Skip to content

ASP._Page_site_elements_razor_entry_records_course_record_cshtml

What makes Physical Education and Sports Coaching at Worcester special?

Physical Education and Sports Coaching provides the opportunity to study both subjects across three years to prepare you for a career in either subject. The innovative and flexible approach to the curriculum design enables you to explore a range of different subjects throughout your degree which have been specifically designed to meet the changing needs of the Physical Education and sport coaching professions and has a broad range of modules that will prepare you for a career in teaching or supporting the delivery of Physical Education and extra-curricular activities and within the coaching industry.

During your first year (level 4) you will study fundamental modules common across PE, coaching and development. The broad based start to your degree provides opportunity for you to be confident in your choice as you gain more knowledge and learn about your degree subject. The course design however facilitates the flexibility for you to progress onto one of the related degrees at the end of your first year.

The course is delivered by a large team of highly experienced and enthusiastic Physical Education and Coaching practitioners, committed to ensuring a quality experience that will provide you with the tools to become an effective and employable graduate. Throughout the course, you will take part in lectures, seminars, practical workshops and work placements, gaining valuable experience in primary and secondary schools and other community settings.

Progressing from this course, you will be in a strong position to apply for a Qualified Teacher Status course such as the Post Graduate Certificate of Education, or to move onto one of our Master's courses.

Overview

Overview

Key features

  • First year modules common across PE, Coaching, Development pathways offering flexibility on completion of level 4
  • Opportunities to teach children from all key stages and ability levels
  • Regular opportunities to coach in a vast range of sports which will challenge and develop your understanding of your coaching practice. You will have the opportunity to coach peers, school groups and external clubs and organisations
  • Excellent facilities including state of the art inclusive University Arena, 3G AstroTurf, dance studio, outdoor educational site including lake and outdoor activity centre, S&C suite and gymnasium
  • Opportunity to gain additional qualifications, such as a variety coaching awards.
  • Sports-related volunteering and Earn as You Learn opportunities
  • The opportunity to study abroad for one semester
a group of students are sitting and chatting

It’s not too late to apply!

You can still apply to study with us after the January UCAS deadline. Don’t be tempted to rush an application together as fast as you can, you still want to make sure your application and personal statement are as good as possible.

Your teachers can still write you a reference after the January deadline so make sure to let them know you’re applying to university

Register your interest

Enter your details below and we will keep you up to date with useful information about studying at the University of Worcester.


Top 25% satisfaction

Our Sports courses are ranked in the top 25% of UK universities for overall student satisfaction (NSS 2022)

"I would like to thank all of my classmates and tutors for their unbelievable support. The staff provided some incredible opportunities to gain experience and progress my career."

Ross Ensor, BSc Sports Coaching Science graduate.

Entry requirements

What qualifications will you need?

104
UCAS tariff points

Entry requirements

104 UCAS Tariff points (for example, BCC at A Level), and GCSE English and Mathematics at Grade C/4 or above.

An Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check is required for this course.

Other information

If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the Admissions Office on 01905 855111 or email admissions@worc.ac.uk for advice.

Further information about the UCAS Tariff can be obtained from the UCAS website.

Visitors at a University of Worcester open day

Book your place at an Open Day

Want to know why so many students love living and studying in Worcester?

Our Open Days are the perfect way to find out.

Book your place
Course content

What will you study

The modules for this course are currently being reviewed and updated for 2023 entry; for the latest information please contact the course leader.

Year 1

Mandatory

  • Principles of Inclusive PE and Coaching

  • Physical Activity, Health, Wellbeing and games

  • Scientific Principles of Teaching and Coaching

  • Adapted Physical Activity, Sport and Disability

Optional

Year 2

Mandatory

  • Learning and Teaching through Games
  • Coaching Pedagogy and Practice
  • Advanced Scientific Principles in Teaching and Coaching
  • Creating Successful Research

Optional

  • Contemporary Issues in Sport

  • Teaching and Coaching Non – Invasion Sports

  • OAA in the curriculum

  • Swimming Lifesaving and Risk

  • Teaching Special Education Needs and Disability PE in Schools

  • Sport and Disability

  • Performance Analysis

Year 3

Mandatory

  • Independent Research Project in PE or Independent Research Project in Sports Coaching
  • School Based Placement or Professional Placement

Optional

  • 14-19 PE and Sport

  • Leading and developing PE in Primary Schools

  • Engaging Young People in Physical Activity

  • Group Dynamics in Sport

  • Analysing Social Issues in Sport

  • Contemporary Issues in disability sports coaching and PE

  • Applied Performance Analysis

There are some modules which are excluded combinations (cannot be taken together) but your tutors will advise you on the content of the modules and also how to make the module selections.

Teaching and assessment

How will you be taught?

The University places emphasis on enabling students to develop the independent learning capabilities that will equip you for lifelong learning and future employment, as well as academic achievement. 

