Surfing England Trainer Assessor – ‘Surf Coach: Progression’ Award
Job Specification
Context – Coaching vision and the surf instructor recreation award
There has never been a more exciting time to be part of the growth and development of surfing’s National Governing Body as we strive to create a dynamic and forward-thinking organisation with the needs of the surfer and surfing community at the heart of all that we do.
We see great coaching as a fundamental building block in the development of surfing, both as a competitive and lifestyle sport. Through a substantial consultation with coaches, coach developers and surf schools, in 2021 we created a new vision for surf coaching in England (see our review here , p13 for the coaching vision) and then began with the ‘Surf Instructor: Recreation’ Award. This new surf instructor award rolled out successfully since 2023 https://www.surfingengland.org/coaching-hub/become-a-surf-instructor/ The majority of trainees continue to take the online theory route, followed by practical training culminating in the full assessed lesson. We also developed the traditional ‘classroom group’ in-person theory as a 2-day course, as an alternative to the online theory route, delivered by a limited number of trainer assessors. These have been rolled out with great success also.
Regarding the certificated course with its practical placement component, it is important to note that these Surfing England Trainer Assessors are the only people who can sign /certify a new instructor. It has been beneficial for the nation’s new wave of surf coaches to have over 20 to choose from around the regions, as trainees work with lesson schedules at accredited surf schools one at a time.
The Surfing England core Instructor / Coach Awards and development since 2022
First in a series of three awards that will make up the backbone of the new Surfing England coaching offer was the Surf Instructor: Recreation. In the future we wish to create a coach award for advanced surfing and competition surfing in the Surf Coach: Performance Award.
- Surf Instructor: Recreation
- Surf Coach: Progression
- Surf Coach: Performance
The Surf Instructor qualification was designed as the entry level qualification, equivalent to the ISA level 1 award, but deeper, broader and of higher minimum standards with all new assessment. This provided the necessary skills to safely lead and deliver beginner lessons in waist depth water. Also it gained international recognition from various NGBs and is growing all the time, including an equivalent transfer system we share with Surfing Australia.
The new Surf Coach: Progression award is hotly anticipated as it will be designed to fill all of the broad and staged gap between existing awards for teaching beginners / coaching advance surfing. It will be delivered in a 3 phase all in-person format. Structured training, mentoring and assessment, delivered only by Surfing England Trainer Assessors at Surfing England accredited schools is key in the progression of all surfing awards also with an eye to future (as we did with the Surf Instructor: Recreation award) on the CIMSPA workforce governance project https://www.cimspa.co.uk/cimspa-our-work/workforce-governance-home/
New Surf Coach Progression Award launch Autumn 2025
For aspiring coaches embarking on this award, the pre-requisite options we will currently accept are any equivalent level 1 course which we already recognise e.g. ISA1, ASI1, Surfing Australia1, along with our Surfing England Surf Instructor Recreation award. In the near future we may well roll out a CPD / RPL route as additional requirements. All new coaches must also complete our safeguarding course or equivalent.
To deliver this new Surf Coach: Progression Award we need passionate, highly skilled and experienced leads to deliver in-person theory, train and assess new coaches in the full range of ‘intermediates’ levels setting. TAs need to ensure that coaches taking this new course and assessment are equipped with the knowledge and skills that will make them a great asset to any surf school offering or seeking to offer lessons to ‘intermediates’. Following the theory course there will be a reflective practice phase for each coach while they work in their own setting, culminating in a lesson assessment in the TA’s setting, for each coach to certify.
It is most likely that we will seek to select and work with around 8 TAs maximum nationally for this award system. Matching supply with demand will be key in the success of this award delivery as it will only be delivered via traditional group in person classroom & practical courses. While it is an advantage, you do not need to be a current Trainer Assessor of the instructor award to apply.
2025 and 2026 plans and aims
The award writers already working with us jointly delivered the pilot two-day Surf Coach Progression Award theory course to 6 coaches who are receiving this award FOC as part of a Sport England funded portion of our award training and delivery). We have gleaned great insight from this aiding us in the delivery of training to new TAs.
