Apprenticeships are a fantastic way to work alongside qualified experts and gain nationally recognised qualifications, with former PE Apprentice Jack Ryan, a fantastic ambassador for such programmes.
Jack started his apprenticeship journey in September 2020, enrolling upon the Level 2 Community Activator Coach (L2CAC), and subsequently progressed onto the Level 4 Sports Coach (L4SC) through his employer, Elburton Primary School.
The L2CAC is a 14 month Apprenticeship that focuses on the basics of community engagement within a Primary or Secondary school setting. This usually takes the shape of organising and executing physical education (PE) classes as well as providing support for both small and large scale school events (such sports days, etc.).
This provides participants with the relevant tools needed to organise, lead and analyse sessions while encouraging high levels of reflection. For those who perform well in the L2CAC, the L4SC is the natural next phase that lets them develop and grow.
With the help of the training, participants will be able to create detailed Curriculum Maps and Termly Plans by developing a greater understanding of the PE National Curriculum. Together with this, comprehension of how participants learn and the way sessions might facilitate more learning.
At the age of 16, Jack decided to apply for the apprenticeship given that he was passionate about sports and helping people grow. Having participated in sailing competitions in the past, Jack began using his expertise as a coach to help the newcomers advance in the sport.
He then applied for the L2CAC apprenticeship with Elburton Primary School, with his passion for sport and enthusiasm to helping others grow being key factors in his successful appointment.
A personal journey to secure an apprenticeship
Jack highlights the personal journey he undertook leading up to securing his apprenticeship position: “Thinking back to 2020, like any 16-year-old, I started to have a serious think about options for future careers. I attended a range of career events and spoke to career advisors too, through my school.
“After much thought, I decided to pursue my sailing career further, with the ambition of making this my full-time professional career. Unfortunately, due to injuries and a range of sponsorship and financial problems, this was not possible. This is a common issue for a range of aspiring athletes. So as you can hear, my ‘Plan A’ failed.
“But don’t worry, I had a ‘Plan B’! I decided to pursue a career in the Navy. I had completed all of my entry tests and assessments. Then, the dreaded c-word hit. COVID. The Navy had paused all recruitment and deferred my potential entry by one year.
“So, my Plan A and my Plan B had failed. There weren’t many options left, the whole country was in a lockdown. I knew that I wasn’t interested in going down the conventional A Levels route, this just wasn’t for me. My Dad decided to point me down the apprenticeship route – suggesting I find something to do for a year until the Navy comes back to me.
“I used the government’s ‘Find an Apprenticeship’ service to look for apprenticeships in my local area. Due to COVID – there weren’t many options! Although, there was one. ‘Level 2 Sports Coach apprenticeship at Elburton Primary School’. Right. ‘Working with kids?’ I thought to myself. No thanks. Like everyone, I then entered a period of ‘hibernation’. Lots of Xbox, eating and some VERY dodgy haircuts. The more I pondered, the more I considered working in a school to actually be an option. Anyway – what harm would a year do before I moved onto the Navy? Just before the deadline, I applied for the job. After an interview process, I was fortunate enough to receive the job. Plan C it is.”
Valuable learning experiences from an apprenticeship
Jack obtained a range of learning experiences from both apprenticeship courses that have influenced his present and future paths. When Jack was a coach in his early years, he would lead small, semi-structured sessions with a great deal of energy, which would frequently inspire individuals to join in.
Some of the key areas of that Jack has developed has included his differentiation and understanding of the PE National Curriculum. Owing to his coachability, Jack was frequently willing to include any constructive feedback he received and was eager to pose questions in order to improve his performance. Jack’s progression from leading a basic tagging exercise on his first observation to leading a full session centred around throwing and catching on his last observation served as an example of this.
Jack recalls his starting his new role and then progressing onto the Level 4 Sports Coach; “I’ll be honest, I found it incredibly daunting walking into the school for the first time – after all, I was 16 years old and had quite literally just left school. Now on the flip side, I was the one with the responsibility. I was quickly introduced to Dave, Darrel and Tim as the people who would support me, and the school, during the duration of my apprenticeship.
“Once every half term, I attended theory days based here at Argyle. These gave me the knowledge to support me on my journey. All of these sessions were delivered in a fun, engaging way. This included safeguarding, teaching practices and first aid. Additionally, we received CPD from external companies to support our workplace practice.
Constructive feedback on improving my practice
“Just as an example, this has included Skip2BFit and Speed Stacks. This is all through the Trust’s solid networking links. Along my journey, I was encouraged to shadow, and learn from fellow teachers. On top of this, I was regularly supported in the workplace by Darrel who came in to observe my sessions. Darrel would give constructive feedback on how to improve my practice.
“Months followed and I quickly found myself at the Level 2 End Point Assessment. Thankfully, due to being well prepared and having good support behind me, I passed this with a good grade.Now the time came where I had to make a choice. Stay at the school where I had developed, built relationships and worked – OR – progress onto the Navy. To me, this was an easy choice. You can probably guess what option I made. I stayed at Elburton. I was enjoying my learning and didn’t want to stop.
