Loughborough College is a national leader in sport and elite sport education programmes. In particular the College provides a variety of education programmes working with a range of partners, including:
- 18 National Governing Bodies to deliver the Diploma in Sporting Excellence (DiSE) programme nationally
- Education programmes delivered to scholars at Coventry and Chesterfield football clubs
- Bespoke education programmes provided to Motorsport UK, Leicester Tigers and the FCV International Football Academy
- Elite sport/academy programmes, working with partners such as Loughborough University, Loughborough Lightning, Leicester Riders, England Handball, Volleyball England and The BEST Centre (Mallorca) (see academies section here)
- Personalised BTEC programmes offered to high performance partners and learners across the country
Loughborough College students past and present brought home 23 medals, including five golds, during the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. More than 50 alumni competed at the Games, securing four gold, nine silver, and nine bronze medals during the incredible festival of sport held between 28th July and 8th August 2022. The College contributed to the overall medal haul with 5 Gold, 9 Silver, and 9 Bronze.
Rebecca McGowan (Taekwondo)
Lauren Williams (Taekwondo)
Sarah Stephenson (Taekwondo)
Katie Summerhayes (Freestyle Skiing)
Katie Boulter (Tennis)
Harriet Dart (Tennis)
Molly Renshaw (Swimming)
Siobhan Marie O'Connor (Swimming)
Fran Halsall (Swimming)
Lizzie Simmonds (Swimming)
Abbie Wood (Swimming)
Sophie Thornhill (Cycling)
Elise Christie (Short Track Skating)
Jon Eley (Short Track Skating)
Sophie Hahn (Athletics)
Hope Warner (Badminton)
Noah Dembele (Canoeing)
David Philipson (Tennis/Canoeing)
Georgia Hennessey (Cricket)
Jude Bellingham (Football team)
Tom Huddlestone (Football)
Ben Chilwell (Football)
Jordan Nobbs (Football)
Izzy Christiansen (Football)
Toni Duggan (Football)
Ross Wilson (Table Tennis)
Aaron McKibbin (Table Tennis)
Zoe Smith (Weightlifting)
Loughborough College offers a diverse range of elite sport education programmes to provide opportunities for performers who are on a dual career pathway.
Our aim is to provide elite performers with bespoke, personalised education programmes that support progression as a performer and development as an individual.
Elite performers who are on a dual career pathway can include those who:
- Are on an approved National Governing Body (NGB) performance programme
- Are required to balance education and training/competition commitments on an ongoing basis
- Need additional flexibility to enable weekly training and education to be completed, usually due to a high volume of training required
- Are frequently required to travel and be away from home, that impacts on being able to attend/access education
Learners are assessed on an individual basis to review the correct education programme to suit their needs, and these are reviewed on an ongoing basis to enable changes to be made when required.
Loughborough College athletes competed
at the Tokyo Olympics and
Para-Olympic games in 2021
39Athletes competed in Olympics and Paralympics
7Paralympic Medals at Tokyo 2021
7Olympic Medals at Tokyo 2021
2British Records Broken
Loughborough Sport athletes
competed at the Birmingham
Commonwealth Games 2022
120AthletesCompeted
6thRanked in thefinal medal table
14 Gold17 Silver
16 Bronze
Across the elite sport programmes there are a range of benefits that support elite sport performers and enable a unique and bespoke learning programme, these can include:
A mix of online, small group and face to face learning options. The online learning option can allow portable study opportunities, enabling the performer to continue to study anywhere/anytime
Bespoke study duration and periods, including providing year-round learning and allowing study breaks to fit around intensive training/competition periods
Working with tutors who have experience of working/competing in elite sport
Programmes developed with partners/employers to develop the skills, knowledge and behaviours required on a dual career pathway.
Develop a range of employability skills and careers routes, both in and out of sport
Use a range of specialist experts and industry experienced staff, including NGB staff
Ofsted Outstanding graded on-site accommodation is available, including the Elite Athlete Performance Centre.
Loughborough College provides 3 main pathway models that enable learners to progress through the academic levels, starting from Level 2 up to Level 6:
- On site delivered programmes, that include access to elite academy programmes. These are offered at Further Education and Higher Education and so are a longer-term development programme. Click the following link to find out more about our Academy Programmes.
- Off site/remote learning pathway. This enables bespoke learning opportunities from 16-18yr old programmes through to degree level using a mix of online/blended learning models. These can be developed to wrap around elite training and competition programmes. Click the following link to find out more about our
Elite Sport BTEC Programmes. - Partner programmes. We work with a range of partners to develop programmes that meet the needs of the partners and performers. The college and the partner work together on the curriculum and delivery to aid the development of appropriate knowledge, skills and behaviours. Click the following link to find out more about our Diploma in Sporting Excellence.
During their programme of learning performers can change models at appropriate points, and therefore continue to ensure the best pathway is available for individual circumstances.
Designed for performers on a dual career pathway who need flexible and bespoke education options to support their progression in and out of sport..
| FURTHER EDUCATION | HIGHER EDUCATION | KEY FEATURES | DESIGNED FOR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OFF SITE / HOME BASED | L2 Sport L3 Sport | Range of L4 HNC, L5 HND and L6 Degree Programmes in Sport, Exercise Therapy, Management and Leadership. |
| Elite performers based anywhere in the country with high level training and competition programmes that impact on accessing conventional education. |
| ON SITE | L2 Sport L3 Sport Other academic programmes (for example A Levels) | Range of L4 HNC, L5 HND and L6 Degree Programmes in Sport, Exercise Therapy, Management and Leadership. |
| Elite performers based in Loughborough with high level training and competition programmes that impact on accessing conventional education. |
| MODEL | FULL TIME EDUCATION | BLENDED FULL TIME EDUCATION | FLEXIBLE/REMOTE LEARNING EDUCATION | OVERSEAS FULL TIME/PART TIME RESIDENTIAL EDUCATION AND COACHING |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOCATION | LOUGHBOROUGH COLLEGE/PARTNERS LOCATIONS | LOUGHBOROUGH COLLEGE | CAN BE BASED ANYWHERE | BEST CENTRE, COLONIA SANT JORDI, MAJORCA |
| MAIN PROGRAMME | ||||
| Level 2 OCR Technical in Sport | ||||
| Pearson BTEC Level 3 in Sporting Excellence and Performance | ||||
| Pearson BTEC Level 3 in Sports Coaching and Development | ||||
| Maths and English GCSE or Equivalent | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Timescale | Approx. 15hrs (3 -4 days per week) | Approx. 6-12 hrs per week | Varies | Approx. 17-16 hrs per week |
| Delivery type | Predominantly classroom based taught programme - academic term time | Mix of classroom based taught sessions and online learning to allow flexibility. May include year-round learning to allow reduced hours/greater flexibility | Mix of live online taught sessions and online learning to allow flexibility. May include year-round learning to allow reduced hours/greater flexibility | Classroom based taught programme |
| Suitability | Individuals based in Loughborough/at partners with regular training programmes and limited periods away for training and competition. Accommodation is available for onsite learners and there is flexibility with timetables | Individuals based in Loughborough with high training and competition demands. Accommodation is available and there is flexibility with timetables | Individuals based anywhere in UK. Small group/1:1 tuition and so flexibility on when lessons can take place | Athletes who want the benefit of the climate, facilities and coaching that the Best Centre provides |
| Progression routes | Level 2 progression routes are to Level 3 study, as per above Level 3 progression routes included blended degree/Higher Education programmes, as per Elite Sport Dual Career Pathway | |||