A mixture of independent study, teaching and academic support from Student Services and Library Services, and also the Personal Academic Tutoring system, enables you to reflect on progress and build up a profile of skills, achievements and experiences that will help you to flourish and be successful.

Teaching

You are taught through a combination of interactive lectures, seminars, and practical workshops. Interactive lectures and seminars enable the discussion and development of understanding of topics covered in lectures, and practical workshops are focused on applying some of the theoretical concepts discussed whilst also developing subject specific skills. There are many opportunities to work with children from local schools in order to develop your understanding of teaching and coaching and to evaluate different approaches used. There is also a work based placement in your final year where you will experience being in one school or work environment in order to consolidate many of the skills developed throughout the course.

In addition, meetings with Personal Academic Tutors (PATS) are scheduled on at least four occasions in the first year and on a least three occasions in each of the other years of the course.

Contact time

In a typical week you will have around 12 - 16 contact hours of lectures, seminars, practical workshops and group work. The precise contact hours will depend on the optional modules selected and in the final year you will normally have slightly less contact time in order to do more independent study, your project and your work placement. Typically contact time will be structured around:

  • 4 hours of (large group) lectures
  • 6 hours of seminars in groups of approx. 20
  • 4 hours of practical workshops

Independent Self-Study

In addition to the contact time, students are expected to undertake around 24-28 hours of personal self-study per week.  Typically, this will involve completing online activities, reading journal articles and books, working on individual and/or group projects, undertaking research, preparing for assignments/assessments.

Independent learning is supported by a range of excellent learning facilities, including the Hive and library resources, the virtual learning environment, and extensive electronic learning resources.

Timetables

Timetables are normally available one month before registration. Please note that whilst we try to be as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week; and some classes can be scheduled in the evenings.

Teaching staff

You will be taught by a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. The team includes senior academics, professional practitioners with industry experience, demonstrators and technical officers.

Postgraduate research students who have undertaken teacher training may also contribute to the teaching of seminars under the supervision of the module leader. Teaching is informed by the research and consultancy and the majority of School of Sport and Exercise Science lecturers have a higher education teaching qualification or are Fellows of the Higher Education Academy.

Assessment

The course provides opportunities to test understanding and learning informally through the completion of practice or 'formative' assignments.

Each module has one or more formal or 'summative' assessments which are graded and count towards the overall module grade. Assessment methods include written examinations and a range of coursework assessments such as essays, reports, portfolios, performance, presentations and a final year independent studies project.

The precise assessment requirements for an individual student in an academic year will vary according to the mandatory and optional modules taken, but a typical formal summative assessment pattern for each year of the course is:

Year 1
Essays
Reports
Practical assessments
Individual or group presentations

Year 2
Reflective skills portfolio
Essays
Reports
Formal examinations of 2 hours duration
Individual or group presentations

Year 3
Independent study project
Essays
Practical reports
Individual presentations
Reflective and skills portfolio

Feedback

You will receive feedback on practice assessments and on formal assessments undertaken by coursework. Feedback on examination performance is available upon request from the module leader. Feedback is intended to support learning and you are encouraged to discuss it with personal academic tutors and module tutors as appropriate.

We aim to provide you with feedback on formal course work assessments within 20 working days of hand-in.

Programme Specification

For comprehensive details on the aims and intended learning outcomes of the course, and the means by which these are achieved through learning, teaching and assessment, please download the latest programme specification document. 

Find your passion

Meet The Team

You will be taught by a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course.

richard-pepperell

Richard Pepperell

Richard has 15 years’ experience teaching Physical Education and sport in the secondary and further education sectors.  He has a real passion for education and sport education in particular focussing on providing people with the skills and desire to be active and healthy for their entire lives.

Richard enjoys participating and spectating almost every sport but in particular, rugby, triathlons and gymnastics.

lerverne-barber

Lerverne Barber

Lerverne is Associate Head and Principal Lecturer with responsibility for Learning, Teaching and Student Experience (including Recruitment, Retention and Achievement), within the School of Sport and Exercise Science (SSES).

She is a member of the Senior Management Team in SSES and has been part of the Physical Education (PE) teaching team for more than ten years, having been PE Course Leader from 2008 - 2011. Lerverne has a wealth of experience in her subject area, having been a Secondary PE teacher, PE adviser and Ofsted Inspector. She has also worked as an Independent PE Consultant leading projects and delivering training for organisations such as the Youth Sport Trust, the Qualification and Curriculum Authority and the Department for Education.

