Sports Coach Higher Apprenticeship
Sports Coach Higher Apprenticeship
If you're passionate about inspiring others through sport and physical activity, the Level 4 Sports Coach Higher Apprenticeship is your ideal next step. Designed to be completed over 18 months (plus the end-point assessment), this programme gives you the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to thrive in coaching roles across high-performance sport, schools, and community settings.
As a Sports Coach, you’ll learn how to apply advanced technical and tactical understanding to create and deliver impactful coaching sessions. You’ll develop programmes that motivate, engage, and enhance participants’ abilities, whether you're coaching school children, working within a community setting, or helping elite athletes reach peak performance. This course allows you to specialise in one of three pathways: Community Sports Coach, School Sports Coach, or High Performance Sports Coach.
A key benefit of this apprenticeship is that 80% of your training happens on the job. You’ll gain real-world experience while earning, applying your learning directly in your coaching environment. You'll also benefit from expert guidance from our experienced tutors, who will support you in combining theory with practical coaching application.
This apprenticeship is professionally aligned with CIMSPA (Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity), ensuring your training meets current industry standards and enhances your career prospects in the sports sector.
Whether you're starting your coaching journey or looking to level up your current role, this course equips you to become a confident and competent sports coach who can make a lasting difference in sport and physical activity. Get ready to build your future in the industry while making an impact in the lives of others through sport.
You will be required to have achieved English at Level 2
You will be required to have achieved Maths at Level 2
You must have completed an appropriate vocational qualification at Level 3
You must have completed an appropriate vocational qualification at Level 3 to be employed or know of an employer who is willing to take on an apprentice
Please note that some of our apprenticeship programmes have minimum entry requirements, particularly regarding English and maths, as set out by Skills England and funding rules.Each module is worth a specified number of credits: you take a combination of compulsory (and if available optional modules) enabling you to cover key subject knowledge while developing your own interests. For full time students a total of 120 credits will be studied in each academic year. In the majority of cases this will consist of 6 modules. For part time students it will depend on the intensity of your studies.
Year 1 Modules
Developing Academic and Professional Skills
Foundations of Coaching Practice
Developing Coaching Practice
Context, Culture and Policy
Research Project
At University Centre South Devon, we’re committed to helping you succeed – academically, professionally and personally. Whether you’re studying full-time or part-time, you’ll benefit from supportive teaching, flexible study options, dedicated academic and wellbeing support, and access to funding to help with the cost of living. Below you’ll find essential information about how our university-level courses are delivered, assessed and supported, so you can feel confident in your next steps.
Financial support and bursaries
Funding is available to help you with living costs during your studies via Student Finance England. We are committed to supporting our students with a number of bursary packages, which you will receive if you meet particular criteria, and does not need to be repaid. Bursaries are awarded in addition to any funding received from Student Finance England.
When studied part-time, the duration of the course depends on the speed at which you wish to progress through it. This is called the ‘intensity of study’. For example, studying half-time would be equivalent to 50 per cent intensity of study and would typically extend the length of the course from two to three years. As part-time study will mean attendance of some modules that are on the full-time timetable, it may mean that you will be required to attend modules timetabled over three days of the week. You may be able to change the intensity of study during your course. Not all intensities of study are available for all programmes.
Teaching
Our dedicated teaching teams will support with your application of theoretical and practical knowledge and will be invaluable to your development. Their passion and enthusiasm is exceptional, with dedicated support and tutorial time available so that you can make the most of your studies.
Teaching staff
You will be taught by an experienced teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. The team includes academic staff, professional practitioners with industry experience, and where relevant, technicians. Postgraduate students undertaking teacher training may also contribute to the teaching of seminars under the supervision of the module leader. Our teaching is informed by research, professional practice and industry experience to provide you with the most up to date and relevant learning opportunities.
Assessment
We recognise feedback as an essential component of your learning and progression. We adopt a feed-forward approach whereby feedback is given in a developmental manner to support your continued progression. You will receive feedback on all assessments within 20 working days.
Academic support
A key feature of our university level programmes is the exceptional support we provide for students. We are passionate about providing dedicated and bespoke support services to help you make the most of your time here and to maximise your potential. We have an experienced team who offer a range of services, and regular 1:1 contact time with your personal tutor guarantees your professional and personal development. We can provide help with study skills, written English, academic writing, research skills, critical thinking, and revision. We hold the principles of equality and opportunity for all in the highest regard. That’s why our degrees are designed to be accessible for anyone, regardless of your personal circumstances. We endeavour to make reasonable adjustments and remove any barriers to your learning. We also offer more flexible timetables than other institutions to minimise the impact studying has on your personal life and responsibilities.
Independent learning
When not attending lectures, seminars or practicals you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking research in the library, preparing coursework assignments and presentations, and preparing for examinations where applicable. Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities, including the library, the Research Centre, and our course specific environments.
International students with UK settled status
Qualification and Language Requirements:
- International Qualifications: If you hold qualifications from outside the UK, these must be officially translated and verified through ECCTIS.
- English Language Proficiency: If English is not your first language, you must provide evidence of proficiency by achieving an IELTS score of 6.8 or above.










