1st4sport Level 2 Certificate in Coaching Football (QCF)

Overview

To find out how to apply to deliver this qualification see the How to Apply section. There are no costs involved in applying or becoming a 1st4sport recognised centre.

Developed in partnership with FA Learning, the education arm of The Football Association (The FA), the 1st4sport Level 2 Certificate in Coaching Football (QCF) develops learners’ knowledge of how to effectively plan, conduct and evaluate coaching sessions in football, ideally from the 1st4sport Level 1 Award in Coaching Football (QCF) so that they can coach football to players of all ages. The Certificate qualifies successful learners to lead football coaching sessions and be employed as a football coach in local amateur junior/senior clubs, FA Charter Standard clubs and schools, local authority community football schemes and Football in the Community Schemes.

Who is the Qualification for?

Anyone over 16 years of age who would like to develop and improve his or her football coaching skills. Individuals looking to help their football club gain FA Charter Standard accreditation will be interested in taking this qualification. Experienced players may decide that they wish to branch out from simply competing and put something back into the sport by undertaking a coaching qualification, enabling them to pass on the knowledge they have gained to those inexperienced in football. Students in further or higher education, studying sports-related coaching qualifications, should pursue this qualification as a valuable addition to their portfolio of coaching skills. Club coaches and schoolteachers would also find that this qualification is excellent in supporting their involvement in the sport by qualifying them to lead football coaching sessions.

Why Deliver this Qualification?

Requirement for FA Charter Standard accreditation

The 1st4sport Level 2 Certificate in Coaching Football (QCF) is used as part of the requirements for amateur football clubs and schools to achieve the appropriate FA Charter Standard accreditation, allowing learners access to full membership and the benefits of the FA Coaches Association (FACA).

Developed in partnership with the experts

The qualification has been developed in partnership with FA Learning, the education arm of The FA. You can therefore be confident that this qualification is the very best Level 2 football coaching qualification available.

Prerequisites

Prior to certification, learners are required to:

• be at least 16 years of age
• hold, as a minimum, a current emergency first aid certificate
• have attended The FA workshop ‘Safeguarding Children in Football’(learners under the age of 18 years are eligible to complete The FA Child Protection Distance Learning Module‘Safeguarding Children in Football – A Guide’ as an alternative to the workshop); for those with proven experience and knowledge in this area, accreditation of prior learning (APL) may be offered
• have evidence of completion of The FA Learning Online ‘Laws of the Game’ Module.

The above prerequisites, for those who do not already hold the appropriate evidence, will normally be provided by recognised centres as part of the learning programme.

Structure

The qualification is divided into the following units:

Materials

Unlike many other awarding bodies, which just supply you with the basic qualification standards, we go that extra mile to support you by providing:

• full and comprehensive Learner Packs, which include a full set of structured learning and assessment tasks to help you deliver the qualification
• tutor/assessor guidance notes, which include sample answers to support you when assessing your learners
• qualification administration that is all carried out online, enabling you to process learners quickly and effectively, and making the records we hold on your learners accessible to you at the click of a mouse.

Fees

Fees are charged per learner and provide registration and certification for the qualification, as well as a 1st4sport Learner Pack, learning resources and certificate. There are no costs involved in applying or becoming a 1st4sport recognised centre. Further information on fees is available in your qualification application pack.

How to Apply

Non-1st4sport recognised centres

If you are not already a 1st4sport recognised centre, you need to apply to become one by completing a Centre Recognition Application Form. You can now do this online through Athena, the 1st4sport online Quality Assurance System where you can also apply to become approved for the qualifications that interest you. To access Athena, simply call us on 0113-290 7610 to receive a unique access code or fill in the Request for Centre Recognition Application Form and we will send you one.

Existing 1st4sport recognised centres

If you are already a 1st4sport recognised centre and would like to seek approval to deliver the 1st4sport Level 2 Certificate in Coaching Football (QCF), please access Athena and complete the qualification approval process. If you cannot remember your username and password, please contact us at qmt@1st4sportqualifications.com.

QCF

This qualification sits on the new QCF. Further information about the benefits of the new framework can be found by visiting the Ofqual website.

All learners being registered for QCF qualifications are required to have a Unique Learner Number (ULN) issued by the Learner Register. To be approved to offer this QCF qualification, you will need to demonstrate that you can access and verify learners’ ULNs with the Learner Register. For more information about this process, please visit the Learning Records Service website.