ApprenticeshipSports Coach Apprenticeship
Course overview
Advance your knowledge, skills and behaviours in the design, delivery and evaluation of progressive coaching programmes that engage, motivate and evolve participants’ skills and performance.
This course aims to support the advancement of apprentices’ knowledge, skills and behaviours in the design, delivery and evaluation of progressive coaching programmes that engage, motivate and evolve participants’ skills and performance. Our bespoke delivery model is agile and responsive to apprentices’ and employers’ needs, providing apprentices with the option to specialise in the high performance, community, or school sport coaching environment.
High performance sport coaches develop athletes and players in high-performance settings, including those on talent or development pathways, national or international programmes, professional or podium environments.
Community sport coaches motivate and engage people of all ages and abilities in community sports and physical activity settings, including local authority, charity and national governing body of sport community initiatives or clubs.
School sport coaches collaborate with teachers to develop pupils’ mastery of psychomotor skills by applying a whole child approach in their coaching. They work in all categories of school and registered childcare environments.
Learning and teaching approaches include a combination of on-demand material, on campus or online meetings, self-directed study or guided learning tasks.
Any questions?
Contact the apprenticeships team
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For employers
Apprenticeships can add value at all levels of your business:
- Upskill your staff with industry relevant qualifications.
- Drive an increase in productivity.
- Promote long-term loyalty and reduce staff turnover.
- Reduce the cost of qualifications and training.
- Develop staff with a minimum of interruption to day-to-day operations.
- Offer genuine opportunities for personal development to both full-and part-time staff.
- Offer genuine opportunities for personal development to both full-and part-time staff.
For apprentices
Here's what a higher or degree apprenticeship can offer you:
- A combination of on-the-job and academic study which is relevant and applied.
- A continued wage and contract of employment which includes all the same benefits as any employee.
- A higher or degree qualification which is recognised, transferrable and the same level as if achieved through traditional study routes.
- A debt free future with zero tuition fees. (Please note, as apprenticeships are funded by employers, apprentices are not eligible to apply for Student Loans Company loans)
- An opportunity to develop new skills and progress within your industry.
What does this course lead to?
After completing this apprenticeship, graduates could pursue careers as a club coach, community coach, performance/pathway/podium coach, school coach, or talent development coach.
Who is this course is for?
This apprenticeship is ideal for new or existing employees in the sports coaching sector.
Facilities
Our award-winning teaching building, The Spark is centred around students and offers a stimulating study environment with flexible learning spaces.
Away from studying, why not try out the gyms, fitness studios and sports halls in our £28 million Sports Complex, or watch a blockbuster film at our student-run cinema with Dolby Atmos audio.
Come to an open day
Fancy a sneak peek? Take a look around!
What you'll study
Core modules
Coaching Programme Design
In this module you'll develops the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to design and deliver progressive, inclusive and context‑responsive coaching programmes. You'll explore strategies for promoting equality, diversity and inclusion, alongside approaches that support whole‑person development and skill acquisition. You'll also examine how programme design is shaped by participant needs, sport‑specific demands, and environmental factors, and how planning, preparation, delivery and evaluation techniques align with guidelines, agendas and holistic approaches to participant wellbeing.
Participant-Centred Coaching
In this module you'll develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to profile participants’ development needs and use this insight to design high‑quality, participant‑centred coaching curricula. You'll examine the trends, standards, data sources, strategies, frameworks and contemporary influences that inform profiling practices across high‑performance, community and school sport settings. Through interpreting profiling data and benchmarks, you'll monitor progress towards targets and evaluate the impact of coaching practice. You'll also explore coaching pedagogies and enquiry methods that support the profiling of participants’ unique development needs, the demands of the sport or physical activity, and the wider occupational environment.
Sports Coaching Pedagogies
In this module you'll the knowledge and skills to create inclusive and positive coaching environments. You'll examine how learning theories, skill acquisition principles, behaviour management strategies, learning resources, technologies and wider industry mechanisms shape effective coaching practice. These concepts will be applied to the practicalities of coaching, including session planning, preparation, delivery and evaluation across high‑performance, community and school sport settings. Through this integration of theory and practice, you will develop the capability to design and deliver coaching experiences that support participant learning, engagement and long‑term development.
