Academy model, the first of its kind in the country, means STA can now deliver a cost-effective, top level service consisting of a programme of high quality teaching for all ages."

The initiative will go live in January 2011 at all six leisure sites in Shropshire - Much Wenlock Leisure Centre, Bridgnorth Leisure Centre, The Quarry Leisure & Fitness Centre, Whitchurch Swimming Centre, Market Drayton Swimming Centre and Oswestry Leisure Centre. Ellesmere Pool will join the Academy early in 2011.