Lerverne has played a key role in developing the School's international profile in countries such as China and Japan, for work in inclusive sport and Physical Education. In 2011 she became a University of Worcester Teaching Fellow for excellence in learning and teaching and in 2015 she achieved the award of Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy for her leadership of learning and teaching (SFHEA), followed by the award of National Teaching Fellow (NTF) in 2017.

charlotte-beaman-evans

Charlotte Beaman-Evans

Charlotte is a Senior Lecturer in Physical Education and the Sports Scholarship Coordinator at the University of Worcester. Before joining the University, she was previously a teacher of Physical Education in a secondary school.

Charlotte is now embarking upon a career in Higher Education having completed her MSc in Sports Coaching Science and Post Graduate Certificate in Higher Education.

A keen sports player Charlotte has played a range of sports including rugby, football and hockey, achieving international status in rugby.

karen-broughton

Karen Broughton

Karen is a Senior Lecture and Course Leader of the Physical Education and Outdoor Education BSc at the University of Worcester. Karen previously worked for The Youth Sport Trust as a Programme Manager for PE, where she led on developing and delivering resources, professional learning and materials to support both primary and secondary teachers of PE.

Prior to that Karen taught PE for 9 years in a number of high schools across Worcestershire and was a member of the Worcestershire Local Delivery Agency for PE, which involved delivering and developing professional learning opportunities for primary and secondary teachers.

Rebecca Foster MBE in sports attire smiling at camera

Rebecca Foster MBE

Rebecca Foster MBE has been teaching PE predominantly in the North of England for over 20 years. Rebecca was Head of PE of one of the first six Sports Colleges in the country. After 7 years of teaching she backpacked the World and did some temporary teaching in Australia and South Africa. After her year out Rebecca continued to teach in Yorkshire, managing one of the largest Sports Partnerships in the country. Rebecca then went on to become a Teacher Fellow at Leeds Beckett University, where she taught Initial Teacher Training programmes for Secondary and Primary trainees.

Rebecca competed for our country in the Heptathlon (when she was much younger!) and holds a Level 2 multi-event license. She volunteered for UK Deaf Athletics for 12 years, being Team Manager and travelling coach at three Deaflympics.  She currently is a trustee for Deaf Direct based in Worcester and is a support worker for a few hours a month to vulnerable young people.

As a further accolade, Rebecca has been awarded an MBE in recognition for her services to inclusive sport and supporting young people to achieve their potential.

Michelle Morgan

Michelle Morgan

Michelle Morgan joined the University of Worcester School of Sport and Exercise Science full-time in 2011, after fulfilling a number of part-time roles within the School during both her undergraduate and MSc studies. Michelle has a range of experiences in sports coaching (both in the UK and USA) with a Netball specialism as a UKCC Level 3 coach. In her role as Course Leader and Senior Lecturer for the BSc (Hons) Sports Coaching Science degree, Michelle uses her industry and academic experiences to support and develop students’ understanding of the demands of the sporting industry, including the skills and qualities needed to be employable.  

 

Craig Williams

Craig Williams

Craig successfully blends his passion for student learning and employability in his roles at the University of Worcester where he is a Senior Lecturer in Sports Coaching Science, Course Leader for the BSc Cricket Coaching and Management degree and the Coach Education and Development Manager. As well as a Senior Lecturer in Sports Coaching Science, Craig is an affiliate tutor with the Football Association delivering courses from Level 1 to 3 (UEFA B) and a qualified and active Cricket Coach.  

Since 2001, Craig has created a vocational coach education programme that has provided over 16,600 opportunities for University students and community coaches to secure accredited coach education and relevant coaching and officiating CPD. These qualifications and opportunities provide University of Worcester students with the necessary skills and qualifications to secure coaching and officiating opportunities.

 

dr-andy-cale

Dr Andy Cale

Andy has a wide and vast experience in Higher Education, Sports Coaching and Sports Psychology. He has worked in Professional Football as a Sports Psychologist, has managed and coached in the Champions League, has worked for the Football Association as Head of Player Development and Research and worked as a Senior Football Manager in Qatar for the 2022 World Cup. Andy uses all these different experiences to help students learn and develop as people and coaches.

glyn-harding

Glyn Harding

Glyn came to the University of Worcester in 2004 having previously worked as a PE teacher, youth worker and the Assistant Academy Director at Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club.

Since coming to the School of Sport and Exercise Science, he has undertaken the roles of HND co-ordinator and course leader for Sports Coaching Science and has developed the coaching of disabled athletes, culminating in a unique taught degree pathway in this evolving area of study. As part of his role, Glyn supports and provides guidance to elite athletes in their pursuit of sporting and academic excellence; these have included the GB paralympic blind footballers Ajmal Ahmed and Lee Greatbatch, the Port Vale footballer Robert Taylor and GB downhill mountain biker Jessica Stone.

Glyn has been a key pioneer in the development of the Brazil-UK Football Development Course undertaken in partnership by the University of Worcester and the University of São Paulo.

