What do I need to do first?

Your centre

If you are not already an Approved Assessment Centre you need to apply and become accredited.

Make sure that your centre has our minimum requirement of one trained tutor per level (trained tutor status lasts for three years). If you're unsure please use the Tutor Training Decision Tree to ascertain if/when you would need to attend Tutor Training.

Planning

Use your current learners to 'sell' the course to the next cohort; nobody can sell the benefits of the course like those who are actively involved. Provide them with time during assemblies or club meetings, give them space to document their achievements such as notice boards, magazines or bulletins, or allow them to film their leadership experience to share with others.

Is this your first course? Why not think about team teaching and learning from a colleague. Or, visit other courses within your local area, share ideas with other Tutor/Assessors, create a network of sports leadership tutors and meet on a regular basis, spread the costs of First Aid.

Think about the external links you need to make and other professionals you could invite into your course in order to make it a success. For example, First Aid provider, National Governing Body coaches, local sports development officer, dance specialist, primary schools, youth clubs.

Are you delivering the Level 2 Award in Community Sports Leadership or the Level 3 Certificate in Higher Sports Leadership? If so, where will your learners go to complete their demonstration of leadership, and do they require a CRB check? If they do, you'll need to make arrangements at the very start of your course.

Course delivery

Get your learners actively involved in leading others as soon as possible, whether the participants are their peers or younger aged children.

When timetabling your course, remember to consider the accessibility of participants for your learners to lead. You may need to investigate appropriate times at the primary school, youth centre or sports club and plan your course accordingly.

Remember to return the Learner Registration Form from the front of the Record of Achievement, for each learner, within four weeks of the start date of the course. This will register your learners onto the course, and we'll be able to provide you with a learner number for each of them.

Did you request too many Records of Achievement? Don't worry, as long as you return them un-used within three months of the start date of your course, we'll credit your account. We'd advise you to send them by registered post though! For future courses we'd suggest that you underestimate the number of Records of Achievement you require; then when you start your course ring the Sports Leaders UK office and we'll send you the extra you require.

Update your course outline on a regular basis. Remember that every cohort of learners will have different needs and expectations. Therefore, last years course outline may not work for this year's learners.

Assessment getting you down? Why not use our Internal Assessment Record which is already prepared to make life a little easier for you.

Completion

On completion of your course return the relevant paperwork to Sports Leaders UK and your centre will receive the learner certificates and badge (if applicable).

Remember to recognise and celebrate your learners' success. You could consider presenting the certificates at assembly or a club meeting or event. Publicise their success in your centres magazine, newsletter or the local press. Send Sports Leaders UK a photo and anecdotes; you never know it may appear on our website or in the Leader magazine.