Sports Coaching and Physical Education

This hands-on course combines theory and practice to develop skilled educators and coaches. With a focus on employability, you will get the opportunity to engagage with work placements, gain professional qualifications, network with a breadth of organisations, whilst developing both your practical and professional skills.

The course will progress your skills in delivering coaching sessions to local athletes and community groups whilst developing a deeper knowledge of sport policy, sport development, and project delivery with an opportunity to devise, deliver, and evaluate a community-based initiative. Placements have taken place with Southampton Schools, Southampton School Games, Southampton Football Club and Hampshire County Cricket.

This degree has also been developed to help prepare you for a career in teaching. You will gain first-hand experience of teaching physical education across a variety of schools, the latest child development practices, and issues facing the education sector. Work placements spread across all three years of study ensure that you will graduate feeling fully prepared to undertake your initial teacher training with either a PGCE or School Direct training provider. This course also offers additional qualifications for you to obtain with your degree, including ActiveiQ, CIMSPA and 1st4sport. A free sports kit is provided to students in their first-year of study.

We are proud to manage the Southampton School Sports Partnership, a scheme that was introduced to improve the quality of sports education within the city. Our involvement in the partnership gives sport development, coaching and physical education students access to 72 primary schools, 15 secondary schools and six further education colleges in and around the Southampton area. Working alongside these partner institutions will help you to put the theory you’ve learnt into practice.

We are also proud to be an associated partner with the Association for Physical Education (afPE). This partnership demonstrates the courses aim to develop critical practitioners who may wish to progress into teaching roles.

The aim of this course is to empower learners from diverse backgrounds to become responsible citizens and educators, advancing equality and social well-being within our communities.

If you’re looking to study our sports coaching and physical education degree but don’t have the relevant qualifications or experience, the sport foundation year will help you develop the core skills and knowledge to progress. Find out more about the sport foundation year.

This course also offers the option of a placement year. A placement year allows you to put what you've learned in your first and second years into practice in the workplace, gaining valuable real-world work experience before you graduate. Our course and placements teams will help you find the perfect industry placement in your chosen field.

Who is this course for?
The BSc (Hons) Sports Coaching and Physical Education is ideally suited to students who want to develop a wide breadth of knowledge surrounding the sport and education environment. Applicants should have a strong enthusiasm for the subject area and a desire to encourage participation. Prior involvement in coaching, sports leadership, and volunteering is beneficial but not mandatory. However, a commitment to professional development and a willingness to learn, reflect, and improve is desirable. Applicants should be proactive, self-motivated, with a desire to inspire others and make a positive impact through sport and physical education.

Solent's Clearing fast pass* gets you ahead, with priority support and everything you need to feel confident about your next step. Secure your guaranteed offer before results day and unlock a 20% discount on Kimber and Chantry student halls, a £100 IKEA voucher, free gold gym membership for the academic year, and a £150 campus dining voucher.

*T&Cs apply. Full details on our website.

Join the career-ready revolution this summer at Solent. Every course is designed around five things: real-world learning in every module; block teaching, so you study one subject at a time, not five assignments at once; direct links with employers and careers support for life. This isn't a tweak. It's a rethink of what university should be.

Our facilities are built with your future career in mind, including Warsash Maritime School, the Solent Sports Complex, science labs, animation and 3D modelling studios and applied mechanics and composites labs.

And outside class? Southampton has it all: shopping, culture, live music, football, cricket, festivals, markets, tiny Thai cafes, ghost walks and record fairs. It's friendly, walkable, and one of the UK's most affordable student cities. With a diverse community and societies for every interest, you'll find your tribe here too.

Ready to secure your place? Get in touch now.