Michael Duckett

Job title School Relationship Manager/Sports Coach

Employer Premier Education

Be enthusiastic, driven, take pride in their work and have a professional approach when coaching children

Can you tell us about your current role at Premier Education?

I currently manage the Premier Education current schools, hold reviews with Headteachers/PE co-ordinators and complete observations on staff. I look after the day to day business with schools and teach curricular PE and a range of breakfast, lunch and afterschool club activities.

What are your main responsibilities?

As a manager speaking to schools regularly, to check on the quality of our staff and their delivery. To keep positive relationships between our school and Premier.
As a Coach is to deliver high quality PE lessons to an outstanding Ofsted criteria standard, whilst producing tailor made lessons plans, that are available for all classes and to provide extensive detailed assessments on each child delivered to.

What are the biggest challenges in your role, or facing your industry generally?

Uncertainly of the Sports Premium funding and Pupil Premium money being cut.
Schools are finding it increasingly difficult to find a solution to provide quality PE lessons and a range of sports clubs, for parents who need childcare options, as well as providing a fun, engaging opportunities for their children.

Explain a typical week in terms of how you break down your time?

My week is broken down between my managerial role of meeting schools and my delivery hours.

For the management part, it would be booking in meetings with SLT members, holding meetings with those who organise sports provision. As well as completing our CQI observation checks on our staff.

For teaching, it would be arriving at the school nice and early to prep for my lessons.

If I can get into staff briefing then that allows me to see if there is anything that might affect me in the day, liaising with any teaching staff for that day for any info I may need, and always check staff notice board for notes/announcements.

Then it would be to organise my equipment, make sure my area is safe using my risk assessments, have my learning outcomes and lessons plans ready with an range of visual material for children’s learning, make sure I have all up to date registers for any clubs I may be delivering that day.

Then throughout lessons, provide a fun, engaging, safe and informative lesson. That allows for a combination of teacher led and child led learning, using short but informative coaching points to maximise participation. Using good open question and answer sessions throughout the lessons to check on understanding and learning, this then enabling me to adapt the activities to provide for the range of abilities to show differentiation. And to finish with an entire class debrief to cement the learning outcomes and check on information given in the lesson. With finally noting my assessments on children’s progress, whilst providing feedback for class teachers.

Tell us a bit about your career path to this point…

I started coaching part time when I was 16, when I started I was on an apprenticeship at Evolve Sport. I started off just completing clubs on my own and shadowing a senior member for PE. I then moved to Sports Plus to help my own opportunity of hours. But at Premier is when I’ve really grown and gained many sporting qualifications as well business management qualifications. Now I’m fully qualified in over 55 sports and have a management degree, as well as being a trained assessor.

What experience does your kind of career require?

If possible, at least an entry level sporting qualification. At Premier they will help you develop from day one and to grow on any path that you desire, whether that be teaching, training, management.

What skills and knowledge do you need in your role?

Mainly a passion and enthusiasm to coach/and teach youngsters, to show a professionalism and pride in your work.
If you have prior knowledge of teaching and sports that will be an advantage.

What opportunities are there in your industry for young people?

Endless. At Premier there are so many different avenues. It could be from a start of an apprentice, or if you have experience already, then coming in and helping support and managing other team members. They are career paths in sport, in Performing Arts/Drama, as well as our Health/Wellbeing programmes.

What are you looking for when it comes to recruiting? What makes people stand out?

Somebody who is enthusiastic and driven. Takes pride in their work, offers a professional approach when dealing with children and other staff members. Someone who is willing to go the extra mile to make things a memorable experience for the children.

If you had one bit of advice you would tell your younger self, what would it be?

Don’t be afraid to take a chance on bigger projects, with the right support and training you will get there no doubt.

What was the best advice you were given?

Always be professional, polite, and use your manners. Even outside your working hours, there are many parents or children you may cross paths within your personal life, always be that positive role model.

3 great things about working as a Sports Coach

  1. Opportunities to grow on my career path.
  2. Working with children and being part of their development in life not just sport.
  3. Working with fantastic colleagues that help support and drive each other to do a great job.

For more careers advice on ‘Teaching and Coaching’ visit our dedicated section on Careers in Sport.

Premier Education website