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Call us: 01784 222 300
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Our friendly, knowledgeable team are ready to chat
Call us: 01784 222 300
Email us: info@esfapprenticeships.co.uk
GET IN TOUCH
For delegates
For employers
Benefits
Course content
The role
How will I learn?
Dates
Eligibility
FAQs
Gain the skills to plan, design and deliver whole-school PE programmes and raise the profile of PE in schools
This apprenticeship offers a progression pathway for sports coaches who have substantial experience working in a school setting supporting or delivering PE and school sport, and who are looking to take their leadership abilities to the next level including leading more sessions independently.
Funding for this apprenticeship
£0
Cost to delegate
£9,000
Funding band for this apprenticeship
QUALIFICATION
Level 4 Sports Coach Apprenticeship
STUDY STYLE
Live online workshops.
In-person or virtual training days
DURATION
Typical duration
13-15 months
DEDICATED TUTORING
One-to-one tuition from former sports coaches
SEND MASTERCLASSES
Learn from SEND experts and extend your knowledge
ASSESSMENT
Written portfolio,
& practical observations. Professional discussion.
Benefits for learners
Discover practical, hands-on learning that will develop your coaching skills.
Completing this apprenticeship will allow you to:
- Broaden your understanding of developing a whole-school and whole-child PE programmes
- Upskill in your role and become a higher-level PE Coordinator/Lead/Coach
- See the impact of transformational coaching programmes that re-engage pupils
- Gain a nationally recognised qualification and learn as you earn
- Opportunities to network and share good practice with other PE Leads/Coordinators.
If you are looking for a new role as an apprentice Level 4 Sports Coach our recruitment team can help. Take a look at our current vacancies page or email your CV to cv@esfapprenticeships.co.uk.
Course content
Core knowledge, skills and behaviours covered.
- Build your skills to deliver and lead high-quality, inclusive physical education sessions
- Develop lesson plans and schemes of work based on measurement of participants’ cognitive, physical, social, emotional [whole-child] attributes and psychomotor skills
- Understand how wider environmental factors impact coaching
- Understand different coaching philosophies
- Learn how to write a curriculum overview
- Adapt PE lessons to make them more inclusive and meet the needs of children with SEND.
We also offer spotlight sessions on coaching the following sports:
- Gymnastics
- Outdoor adventurous activities
- Dance
“My apprenticeship journey has been amazing. ESF apprenticeships provide comprehensive training and real-world experience that equips you with valuable skills for a career in education and sports.”
The role
Depending on the needs of your setting, the projects or duties you might undertake whilst on this apprenticeship include:
- Delivering high-quality PE lessons that are engaging, inclusive, and aligned with the national curriculum. A qualified teacher must still retain overall responsibility for the lessons
- Planning and preparing schemes of work to support the development of all students
- Organising and leading sports fixtures, within school and against other schools, promoting teamwork and sportsmanship
- Running extracurricular clubs such as girls’ football teams, ultimate frisbee teams, volleyball etc.
- Introducing new sports such as outdoor and adventurous activities, yoga or gymnastics
- Contributing to the wider school ethos by helping to raise the profile of PE across the school and promoting positive attitudes
- Coordinating School Games Mark applications.
How is this course delivered?
You’ll learn through a blend of live online sessions and in-person events where you’ll be coming together to share ideas with other apprentices.
- Live, interactive virtual sessions delivered by experienced teachers.
- Practical training days, led by qualified teachers/coaches to deliver high-quality sessions and lessons in Physical Education and School Sport. (Three full-day sessions per year, held in Stevenage, with alternative virtual arrangements if you are unable to attend).
- Collaborative online learning with fellow apprentices, allowing you to share experiences, and grow in a supportive network.
- On-site ESF tutor visits at least once per term, offering guidance to support your development. You’ll also have the support of your in-school mentor throughout the programme.
- Optional SEND masterclasses, spend 2-3 hours with our SEND experts in interactive webinars. You’ll be brought up to date in various aspects of SEND by leading speech and language therapists, dyslexia assessors, educational psychologists, autism specialists and more.
Eligibility
We’d love to hear from applicants who are:
- Good with people – you’ll need the ability to build positive relationships with students, staff, and parents
- Effective communicators – clear and confident verbal and written communication skills
- Team players – the role needs a good team player who is passionate about supporting learning
Qualifications and other criteria:
No qualifications are required if you are aged 19+ (although it is desirable to have maths and English GCSE at Grade 4/C or above)
For apprentices aged 16-18 only:
- Grade 4/5 in GCSE English and maths (equivalent to Grade C and above)
- If you don’t hold the above, you must work towards Level 2 Functional Skills as part of your apprenticeship.
