Course Details

What will I learn?

This is an exciting course, which has been developed to provide students who are interested in the surfing industry an opportunity to gain high level qualifications based around this diverse industry. The course offers students the chance to develop their knowledge and skills in a wide range of subject areas, which are both interesting to the surfer, but which are also fascinating in their own right and relevant to many other fields. The surf academy has been designed for students to study a subject that is enjoyable but also transferable, students will not be tied in to becoming a surf rep the subjects they study will provide them with a basis to move onto bigger and better things.

The Surf Academy is the first school/sixth form provider to have established links with a university. Developed with the University of Plymouth the Year Zero Surf and Business is a course which has CAT’s (CREDITS) associated with each of its components that relates to the equivalent of an A Level.

The course is a full-time two year programme split into 3 distinct parts.

The topic areas for the year zero are as follows:
Enterprise Set up your own surf school. Produce a business plan for the surf school including, all necessary costing sheets for the school, market research, advertising and marketing.

Surf Coaching and Safety Complete the Royal Life Saving Society qualification and the British Surfing Association award.

Work Placement Work with local, national and international companies and develop your understanding of how a surf company works.

Surf Fitness Develop your knowledge of the human body and the exercise requirements to improve your own surfing ability. Create your own training schedule, implement and evaluate its success.

Coastal Processes Students learn about winds, waves, tides, surf and weather patterns. There is an opportunity to try scientific surf prediction, to discuss theories relating to climate change.

Research Project Develop your own project looking at the surfing industry. Example: Surfing evolution or wet suit development.

OCR National Award in Surf Travel and Tourism

This course is an A level equivalent qualification and provides the opportunity for students to study the Travel and Tourism industry from a Surfing perspective. We have strong business links with Pure Vacations and Errant Surf Holidays who help the students with their work.

OCR National Award in Sport

This course again is an A level equivalent qualification and provides the opportunity for students to study the sports industry as a whole. It has been designed for students with an interest in a career in the sports industry. Students will complete 6 units of study, 4 of which are mandatory and 2 which are chosen from a diverse list.

Example units are:

  1. The sports industry

  2. Sport and Society

  3. Principles of sports coaching

  4. Sport in the UK

  5. Advanced sports leadership

  6. Sport Marketing

Who will teach me?

The course is taught by well qualified and experienced staff from Treviglas Community College many of whom have a keen interest in surfing. The Academy is also fortunate to be located in the centre of the UK ’s surfing industry and we take full advantage of this by using guest lecturers from local industry and the surfing organisations to deliver some aspects of the course. The lifeguarding and the surf coaching award are run by qualified trainers and assessors from Lusty Glaze adventure centre and the British Surfing Association.

Do I need to be able to surf?

Being able to surf is not a prerequisite of the course, but it is a great benefit to you if you have experience in the water. Students do have 2 lessons of surfing a week and so you will have the opportunity to improve surfing ability during the course. As part of the BSA coaching award is a surfing assessment it is important that students are confident when surfing and able to control the board going left and right on a clean wave.

World of work

To mention just a few job opportunities students can move into surf coaching or life guarding just after the first year of study, also after completion move into the leisure industry. The outdoor sports environment is an obvious move as many of the Leisure Studies GCE covers necessary aspects of running and organising an outdoor sports facility.

Further Study

Treviglas Community College is a partner college of the University of Plymouth and Plymouth have many degree and foundation courses that students will be able to move onto after successful completion of the course. We have a direct link to the Surf Science and Technology degree at the Uni of Plymouth

Bsc Marine Studies

Bsc Surf and Business University of Plymouth, students completing the Year Zero and the Advanced Leisure course will be given guaranteed access to the course.

Foundation Science (one year) then progress onto the Bsc Surf Science and Technology.

Foundation degree Surf Science and Technology, Cornwall College

Bsc Surf and Beach Management University of Swansea

Many Leisure based degrees.

How do I apply?

To gain entry to the course, students must have at least five GCSE’s grade C or above including Maths and English. Mature students are more than welcome to apply and work experience and past experience will be taken into consideration.

Applications must be completed and a provisional place on the course will be given after an interview at the college. Final places will be given after GCSE results are published and an interview prior to the start of the course.

What do I do now?

If you like what you see, application forms can be downloaded from the contact page of this website. Or phone the Surf Academy @Treviglas Community College on 01637 872 076 and we will send you an application form.
Complete and return to me as soon, as is possible.

Ellis Attwell
Surf Academy Co-ordinator