David Mycock

David Mycock

David consults and researches in the field of coaching science and coaches externally in elite level football. He has helped evolve the game of blind futsal and is a qualified FA Tutor. David is the Head Coach of Worcester Blind FC and has previously coached the England and Great Britain Blind Futsal teams at major tournaments, and is currently the Head Coach of the Czech Republic National Blind Football team.

David has a variety of NGB Awards and as an ex-professional football player is a member of the Professional Footballers Association. His role at the University has grown since 2006 and he is now the Link Tutor for the SSES Partnership programmes with Masaryk University in the Czech Republic.

dr-christian-edwards

Dr Christian Edwards

Dr Christian Edwards is a Principal Lecturer in Sports Coaching Science and one of the School’s Academic Integrity Tutors. He is a member of the Gender, Identity and the Body research interest group and a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy. Christian teaches on sociological, psychological and research methods modules within the School’s undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Christian also supports postgraduate students on the MRes Socio-Cultural Studies of Sport and Exercise programme.

Christian’s principal research interest is on the psychology of resistance exercise, specifically psychological strategies' influence on strength performance and muscularity-orientated body-image. He has published his work in, and reviews for, a number of leading international academic journals in this area. In addition to his work in this field, he also collaborates on projects focused on workplace physical activity and well-being.

Alongside his academic role, Christian is a cycling coach.

helen-hope

Helen Hope

Head of Department for Sport Development, Management and Therapy.

Helen Hope is a Principal Lecturer in Physical Education. Before joining the University in 2005 she had taught in secondary schools for ten years and was Head of a PE department for five years. She has previously led the PGCE PE teacher training programme for three years before moving into teaching on the Undergraduate Modular Scheme (UMS) course. She became a Head of Department in September 2015 and leads on Student Retention for the School.

Helen prides herself in demonstrating excellence in teaching and learning and has won and been nominated for various Student Choice Awards. Helen has a keen interest in transformational learning, blended teaching approaches and the use of authentic assessments, ensuring that students are able to apply their learning in real-life situations. As Retention lead she has developed new processes and systems to ensure that students are supported in their personal learning journeys.

Careers

Where could it take you?

In 2018, 95% of PE and Sports Coaching Graduates were in full time employment of further study 6 months after completing their degree.

A high number of graduates go on to study a Post Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) either for secondary Physical Education teaching or Primary teaching. Others go on to study a Masters in Sports Coaching Science. However the content of the course develops a variety of employability skills, enabling Graduates to enter into an extensive range of different professions including, Sports Administration Development, Sports Development Officers, Sports Activity Leader, Social Media Marketing Co-ordinator; Sports and Disability Inclusion Coach; Recruitment Consultant Specialist and many more.

"It was the perfect balance between practical PE and theory and the course gave me free rein to choose what modules and pathway best suited my interests and future career goals."

Paige Nicholls, Physical Education Joint Honours graduate

Two students are walking next to each other and smiling

Careers and Employability

Our Graduates pursue exciting and diverse careers in a wide variety of employment sectors.

Find out how we can support you to achieve your potential.
Costs

How much will it cost?

Full-time tuition fees

UK and EU students

The standard fee for full-time home and EU undergraduate students enrolling on BA/BSc/LLB degrees and FdA/FdSc degrees in the 2023/24 academic year is £9,250 per year.

For more details, please visit our course fees page.

International students

The standard tuition fee for full-time international students enrolling on BA/BSc/LLB degrees and FdA/FdSc degrees in the 2023/24 academic year is £14,700 per year.

For more details, please visit our course fees page.

Part-time tuition fees

UK and EU students

The standard tuition fees for part-time UK and EU students registering on this course in the academic year 2023/24 are £1,156 per 15-credit module, £1,542 per 20-credit module, £2,312 per 30-credit module, £3,083 per 40-credit module, £3,469 per 45-credit module and £4,625 per 60 credit module.

For more details, please visit our course fees page.

Additional costs

Every course has day-to-day costs for basic books, stationery, printing and photocopying. The amounts vary between courses.

If your course offers a placement opportunity, you may need to pay for an Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.

All Physical Education and Sports Coaching students are expected to wear School of Sport and Exercise Science branded sports kit. This includes a polo top, t-shirt and a hooded sweatshirt and costs approximately £85.

For work placements, students are expected to self-fund any travel costs incurred.

Accommodation

Finding the right accommodation is paramount to your university experience. Our halls of residence are home to friendly student communities, making them great places to live and study.

We have over 1,000 rooms across our range of student halls. With rooms to suit every budget and need, from our 'Traditional Hall' at £122 per week to 'En-suite Premium' at £207 per week (2023/24 prices).

For full details visit our accommodation page.

Sports Scholarships

At Worcester we are committed to supporting elite and talented sports performers who are dedicated to both sporting and academic success. Our sports scholarships are available for a range of team and individual sports. For further information, visit our sports scholarships pages.

How to apply