Each TA onboarded in 2025 will be need to able to run one group course each during Sep/Oct 2025, with the intent on at least two courses each during 2026. Each TA will need to market their own courses aiming to fill each with 6-8 coaches to train per TA.
Trainee Coach process
Phase 1
Classroom theory course including practical demonstrations in the water, coaching, assessment questions
Phase 2
On successful completion of phase 1, reflective practice in their own setting
Phase 3
On successful submission of logbook to TA for phase 2; Assessed lesson
Role and Responsibilities
As Trainer Assessor you will be responsible for ensuring that the candidate reaches a set level of competencies to be certified. Candidates will come to you with a set of pre-requisites detailed below and your role will be to ensure that imparted knowledge and trained skills can be deployed practically and safely for the development of all levels of intermediate surfing customers in a group in an engaging and highly successful way, consistently, in all kinds of conditions.
Each TA will need access to a classroom style setup with high quality ICT inc. internet and good projector or XL TV screen.
Each TA’s school setting will need to running regular intermediate out back lessons most of the year in England particularly the shoulder season /Easter & Autumn
Key responsibilities:
- To have in depth knowledge and understanding of the Instructor-Recreation Award program and the Coach-Progression Award including pre-requisite theory and practical skills.
- To ensure the full training and mentoring requirement is delivered for each candidate, which will include:
- Conditions and dynamic risk assessment
- Duty of care as a coach
- Technical theory
- Communication and coaching techniques
- Lesson planning, in-water coaching delivery and land briefing and feedback
- To assess the competencies of the candidate against the award framework, which includes:
- Evidence of lesson planning and reflection
- Clear understanding of beach environment and hazards
- Understanding of NOPs, EAPs, Safeguarding and risk assessments
- Ability to manage people and provide engaging and safe delivery of the full range of beginner – improver – intermediate surfing out the back
- Personal water competency & surfing ability
- To provide clear feedback, follow up actions given and to pass candidates or give action plan feedback for re-assessment
- To ensure all system administration for new candidates is complete in a timely fashion
Essential Experience and Attributes
- Has a deep understanding of surf coaching throughout all beginner and intermediate levels with supporting experience of at least several seasons
- Is passionate about developing people and can adapt their teaching/training/mentoring style to suit the needs of the trainee; has prior experience of doing this
- Is able to delivery engaging theory courses to groups of wide variety of people, and is keen to embrace those from different backgrounds into surf coaching
- Is enthusiastic about quality control and ensuring professional standards are met
- Maintains a high level of organisation, dealing with admin in a timely fashion
- Wants to be an ambassador for surfing, surf coach and Surfing England
Desirable Experience and Attributes
- Coaching or teaching experience from other sports or sectors
- Higher level surf coaching qualifications and coaching experience
- Experience as a head coach or surf school manager
- Experience from multiple settings
- Passionate about delivering classroom theory, mentoring coaches, and rigorous in assessing practical
- Already a Surfing England TA (instructor recreation award)
The operating model
We anticipate the course price being £375 pp, of which £150 is paid to TAs (which is the same amount as with the in-person classroom route for the instructor-recreation award.)
A proportion of the remaining revenue covers Surfing England costs and the other proportion all goes back into Surfing England coach development.
Applications
Surfing England values and actively encourages applications from people of all backgrounds. If you have any questions about the role or would like an informal discussion before applying, please contact Nick Moffatt on 07825 639557. If you are affiliated with a different surfing organisation and wish to work with Surfing England, please include this detail in your application; It is not possible to work in a TA or equivalent capacity with us and a different surfing organisation concurrently.
To apply, please write to Nick Moffatt nick@surfingengland.org with
1. CV
2. Covering letter (maximum one side a4) to detail experience and skills delivering:
– Multi-day theory with formally assessed questions
– Outback coached intermediate lessons
– Mentoring, training and assessment of coaches in this scope of this award
– Your classroom setup and location
– How you will market yourself as a TA for this new award in line with the course timings needs stated
Also please complete the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion form to send to Rachael Percival rachael@surfingengland.org (unless you have done one before for a Surfing England application)
both by 9am Mon 7th July latest
We will aim to make selections swiftly in advance of the full day training Wed 9th July, RLNI classroom Fistral.
