Completing any British Rowing training or qualification is so much more than achieving a certificate. Each piece of training will help you to broaden your thinking, and help you find the right solutions to any challenges you may encounter in your coaching environment. In the interests of developing high standards and consistency across the sport, British Rowing recommends that anyone in a coaching role should hold a recognised coaching certificate.

British Rowing has undertaken an extensive review of its qualification offer for coaches, and is now offering a new suite of qualifications in line with the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Activity (CIMSPA) Professional Standards. This means that qualifications will no longer align with ‘levels’ but instead with the role of the coach.

Assistant Coach Training (ACT): For anyone coaching under direct or indirect supervision

Coach: For anyone coaching independently

Beyond Coach will be bespoke modular development opportunities for coaches to develop in the way that suits them and their role.

Anyone holding  IA, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Session Coach or Club Coach, Senior Club Coach or Advanced qualifications is qualified to coach independently. We recommend any coach that has been away from the role for a significant amount of time completes the ACT online classroom modules to familiarise themselves with modern day coaching.

From the end of March 2026, the entry point for all formal Coach Education is the Assistant Coach Training.

The training is aimed at anyone coaching under the supervision of a more experienced or qualified coach, or for anyone building the foundation modules to complete the Coach qualification. As an example, you might choose this training because you are part of a coaching team, or maybe undertake casual employment at a club, school, sports centre or university. It ensures you understand the fundamental principles of coaching rowing in a modern society and is suitable for a coach working in any discipline of the sport including adaptive, fixed seat and coastal rowing.

Yes, we no longer split the delivery of fixed seat and sliding seat as all of the content has been designed to be suitable to all areas of the sport, including beach sprints and adaptive rowing. We encourage coaches to learn about all areas of the sport so they can support the broad range of opportunities available to rowers.

For coaches who have an in-depth understanding of their role, credible experience, and a reliable reference, we can offer a Direct Assessment or Recognition of Prior Learning for the Club Coach qualification until September 2026 (this will then align with the new Coach qualification). If you would like to discuss this with us, please contact [email protected] so we can help you establish your suitability for this process.

The programme consists of four modules, made up of three online classrooms and one face-to-face practical day. The online classrooms can be completed in any order, and the practical day should be completed last.

The modules have been designed specifically to be delivered online, and to be as affordable and accessible as possible. However, we are always open to alternative delivery formats to meet the needs of individual learners, so please contact us at [email protected] to discuss alternative options and associated costs.

This will depend on the role you are looking to apply for. Both the Assistant Coach Training (ACT) and Coach are recognised formal coaching credentials. If you will be working under the supervision of another coach then the Assistant Coach Training is sufficient, but if you are aiming for a more independent role you can build on your ACT modules to achieve Coach which qualifies you to coach independently..

Yes. The training is a recognised coaching credential, you simply need to ensure it is active on your membership profile and you can add COACH to your membership. This will not happen until you have completed all four modules. If you already hold another British Rowing membership, you can add this at no additional cost.

Once you have achieved the first step in your formal coach education, you will continue to develop in your role through your coaching experiences and the learning opportunities available to you. The Coaching Stream outlines the range of opportunities for your ongoing learning based on your individual needs. 

Once you hold a Coach qualification (or a legacy qualification) you will be able to access a range of ongoing learning opportunities which allow you to develop your knowledge and skills in a way that Is relevant to your coaching environment. The first set of these modules will launch  in late 2026.

Coach education has a formal set curriculum and usually some form of assessment, whereas our coach development initiatives are led by your individual needs.

Our Coach Development Opportunities run on an annual basis, and can provide you with bespoke one-to-one support from a skilled coach developer, alongside communities of practice and other unique learning experiences. 

The Advanced Coach qualification is aimed at coaches who are designing, implementing and evaluating the process and outcomes of long-term specialist coaching programmes. It is delivered in partnership with the University of Sterling and successful coaches will be awarded a Post Graduate Diploma in Professional Sports Coaching in addition to the Advanced Coach Qualification. 

Module delivery is coordinated both centrally, and in partnership with your regional coaching chair. They are delivered by recognised British Rowing  coach educators and assessors who have undertaken formal training, and continue to maintain their standards through standardisation events.

Holding a coaching credential does not automatically make you a better coach. It is how you choose to use the knowledge you gain on a course and implement it in your own coaching environment that demonstrates if you are a successful coach or not. Being a great coach is not simply about winning races. It is about changing lives and developing those who participate in rowing, so they have the opportunity to enjoy lifelong involvement in our sport thanks to the support and encouragement they receive.

British Rowing training and qualifications can start you on your journey of implementing new ideas, knowledge and continued growth through the experience of coaching practice.

Your Regional Rowing Council will sometimes offer funding for coaching courses. Contact your regional coaching representative to find out if your rowing council can offer you financial support. Further details can be found here

Your club will often offer financial support in return for a commitment that you will deliver a certain number of sessions.

For the Assistant Coach Training there is no formal assessment, but we expect a level of engagement in all the modules you undertake to be confident in awarding you with the credential.

The Coach qualification does involve a number of assessment tasks, but taking a coaching qualification is a developmental process, and we recognise that you might need a bit more time and support before you complete your final assessment.

You will be assigned an assessor and they will help you to ensure your coaching evidence (known as a portfolio) is completed to the standard required.

You will have three attempts to complete each assessment task. If you require an additional club visit (where you assessor will observe your delivery of a coaching session) there will be an additional fee.

All British Rowing qualifications are run to professional standards to ensure they continue to meet nationally recognised qualification standards (just like GCSEs and A-Levels).  They are continually developed and adapted to meet the needs of the changing face of our sport.  Some of the costs include:

• Professional British Rowing staff who develop and evolve content
• Coach Educator training
• Tutor, assessor and quality assurance delivery fees
• British Rowing Staff to continually develop and maintain the online learning platform (RowHow)
• Central administration staff to process courses and certification. Up to date hard copy and online resources
• British Rowing staff to maintain the qualification accreditation and ensure that the delivery of the qualifications is to the highest standards.

British Rowing works hard to balance the quality of the learner experience with an affordable pricing structure.

Regional networking is run through your Regional Rowing Council.  There are a variety of events depending on the region.  If you have an idea for a training or networking event in your region, please contact your Regional Coaching Representative.

Yes, if your club meets the venue specification. It is generally preferable to have open courses as this means it is more likely to attract minimum numbers and to create an environment that has a variety of coaching experiences to broaden everyone’s development. If you would like to host a course please complete this form and one of the team will get back to you.