Why Choose Outdoor Education at Shuttleworth College?
Studying Outdoor Education at Shuttleworth College allows you to specialise in a wide range of land and water-based adventurous activities, while developing the skills needed for a career in the outdoor sector.
You’ll gain experience across areas such as outdoor and adventurous activities, expeditions, sports coaching, leadership, and understanding the equipment and facilities used within the industry. Learning takes place both on campus and at a range of specialist external venues, including Grafham Water Sailing Club, Big Rock Climbing Centre, as well as local footpaths and waterways.
Throughout the course, you’ll take part in a weekly rotation of practical activities, giving you hands-on experience in:
- Sailing
- Kayaking
- Canoeing
- Climbing
Alongside practical sessions, you’ll study a broad mix of theoretical and applied units focused on the principles of outdoor education, skills development, coaching techniques, safety, and leadership. This balanced approach ensures you build confidence, competence, and employability for the outdoor adventure industry.
Industry opportunities
Outdoor Education courses at Shuttleworth College are designed to equip you with the practical skills, knowledge, and qualifications needed to succeed in the outdoor industry.
Throughout your studies, you’ll develop industry-relevant skills that support progression into employment, apprenticeships, or higher education. Courses are aligned with sector expectations, helping you build confidence and professional competence for a range of outdoor education and adventure roles.
You’ll also benefit from the College’s strong links with outdoor activity providers, giving you access to a diverse range of work placement opportunities both across the UK and Europe. These placements allow you to gain real-world experience, develop professional networks, and apply your learning in authentic outdoor settings.
Completing an Outdoor Education qualification at Shuttleworth College can open doors to exciting career opportunities — and could be the first step toward working, travelling, and teaching in outdoor environments around the world.
Expert tutors and top-class facilities
Shuttleworth College has beautiful, spacious surroundings in which you can develop your outdoor education skills. As well as the natural resources, there is also a sports hall, stunning sailing lakes, and outdoor sports pitches for football, rugby and cricket on site.
Our lecturers and instructors have a wide range of experience as instructors, coaches, teachers and outdoor practitioners. Their knowledge, experience and passion for the outdoors gives an extra dimension to the theory-based and practical sessions, along with providing you with relevant guidance on potential career options.
Student success
You will have the opportunity to attend residential trips to centres such as Outward Bound in the Lake District and the United Kingdom Sailing Academy on the Isle of Wight. You will also be required to plan and undertake expeditions; in the past these have included canoeing in Snowdonia and mountaineering in the Lake District.
The programmes will help you to develop the skills needed within the industry, as well as offering a range of qualifications that will help you progress your career by gaining employment or moving on to higher education.