Schools Partnership Pathway

Our Schools Partnership Higher Education pathway is a collaboration between UCS and secondary schools.

In this pathway, UCS offers a Sport Coaching BSc (Hons) degree or an HTQ in Community Coaching. Both programmes are delivered within the school environment combining real-life PE department experience with online and face-to-face academic study.

School Partners - Find Out More
Our schools partnership pathway students gain experience in a school environment whilst studying for their degree

What Does This Pathway Look Like

You will be based within the Physical Education department of your school and combine your academic studies with supporting PE staff to gain valuable work experience.

The academic learning, delivered by UCS, comprises 80% online sessions with our tutors, equivalent to 2 days per week across 30 weeks per year. You can access this online content either from home or at the school. The remaining 20% involves face-to-face teaching at a UCS facility, scheduled across three, one-week residential blocks.

In addition, you will benefit from a minimum of 120 hours of school PE department experience per year to include teaching, coaching, extracurricular clubs, leading fixtures and officiating.

The programme starts in September and concludes in May each academic year.

Who Is This Pathway For?

This pathway is for students who may want to stay in a familiar school environment to progress to an HTQ or degree. Students will have a strong interest in sport and may want to advance into a career in Physical Education teaching.

Benefits for Students

  • Providing industry-based opportunities for students who do not seek campus-based university experiences away from home.
  • A minimum of 360 hours (BSc students) or 120 hours (HTQ students) of industry specific work-based experience in the sports and physical education sector.
  • Opportunity to apply knowledge gained in the classroom immediately in the workplace.
  • A combination of online and face to face delivery preparing for the modern world.
  • BSc (Hons) degree awarded by the University of Northampton or HTQ qualification.
  • Potential to remain home based and reduce higher education borrowing debt.
  • Opportunity to access feeder primary school networks for future employment.
  • For students studying the BSc there is an opportunity to study Level 3, 4 Education and Training qualifications alongside the BSc, giving access to teaching within the FE sector.

What Is The Cost?

Both the Level 3 and Level 4 BTEC in Education and Training are delivered free of charge. By choosing this route travel and accommodation expenses on the face-to-face weeks within the degree programme are not reimbursed.

Where Do Our Schools-Based Students Go Next?

• PGCE Physical Education
• MSc in Sports Coaching or other Sports/Physical Education related disciplines
• Further Education teaching in Sports/Physical Education
• Sports Coaching opportunities in professional/semi-professional sports based in the UK and across the world
• Employment opportunities within the Oxford Virtual Education Group

Our schools partnership pathway students gain experience in a school environment whilst studying for their degree

Expression of Interest

If you meet the required UCAS points and are ready to learn more about your future in sports, fill in our expression of interest form to learn more about our courses.
Expression of Interest