Professional Practice in Sports Coaching
In this module you'll learn to design effective coaching systems while shaping a clear personal coaching philosophy. You'll explore how legal, ethical and contextual factors influence coaching practice, and how strategic planning, data, trends and stakeholder needs inform the creation and evaluation of impactful coaching approaches across high‑performance, community and school sport settings.
Successful apprentices will graduate with a:CertHE Sports Coaching
How you'll study
You will learn through a combination of directed learning, collaborative learning and guided learning. You will also make use of the University's online learning platform Solent Online Learning (SOL).You may be assessed by a combination of:
- End-point assessment
- Work-based learning
- Practical activities
- Coursework
- Written assessments
- Reports
- Group presentations
- Poster presentations
- Individual presentations
Students are assessed through a combination of academic assignments and occupational standards assessments. Coursework assignments can include presentations, essays, exams, case studies, practical assessments, and reflective accounts.
Apprentices area also expected to go through an end-point assessment within three months of completing the course.
Find out more
Fees and finance
Businesses with an annual payroll above £3million will be classed as a levy paying employer and will be able to use funds accrued in their digital apprenticeship service (DAS) account for payment of the training. Please contact us for guidance on fees if you are a non-levy employer which will cover at least 95% of the costs.
- The maximum funding drawdown for this course is: £9,000
Apprentices pay nothing towards their course fees
The course fees will be covered by your employer.
Optional Costs
While most course costs are covered by your tuition fees, some essential resources and optional extras may need to be paid for separately. For advice on budgeting and managing your money, please contact student.funding@solent.ac.uk.
Earn while you learn
As an apprentice you'll earn while working and studying towards your degree.
Graduation costs
There is no charge to attend graduation, but you will be required to pay for the rental of your academic gown (approximately £45 per graduate, depending on your award). You may also wish to purchase official photography packages, which range in price from £15 to £200+. Graduation is not compulsory, so if you prefer to have your award sent to you, there is no cost. Extra guest tickets will go on sale after results publication and will be sold on a first-come-first-served basis. The cost per ticket is currently £20. Please note, we do not guarantee there will be any extra tickets available to purchase.
Entry Requirements
To study for an apprenticeship, you must be employed and have a contract that will cover the duration of your apprenticeship.
All apprentice applications need to go through apprenticeships@solent.ac.uk in the first instance. Applicants will be expected to provide the following documents during the onboarding process:
- CV
- Job description
- Maths and English certificates - GCSE/GCE/Functional Skills*
- Completed skills assessment (template provided by Solent's apprenticeships team)
- Passport/visa (showing access to public funds if non UK passport), or birth certificate
- Share code to show immigration status if applicable
Please note: if any certificates are from outside of the UK, you will need to have a Naric Equivalency Statement alongside the certificates.
* Maths and English delivery to achieve Functional Skills Level 2 can be provided for some courses and should be discussed at onboarding stage if you do not have Maths and English certificates at Grade 4/C and above.
Eligibility
To be eligible for an apprenticeship, you must:
- have a contract of employment that spans the length of the apprenticeship
- hold a UK passport, or if you are a non-UK national, have valid passport and Share code to demonstrate residency
- have lived in the UK for the past three years
- have access to public funds (residency status/visa status)
What is an apprenticeship?
An apprenticeship offers a unique blend of work experience and academic study. Candidates on an apprenticeship will work a paid job while simultaneously working towards a relevant qualification in their chosen field.
Apprentices are employees with a contract of employment that must cover the duration of the programme being studied. Apprentices have guaranteed time from their employer to complete their studies, at a minimum of six hours a week, known as off-the-job training hours. The University will provide each apprentice with a tracker to ensure these off the job hours are logged to demonstrate compliance with this funding rule.
Higher apprenticeships
Solent offers a diverse range of higher and degree apprenticeships, some of which will include an additional qualification that will be studied within the Apprenticeship Standard, eg: HNC, BA or BSc.
Our apprenticeships give employees the opportunity to upskill in their chosen field or retrain for a new career while working.
Employers will see an increase in knowledge and skills, improved productivity, and a boost in the expertise of the workforce.
Find out moreTake a look around
Visit us on campus and explore Solent University by registering for one of our apprenticeship events.
Come to an open daySupport at Solent
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Most of our specialist support services are based around the Student Hub, a central space where you can access all the information and support you may need during your time at University. The Student Hub is the first point of contact if you have any queries relating to your course, including questions about your timetable, options, and assessments and extenuating circumstances.
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