The qualifications are based on common units, ensuring all learners achieve the same outcomes and can work to the same standard.
The Award in the Principles of Coaching Sport provides the foundation knowledge for people interested in becoming a coach, or wanting a general introduction to coaching.
The Award is a knowledge-based qualification with no practical assessment and is available at levels 1, 2, and 3.
Learners can progress to coaching qualifications in a specific sport at the same level, or to a higher level Award in the Principles of Coaching Sport.
Any awarding organisation approved by SkillsActive can deliver the Award in the Principles of Coaching Sport, and it can be delivered across a number of sports.
To qualify as a coach, the minimum qualification a person needs is the level 1 (Award in Coaching [Name of Sport]). There are also level 2 and 3 Certificates available in Coaching [Name of Sport]. All three qualifications include knowledge and practical elements.
Some units are contextualised for a particular sport but use the same base template, ensuring uniformity across sports.
The Award and Certificates include the whole of the Principles of Coaching Sport qualifications; learners who complete the Principles of Coaching Sport qualification at the same level only need to complete the contextualised sport units.
Learners can progress to the Diploma in the same sport (where available), to a Certificate in a different sport, or to level 3 coaching qualifications.
These qualifications can only be delivered by awarding organisations working in partnership with a Sport England recognised NGB.
The Diploma in Coaching [Name of Sport] is a full competence qualification available at level 2 and 3. It replaces the former NVQ qualifications and must be assessed in the workplace and over time.
The Diploma includes contextualised units based on a common template, plus the whole of the Principles of Coaching Sport qualifications. The contextualised units need to be credit rated for each sport.
The Diploma does not include the contextualised units from the Certificates, but learners who achieve the Certificate in the same sport at the same level can use evidence from their Certificate towards the Diploma.
Learners can progress to the level 3 coaching qualifications.
These qualifications can only be delivered by awarding organisations working in partnership with a Sport England recognised NGB.
To learn more about these coaching qualifications, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
These include vocational qualifications, such as Scottish or National Vocational Qualifications (S/NVQs) and vocationally related qualifications (VRQs).
Scottish/national vocational qualifications (S/NVQs) are qualifications based on national occupational standards (NOS) - statements that describe the skills and knowledge a person needs to do a job effectively.
Scottish/ National vocational qualifications are available at levels 1,2 and 3.
Level 1:
Level 2:
Level 3:
For a list of training providers offering vocational qualifications see
Vocationally related qualifications (VRQs) are practical learning programmes that relate directly to a specific role or sector. They cover almost every sector, at every level, and are not purely based on national occupational standards.
Awarding bodies offer vocationally related qualifications in a broad range of subject areas including:
SkillsActive is concerned with the continued availability of high quality qualifications that are fit for purpose, meet the needs of employers in the sector, command public confidence, and are understood by those taking them and those who use them for recruitment, or for other purposes. SkillsActive has long advocated that consistent standards are maintained across the awarding organisations who deliver qualifications on behalf of the Sport, Active Leisure, Learning and Wellbeing industry. To ensure that the assessment guidance and evidence requirements for each new qualification is uniform SkillsActive have created a Quality Assurance document for the delivery of S/NVQ qualifications and other more specific Assessment Strategies which the awarding organisations should comply with when delivering qualifications.
This document sets out the recommendations of SkillsActive, the Sector Skills Council and Standards Setting Body for Active Leisure, Learning and Wellbeing for the assessment and quality control mechanisms required for S/NVQ qualifications which confirm occupational competence in the workplace.
These qualification specific assessment strategies have been developed by SkillsActive and appropriate industry experts to provide assessment guidance and evidence requirements for the awarding organisations to implement within their processes for the verification and awarding of each qualification. These documents are to be used with close reference to the more generic quality assurance strategy detailed above.
Principles for Development and Assessment of Special Populations Qualifications
SkillsActive has worked with awarding organisations and NGBs to develop eight coaching qualifications based on common units to meet the needs of employers, staff and volunteers.
Coaching Qualifications based on national occupation standards>
The Register of Regulated Qualifications contains details of Recognised Awarding Organisations and Regulated Qualifications in England (Ofqual), Wales (DCELLS) and Northern Ireland (Ofqual for vocational qualifications and CCEA for all other qualifications).
Visit the Register to view Recognised Awarding Organisations, Regulated Qualifications, Units and Diploma structures.
The Register of Regulated Qualifications >
There are two types of Modern Apprenticeships available in the active leisure, learning and wellbeing sector in Scotland:
For information and documents relevant to Apprenticeships in Scotland see Frameworks and Guidance for Scotland.
Frameworks and Guidance for Scotland>
SkillsActive manages the Hair and Beauty Apprenticeship frameworks in partnership with Habia, the sector body for the hair, beauty, nails and spa sector.
For Hair and Beauty Apprenticeship frameworks see the HABIA website.
For more information on modern apprenticeships in Scotland see the Scottish Qualifications Autority website.
Scottish Qualifications Authority website>
For more information on Apprenticeships in Scotland please email
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Playwork national occupational standards are available from levels 2-4.
Browse the standards below:
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