Rugby Borough Football Club - Diploma / Extended Diploma in Sports Coaching and Development

At Rugby Borough Football Club Football and Education Programme we are excited to welcome you to our state of the art facilities for training, playing and learning.

We are privileged to have UEFA A license Head Coach Chris Knott leading the programme, with over 20 years coaching experience, a former academy coach and current National League North first team coach, Chris has a proven track record of not only developing footballers and offering opportunities across an expansive football pathway for both male and females, but also success mentoring and guiding students on their education and career journey.

As soon as you apply for a place with us we will treat you as one our own! From regular contact days, off season flexibility and mobility programmes, pre season conditioning plans and a pre season trip, all before you enrol, Rugby Borough Football Club is definitely the development environment for you.

At Rugby Borough we will strive to support footballers across all levels and can offer excelling pathways for those who aspire to play at the highest level, including academy contacts and non league clubs from Step 1 and below.

As a fully functioning football club, with over 60 male and female football teams, we can offer real life work experience from coaching and analysis to marketing and media!

Rugby Borough Football Club Football and Education Programme is the place to be for all your football, education and career goals.

Our Post-16 Education Programme combines full-time football development with a Level 3 BTEC in Sport Coaching and Development, delivered in partnership with Brighter Futures, an experienced education provider in the sector. It’s the perfect next step for boys and girls progressing through grassroots football — or for any player who wants to keep learning while training in a professional football environment.

The course includes the following mandatory units covered over the two years of study:

• A Careers in the Sport and Active Leisure Industry
• B Health, Wellbeing and Sport
• C1 Developing Coaching Skills
• D1 Applied Coaching Skills
• E Research Project in Sport (Pearson-set)
• 1 Sport Development
• 2 Self-employment in Sport and Physical Activity

The course also covers a range of site-specifically selected optional units, which may include:

• 3 Sports Psychology
• 4 Nutrition for Physical Performance
• 5 Anatomy and Physiology in Sport
• 6 Sporting Injuries
• 8 Fitness Testing
• 9 Fitness Training
• 10 Technical and Tactical Skills in Sport
• 11 Rules, Regulations and Officiating in Sport
• 12 Practical Sports Application
• 14 Organising Events in Sport and Physical Activities

All units within the Sports Coaching and Development qualification are internally assessed and subject to external standards verification. Centres design and assess assignments that form the final summative assessment for each unit, following Pearson’s guidance and examples.

Assessments use a range of methods to reflect different learning outcomes and to help learners develop a variety of transferable skills. These may include:

• Research projects and written reports
• Case studies exploring real or complex scenarios
• Independent projects with learner-led outcomes
• Practical demonstrations of coaching or technical skills

This approach ensures that assessment is flexible, varied, and directly linked to practical and theoretical learning within the programme.

Entry Requirements

For Year 1 entry, students must meet the following criteria:

(BTEC Diploma): Applicants must have achieved at least a Grade 2 in GCSE English and a Grade 1 in GCSE Maths to be eligible for registration. Or Functional Skills Level 1 in both subjects.

(BTEC Extended Diploma): Applicants must have accredited prior learning in both Maths and English, evidenced by a minimum GCSE Grade 4 or above or Functional Skills Level 2 in both subjects.

The Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Sports Coaching and Development is intended for post-16 learners wanting to progress directly to employment, including self-employment, in sports coaching and development roles. It is also suitable for those wishing to progress to higher education, where learners would have the added advantage of using this qualification to obtain part-time employment while studying.