All Football Education students study towards a Level 3 BTEC, which is the equivalent of three A-Levels. However, our Player Pathway students and Career Pathway students study towards different topics. The Player Pathway students work towards a BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Sports Coaching and Development, while our Sports Career Pathway students aim to achieve a BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Sport.
Player Pathway
The Player Pathway pupils have enjoyed a successful first-term at our Football Education, with the first-year students studying the likes of ‘Health, Wellbeing and Sport’ and ‘Careers in Sport’. These modules allow the students to gain an understanding of the different career paths they can follow in the field of sport, while also gaining knowledge of the importance of well-being and good health in the industry.
The second-years worked towards ‘Sports Psychology’ and ‘Research Project in Sport’ this term. Psychology is vital within the industry of sport, and gaining an understanding of this at an early age sets the students up in good stead. Staging a case study in the form of a research project, the students have studied the theme of equality, diversity and inclusion in sport.
Sports Career Pathway
The Sports Career Pathway have received an introduction to the programme this term, studying similar modules to our first-year Player Pathway students. This includes the ‘Health, Wellbeing and Sport’ module, and ‘Careers in Sport’, which is a fundamental aspect of this pathway. Several of our students have also begun studying towards the ‘Developing Coaching Skills’ module, while the others have started the ‘Fitness Testing’ module.
An Update From Lead Teacher Saxon Wraith
How would you sum up the term?
It has been a very successful term for all our learners at the Football Education. We have welcomed new first year learners across both the Player Pathway and Sports Career Pathway, who have all settled into life at SSV very well. We have also welcomed the return of our second-year learners, who are beginning to plan the next steps of their journeys, with some students already receiving offers to study at university, and others having already committed to soccer scholarships in the USA on completion of this programme.
Could you give a few examples of what the students have been studying?
Our first-year learners have studied ‘Health, Wellbeing, and Sport’, in which they explored the importance of physical activity and undertook health and wellbeing screening. As well as this, they have studied ‘Careers in Sport’, where they have investigated different careers in the sport and activity leisure industry and have explored the recruitment process by undertaking a realistic interview. Our second-year learners have studied Sport Psychology, in which they have explored the effects of personality, motivation, stress, anxiety and arousal on team dynamics and sports performance. Alongside this, they have also studied Research Project in Sport, where they have proposed a research project, with the theme of equality, diversity, and inclusion in sport, and have been able to include complex methodologies and academic literature.
How does our Education Programme set us apart from the rest?
Our education programme offers our learners the opportunity to work with expert teachers in outstanding facilities to achieve a Level 2 or 3 qualification. We take pride in preparing our learners for their next steps, and have recently held a ‘Careers Week’ in which our learners participated in sessions with the RAF, Army, UK Apprenticeships and FiveZero USA, as well as workshops with universities to support with personal statements, and our new partner, Routes to build their own CV’s.
The Career Pathway started up this year, how have they settled in?
Our Sports Career Pathway learners have been a breath of fresh air at SSV. They have been enthusiastic to learn in both their education and enrichment sessions and have achieved some outstanding grades so far. All our learners, across each different pathway, are now actively engaged in their placement opportunities, with some placed in schools, and others within our own academy. A highlight for this group this term was seeing them apply what they had learnt with in the classroom, gym and treatment room to a group of young people with disabilities, which was an amazing experience for everybody involved.
Some of our students earned extra qualifications this term, how important is that for the students at this stage?
This term, our learners have completed a range of different qualifications to enhance their employability skills and set them apart from others as they pursue a career within a competitive industry. They have completed courses in Coaching, Talent Identification, Safeguarding and First Aid, all of which have developed their knowledge and skills. Completing these additional qualifications to support their academic studies and work experience placements will ensure that our learners are well prepared to achieve their future career ambitions.
What topics will the students be covering after Christmas?
After Christmas, our first-year learners will be studying Developing Coaching Skills. In this unit, they will explore the responsibilities of an assistant coach and plan and deliver sessions to deliver to their group. Alongside this, they will also study Sport Development, where they will explore key providers of sport development and propose their own sport development initiative. Our second-year learners will be studying Applied Coaching Skills, where they will plan a coaching programme for their group and deliver this over a six-week period. After completing their Research Projects, our second years will study Technical and Tactical Skills in Sport, where they will investigate the technical and tactical ability of an elite sports performer and then analyse their own performance and proposing a development plan to enhance sporting performance.