- Functional Skills are valuable qualifications. Find out more about the support we offer.
- You must have held residency in England for the last three years and have right to work in the UK
Course dates
October 2025 and April 2026
Learner FAQs
What career pathways could this lead to?
1. Sports Coach in a School Setting
After completing your apprenticeship, you’ll be perfectly set up to work as a sports coach directly within a school. You’ll use the skills and knowledge gained to plan and deliver exciting sports sessions, helping students develop their physical abilities and a love for sports. This role allows you to directly apply everything you’ve learned in a familiar environment, contributing to the school’s sports programmes.
2. Unqualified PE Teacher
While not holding a full teaching qualification, your Level 4 apprenticeship provides a strong foundation for becoming an unqualified PE teacher in a school. Many schools are happy to employ skilled sports coaches in this capacity, allowing you to lead PE lessons and contribute to the physical education of students, under the guidance of qualified staff.
3. Opportunities to work in the Sports Industry as a Coach/Manager/Leader
Your Level 4 apprenticeship opens doors beyond just schools, offering many chances to work in the wider sports industry. You could become a coach for local sports clubs, manage community sports projects, or even take on leadership roles within sports development organisations. The skills in coaching, organisation, and leadership you’ve developed are highly valued across various parts of the UK sports sector.
How much release time is required?
We have developed a blended teaching and learning model to make learning successful for busy school professionals.
Scheduled release time:
- 2-3 hours every fortnight for live online learning with an experienced coach, including further opportunities to share ideas with peers also undertaking this apprenticeship.
Flexible release time:
- You will have access to our self-paced online learning platform full of resources, ideas and activities
- You will also complete practical projects that can be carried out in a school sports environment and will be of direct benefit to your pupils and your school
- You will also need to have release time for regular progress reviews with your ESF tutor and school mentor to set new targets and celebrate success. These are short sessions that will take place every 12 weeks (as a minimum).
- We hold three full day, face-to-face practical central training events a year. (Please note; face-to-face events are located in Stevenage, Hertfordshire – virtual alternatives are possible.)
Apprentices may also benefit from further release time to attend some of our optional 2-3 hour online SEND Masterclasses delivered every six weeks during term-time. Recordings can also be accessed on-demand.
Can you help me with Functional Skills?
Yes, we have helped many learners successfully gain their functional skills qualifications. For learners aged 16-18 without the necessary GCSEs, additional release time will be needed for Functional Skills qualifications in English and maths. Apprentices will be fully supported by our experienced tutors.
All you need to know before you apply!
What our apprentices say
Study this apprenticeship with us
Complete our short online form and we’ll be in touch with information and application instructions.
Next course start date: October 2025 and April 2026
Benefits
Course content
Levy funding
Employer commitments & FAQs
Develop your own PE lead with the knowledge and skills to plan and deliver whole-school high-quality physical education
Level 4 sports coaches are trained to design and deliver progressive coaching programmes that align with your curriculum and the Department for Education’s national standards.
Funding for this apprenticeship
£0
Cost to delegate
£9,000
Funding value for this apprenticeship
£450
Maximum cost to
non-levy paying schools
Funding for this apprenticeship
QUALIFICATION
Level 4 Sports Coach Apprenticeship
STUDY STYLE
Live online workshops.
In-person or virtual training days
DURATION
Typical duration
13 – 15 months
DEDICATED TUTORING
One-to-one tuition from former sports coaches
SEND MASTERCLASSES
Learn from SEND experts and extend your knowledge
ASSESSMENT
Learning portfolio & practical observations.
Professional discussion.
Benefits for employers
- Increase the quality of Physical Education provided as part of the national curriculum
- Contribute to your whole-school health and wellbeing strategy
- Gain a school lead for a broad and balanced extra-curricular programme, as well as new competitions and sports events
- Gain help devising programmes to encourage reluctant pupil cohorts to get into sport.
- Gain access to resources to develop a PE curriculum and assessment package designed by the PE leader
- Improve knowledge of inclusive PE lessons
- Assistance with School Games Mark applications
- Increase cover for school PPA.
Increase capacity and employ an apprentice
Our free of charge hiring service includes job advert creation and placement, applicant screening and first-round telephone interviews. We’ll also help with logistics and apprenticeship onboarding.
Upskill your existing team
Bring new skills and knowledge into your organisation and improve staff retention with on-the job training and career progression pathways for staff. Delegates will undertake a series of practical projects that will add value to your school. They can also share up-to-date knowledge with other members of your team.
“Our apprentices have provided valuable support to teachers and allowed us to offer a more diverse range of sports. Their passion for encouraging an active lifestyle has resonated with our young learners, creating an environment where physical activity is not just a routine but a lifestyle.
