Study Physical Education and Sports Coaching at University Centre Leeds

Do you aspire to become a sports coach (whether it be in primary and secondary schools or communities) or become an inspirational role model within a physical education setting? The future looks promising, as CIMSPA’s 2023 workforce insight report identified sports coaches remain the largest Sport and Physical Activity occupation in the UK, having added over 36,300 net new jobs between 2006 and 2019 (52% growth). Likewise, LifePilot forecasts there will be 4.3% more PE teacher jobs in 2027.

This two-year HTQ-approved Foundation Degree will help you develop transferable skills tailored for a diverse range of sporting settings, ensuring that you’re prepared for employment after graduating.

HTQs have been approved against employer developed standards, also known as occupational standards. This ensures that learners gain the skills that employers want, and employers can be confident that learners have the knowledge, skills and behaviours for a particular specialist role.

This motivating course has been designed with the Sports Coach occupational standard to develop the skills and attributes necessary to work in the Physical Education or Sports Coaching industry. In the first year of the course, you will explore how to coach individuals and teams, how to analyse performance and cater for individual needs, human anatomy and physiology and leading others in outdoor adventurous activities. There will be extensive practice of coaching others in schools and to wider community groups, which will serve as excellent preparation for those looking to become PE teachers in the future.

Year two will focus on developing your ability to plan, deliver and implement strategies to ensure safe and inclusive sessions, gaining a greater understanding of the requirements of teaching and coaching in different settings and a greater awareness of the impact of physical education and school sport for lifelong development. Year two will contain an opportunity for you to gain experience in a school, sports club or at a community sports club which will help you make an informed decision on your career aspirations on completion of the course.

Fundamentally, the course is designed to be highly practical enhancing your coaching skillset, developing your inter-intra-personal skills through exposure to different environments and encouraging the development of progressive programmes to maximise engagement, whole child development and accelerate skill acquisition in young people. This course will be excellent preparation for anyone wanting to become a PE teacher in schools or to work in sports clubs.

What's next

Upon completion of this Foundation Degree, you can progress to study for a third year and gain a full BA (Hons) Physical Education and Sport Coaching Top-up Degree.

Job opportunities may include:

• Primary education teaching assistant/Sports Coach
• Secondary education teaching assistant/Sports Coach
• Employed/Self-Employed Sports Coach
• Sports Development Officer