“To continue developing in my role, my apprenticeship cohort was offered to progress onto the Level 4 Sports Coach course. This lasted for 2 years and really did push my professional development to the max. I chose to do this as I am always keen to develop myself and become the best I can at anything. It gave me the skills to be a competent deliverer, but also planner. We studied the National Curriculum in detail, coaching strategies and workplace practices – giving us the knowledge to effectively become experts in our field.”
A testament to Jack’s character and resilience
While Jack was receiving glowing praise from his employers and assessor, in the winter of 2022 Jack received some harrowing news in that he had some health problems, which required an extensive healing phase. Had Jack withdrawn from the apprenticeship programme, it would have been a reasonable choice.
Despite his diagnosis, Jack made the conscious decision to carry on with his work and studies despite having limited hand movement. This is a testament to Jack’s character and the resilience he has as a young man, which as a team we look in adoration for his selfless ability to place such importance on the children he works with through his apprenticeship and school.
Jack’s recovery has served as an inspiration to the students he worked with, his fellow Apprentices and to his assessment team. Jack growth during his apprenticeship programme has been far greater than just that of his course, with Jack’s own personal development and resilience proving that embracing the good things in life will help you even in the darkest of circumstances.
In the summer of 2024 Jack successfully passed his Level 4 Sports Coach programme and as a valued staff member of Elburton Primary School he was offered a new full time post. Jack’s school are now also supporting Jack in working towards his future ambitions of becoming a qualified teacher. Jack’s relationship with the various classes he supports shines through in his delivery, as he plans sessions that not only get children active but challenges each individual.
Building a trustworthy and open environment
Subsequent to Jack’s apprenticeship completion, he was afforded the opportunity to present at Argyle Community Trust’s School’s Conference, where he followed former Olympic Swimmer and Gladiator Sharron Davies MBE onto the stage. This was something that did not faze Jack and an opportunity he highlighted as thoroughly enjoying in sharing his own journey.
During his speech to a room full of Headteachers and senior leaders, Jack recalled that “with any course like this, you’re going to face challenges. If I think right back to the start, entering a professional workplace for the first time was very daunting. However, I was welcomed instantly and supported from all angles – whether that was from staff at my school, or my apprenticeship tutors.
“At times the content was challenging, but in a good way. We were encouraged to be very open about anything we were finding difficult, so we could be supported. Building a trustworthy, open environment is something the Trust were great at. I felt comfortable for every minute.”
“If I’m asked about career highs, I genuinely have too many to list. Of course, winning tournaments and going on trips is great. However, positively impacting children’s lives has to be the one. The relationships I have built with children, and seeing the impact of my practice, cannot be compared. Throughout the duration of my apprenticeship, I have developed a passion for getting children to be active – the benefits are endless.
“In terms of what’s next for me – I have just finished my Level 4 Sports Coach and I am currently progressing into my Level 5 Learning and Skills Teacher apprenticeship, to further enhance my practice and development. If I was asked where I see myself in five years? I want to be carrying on coaching or teaching but who knows! I’ve been equipped with a good set of skills which can be used in any walk of life.”
How an apprenticeship can aid professional development
Jack is a keen advocate of apprenticeships and the benefits it has offered him in his own professional development, stating: “If any of you are considering taking on apprentices, I cannot recommend it enough from my perspective.
“I have developed so much over the last four years, and this has contributed to my own development, but I hope the development of my school too. This has been a provider that I have been proud to be affiliated with, and has aided my professional development massively.
“This has been partnered with a great school that I’m very thankful to be a part of. In terms of advice to prospective schools, remember the sky’s the limit for your apprentices. They can develop massively over a short space of time and will hopefully become competent members of staff quickly, thanks to good guidance and training.
“To summarise, I really have enjoyed my apprenticeship journey and it’s one I’m proud to have done. It’s worked out pretty well for a ‘Plan C’. I quite literally fell into this, but have loved every aspect of it and regret nothing.”
Becoming a role model for the children at the school
Headteacher at Elburton Primary School, Keith Smithers is full of praise for the impact Jack has had at the school, highlighting that “Jack is in his fourth year of employment at Elburton Primary School. It has been an absolute pleasure observing Jack grow in confidence and influencing the lives of all of the children at the school.
“Jack is a role model for the children at the school, they look up to him and he is always there to offer great advice. He has excelled within his coaching role, most notably leading the school football team to become Plymouth champions and runners up in the recent southwest championships. Alongside football,
“Jack has led a range of extra curricular clubs, a breakfast club and spent time away with children on residentials. In addition to his sporting responsibilities, Jack has been a valued teaching assistant. He supports children with their academic and social development both within the classroom and at break times. Jack is incredibly well-respected at the school by staff, children and parents. It is exciting to see where he will take his next stage of learning both at Elburton Primary School and beyond.”
The Apprenticeship team at Argyle Community Trust would like to thank Jack for all of his hard work, dedication and humility throughout his apprenticeship journey – it has been a pleasure to have had the opportunity to work with him and we collectively wish him every success for his future career!
Main image caption – left to right: Jack Ryan, Anna Clooke (Governor and Partnership Leader, Plymouth School Sports Partnership), Sharron Davies MBE, and Keith Smithers (Headteacher at Elburton Primary School)