Having these positive role models to look up to has fostered a sense of discipline, teamwork, and perseverance among our pupils. We are immensely grateful for the partnership with ESF Apprenticeships.”
Course content
- Build the skills to deliver and lead high-quality, inclusive physical education sessions
- Develop lesson plans and schemes of work based on measurement of participants’ cognitive, physical, social, emotional [whole-child] attributes and psychomotor skills
- Understand how wider environmental factors impact coaching
- Understand different coaching philosophies
- Learn how to write a curriculum overview
- Adapt PE lessons to make them more inclusive and meet the needs of children with SEND
We also offer spotlight sessions on coaching the following sports:
- Gymnastics
- Outdoor adventurous activities
- Dance
Levy funding
The Growth and Skills Levy (formerly known as the Apprenticeship Levy) is essentially a fund set up to support the training and development of staff through apprenticeships. Funds are collected and put into a digital account for employers.
- Who pays it? Anyone with an annual wage bill over £3 million.
- How does it benefit your school? The money in this account can be used to pay for apprenticeship training for both your existing staff and any new apprentices you hire. Apprenticeships are available for anyone aged 16 and over, from Level 2 right up to Level 7, covering a wide range of skills.
Employer FAQs
What is the release time required for this apprenticeship?
We have developed a blended teaching and learning model to make learning successful for busy school professionals.
Scheduled release time:
2-3 hours every fortnight for live online learning with an experienced coach, with further opportunities to share ideas with peers also undertaking this apprenticeship.
Flexible release time:
- Learners will have access to our self-paced learning platform full of resources and ideas.
- They will also complete practical projects that can be carried out in a school sports environment and will be of direct benefit to your pupils and your school.
- They will also need to have release time for regular progress reviews with your ESF tutor and school mentor to set new targets and celebrate success. These are short sessions that will take place every 12 weeks (as a minimum).
- We hold three day, face-to-face practical training events. (Please note – these events are held in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. Alternative arrangements can be made for attendees who live further than one hour away).
Apprentices may also benefit from further release time to attend some of our optional 2-3 hour online SEND Masterclasses delivered every six weeks during term-time. Recordings can also be accessed on-demand.
What about off-the-job hours?
Off-the-job-Training (OTJT) is an essential part of an apprentice’s development. It is dedicated time, during normal working hours, in which apprentices can focus on learning and applying new skills.
This protected time is required for apprentices to engage fully with their learning and development activities. All of the required learning during the programme count towards off-the-job time.
Our apprenticeship tutors will sign-post opportunities which count as Off-the-Job Training and during the enrolment meeting we can discuss how this can work alongside busy job roles.-test
What are my commitments as an employer?
You’ll need to provide a formal employment contract covering the minimum one-year apprenticeship duration, just like any other employee. An apprentice must be paid at least the minimum apprenticeship wage in their first year of learning.
Apprentices aged 19+ must be paid at least the minimum wage for their age group in their second year of learning.
You must assign a school mentor who will participate in brief, bi-monthly progress reviews (about six per year) and complete a final “Employer Review” assessing the apprentice’s professional behaviours. Apprentices will gain experience through hands-on tasks and research projects, with much of this learning occurring in the classroom.
Mentors will need to support the end-point assessment process by attending a “gateway meeting” and assisting with planning the assessment day, which typically takes only a few hours.
Who should mentor a Level 4 Sports Coach?
The ideal mentor or line manager is typically an experienced PE Lead or Head of Sport. This person should possess a strong background in sports coaching / teaching and a deep understanding of your school’s PE curriculum and safeguarding policies.
Crucially, they need to have clear oversight of the apprentice, working with them regularly day-to-day to provide consistent guidance, constructive feedback, and direct support to help integrate their coaching/teaching into the school’s PE and school sport provision.
All you need to know before you apply!
See all >
Case Study
Manor Fields Primary School
“The support we’ve had from ESF has been so positive and so worthwhile. They have really gone the extra mile for my staff and care about them as individuals – the impact on staff confidence has been transformative.”
Case Study
Knebworth Primary and Nursery School
“When we were looking for a training provider to support us with upskilling current staff, ESF Apprenticeships seemed the perfect choice! They came highly recommended by other primary schools in the area. It has been so rewarding to see our staff engaging in such a high-quality qualification.”
Case Study
Melbourn Primary School
“I’d definitely recommend the course to other Headteachers. It’s been an excellent way to give staff an opportunity to develop their skills when they’re still in school. We are seeing the benefits every day for our children.”
Develop your workforce
Complete our short online form and we’ll be in touch to discuss your needs.
Next apprenticeship start dates: October 2025 and April 2026