Level 4 Sports Coach Apprenticeship Standard

Core occupation duties

• Duty 1 Develop and update own coaching philosophy and strategies through professional practice, continuous development and self-review.
• Duty 2 Develop and implement evidence-based, progressive coaching systems that comply with all relevant and current legislation, statutory guidance, sector standards and codes.
• Duty 3 Use up-to-date knowledge of wider issues affecting the coaching environment to proactively influence best practice across the coaching team.
• Duty 4 Utilise and collaborate with industry-wide support networks and internal team members to ensure the most effective coaching services are delivered to participants.
• Duty 5 Use appropriate enquiry and profiling techniques to create a learning and development curriculum that considers participants’ unique needs, targets and/or goals, whilst building trust.
• Duty 6 Provide support to participants and the wider coaching team through progressive coaching programmes, at events or competitions.
• Duty 7 Promote holistic wellbeing within coaching practice to control/contain stressors experienced by participants in the coaching environment.
• Duty 8 Facilitate learning and skill acquisition of participants by creating positive coaching environments that apply learning theories, behaviour management techniques, technological advancements and wider support mechanisms.
• Duty 9 Measure the impact of coaching strategies on participants’ sustainable engagement and development and evaluate effectiveness of own performance on the wider coaching team, organisation and sport.

The EPA period should only start, and the EPA arranged once the employer is satisfied that the apprentice is deemed to be consistently working at or above the level set out in the occupational standard, all of the pre-requisite gateway requirements for EPA have been met and can be evidenced to an EPAO. For level 3 apprenticeships and above apprentices without English and Mathematics at level 2 must achieve level 2 prior to taking their EPA.

The EPA must be completed within an EPA period lasting typically 6 months, after the EPA gateway. The EPA consists of 3 discrete assessment methods. The individual assessment methods will have the following grades:

Assessment method 1: Work based project and presentation with questioning

• Fail
• Pass

Assessment method 2: Coaching Session Plan and Practical Observation with Questioning

• Fail
• Pass

Assessment method 3: Professional discussion underpinned by a portfolio

• Fail
• Pass
• Distinction

Performance in the EPA will determine the overall apprenticeship standard grade of:

• Fail
• Pass

• Distinction

English and Maths – Apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this level prior to taking the End-Point Assessment. For those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement, the apprenticeship’s English and maths minimum requirement is Entry Level 3. A British Sign Language (BSL) qualification is an alternative to the English qualification for those whose primary language is BSL.

Successful completers will be able to move into leadership or management roles within the Sector which may be aligned to an Apprenticeship at higher level. This progression will involve leading teams of people; acting as a mentor for staff; or specialising with the delivery of sporting and physical activity programmes to certain populations or communities.