More about the National Lifesaving Academy

The RLSS UK National Lifesaving Academy awards are a suite of progressive awards that teach personal survival, first aid, CPR, rescue, and fitness skills to anyone aged 12 years and over.

Their aim is to teach candidates how to stay safe around water and how to safely assist others who may have gotten into difficulty in both aquatic and non-aquatic situations.

The awards are structured to teach foundational skills and then progressively build up the candidate’s skills. On achieving the Bronze
Medallion level of award, the candidate receives Recognition of Prior Learning hours towards the RLSS UK vocational lifeguard qualifications.

The awards are structured into three levels (Bronze Lifesaving Certificate, Bronze Star, and Bronze Medallion), and multiple environmental strands are available at the Bronze Star and Bronze Medallion levels.

The three award strands are as follows:

•  Pool – completed in the swimming pool
• Open Water – completed preferably in non-tidal, inland open water sites
• Beach – completed on the coast

The Bronze Lifesaving Certificate is designed to teach new lifesavers the basics of staying safe in or around water. It provides the candidate with basic water safety knowledge, basic aquatic lifesaving skills, basic CPR, and basic First Aid.

The two subsequent award levels (Bronze Star and Bronze Medallion) are divided into three sections:

• Lifesaving Theory
• Lifesaving Survival and Rescue Skills
• CPR, AED & First Aid

Candidates will need to complete and pass all sections before moving on to the next award. Upon successfully completing the assessment, candidates will receive either a certificate or an e-certificate and medal depending on the award level.