LYR and Redhill have formed an exciting partnership to launch the Redhill Rowing Academy across the Trust’s ten secondary schools and are looking for a Head Coach to continue building this programme.
Position: Head Coach, Redhill Rowing Academy
Start: Date: August 2025
Salary: Subject to qualifications and experience
Responsible to: Programme Director, London Youth Rowing
Location: The Redhill Academies Trust, Nottingham
London Youth Rowing (LYR) and Redhill Academies Trust(RHAT)
LYR and Redhill have formed an exciting partnership to launch the Redhill Rowing Academy across the Trust’s ten secondary schools. A large scale indoor rowing programme both in and beyond the curriculum has already begun. LYR brings decades of experience, deep sectoral expertise, access to local rowing clubs, Holme Pierrepont, and a starter fleet.Redhill brings scale, ambition, and a culture of innovation and excellence.Thanks to multi-year financial backing from the Henley Royal Regatta CharitableTrust, the Redhill Rowing Academy has become a reality.
London Youth Rowing
LYR believes in sport for social change. Based in East London, the charity was founded in 2005 and now has set up locations across the capital, as well as hubs in Yorkshire,Nottingham, Bristol, and Kent. We collaborate with schools and communities, using rowing to deliver life-changing opportunities for young people who wouldn’t typically have access to the sport. We have a team of over 20 full time employees, combining our coaching team, apprentices, and office staff, with dozens of session coaches and volunteers.
LYR’s impact and scope is wide and varied.We provide opportunities for young people from disadvantaged areas to experience the benefits of rowing through our range of coaching, inclusion, and health programmes. LYR creates opportunities and an environment for young people to fulfil their potential and experience success.
RedhillAcademy Trust
Redhill encompasses 17 academies across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, providing excellent education for approximately 13,500 children in nursery, infant, junior, secondary and post-16 settings. The Trust has a proven track record of enhancing school improvement through its mission to improve children’s futures and contribute to positive social mobility in the region.
Sport and co-curricular opportunities are central to the Trust’s core values; widening experiences, achievement for all, high expectations, equality and achievement, and outstanding teaching. Redhill AcademyTrust is a regional leader in teacher training and high-quality professional development, delivered through the DfE designated Redhill Teaching Hub.
The Redhill Rowing Academy (RRA)
The emergence of multi-academy trusts (MATs) has afforded new opportunities for rowing in the state sector. Through being part of a MAT, schools can pool their resources and fund centralised coaching and facilities for the long term. RRA will be a programme designed to yield performance squads capable of competing at the highest level, whilst drawing on a participation-based co-curricular structure which is broad and inclusive.
Each Redhill academy has already appointed its own dedicated ‘Rowing Champion’. This member of staff has been recruited to lead on the development of the rowing programme across their school. This includes direct coaching, parent liaison, staff and student communication, and other administrative duties. The Rowing Champions will soon become British Rowing-qualified coaches. As the programme develops, they will be supported by a small coaching team within their school, dedicated to the delivery of the rowing programme.
* All KeyStage 3 students will be taught indoor rowing on the PE curriculum.
* Individual academies will then provide pathways from curriculum to co-curricular land-based sessions.
* From there, students will progress to on-water rowing.
* As training volumes increase in an age-appropriate way, those students who wish to compete will be provided with a pathway into Nottingham and Union Rowing Club (NURC) junior squad.
It is expected that NURC will be the means by which Redhill students compete on the water for the first two to three years of the programme. When appropriate, the Redhill Rowing Academy will affiliate to British Rowing, establish a rowing club of its own, and take on occupancy of the facility at Holme Pierrepont. At this point, Redhill students will no longer progress to the NURC junior squad but will instead train and compete for RRA.
The Redhill Rowing Academy will be led by an experienced Head Coach who will deliver on-water sessions, coordinate land training, and monitor rowing on the PE curriculum. Midweek land training will be delivered by supporting staff in the individual academies. Midweek on-water sessions will be delivered by the Head Coach atHolme Pierrepont, with support from the Rowing Champions. Junior squad sessions will be delivered through the coaching team at NURC, with support from the HeadCoach. This will be the basis on which the Rowing Academy is established in year one. As the RRA grows and develops, such arrangements will be reviewed by the steering group on a regular basis to ensure the programme is always structured to give the best chance of success.
We anticipate that the model (below) will be achievable within five years. It is expected that the 2,500 Year7 students that enter the ten Redhill secondary academies each year will learn to row in PE. As illustrated, students will move up the participation pyramid and training volumes will increase with age. As students develop, squads will become smaller and more competition focused, with post-16 year groups more performance orientated. For those students not wishing to compete, Redhill and LYR will always ensure recreational rowing activity is available at every age group.
Table 1. Athlete development within each individualacademy
Table 2.Athlete development for the whole of Redhill Academies Trust
The Head Coach
The Head Coach will be employed by LYR for the first three years of the programme. After three years, and when Redhill Rowing Academy achieves full independence, the Head Coach will transition to becoming a Redhill member of staff. The right candidate for this role will be patient, strategically-minded, and seek to plan for the long term. For the first year, the Head Coach will spend most of their time building lasting foundations. This will be about establishing strong working relationships, robust systems, an ambitious coaching team, and a vision the whole Trust can get behind. Coaching will be focused almost entirely on the younger year groups. By the third year, the on-water programme will start to evolve with crews likely to become competitive towards the end of 2028.
The Head Coach will hold at least a British Rowing Level 2 qualification. They will also need to be qualified to drive Redhill’s minibuses. (If required, LYR will provide training for other requirements such RYA Level 2 Powerboat licence and trailer towing as appropriate.)
Line Management
* The Head Coach will be line-managed by LYR’s Programme Director, will work closely with Redhill’s Sports Development Officer, and be accountable to the RRA steering group.
* The Head Coach will work with and through the RRA steering group to supervise, monitor, and advise on curriculum delivery.
* The Head Coach will work with Rowing Champions andSession Coaches on rowing matters. E.g. all sessions at Holme Pierrepont, co-curricular land training delivered in academies, during events, and in matters of analysis and planning.
* The Head Coach will work in partnership with NURC Junior Head Coach to support competitive pathways in the club, including coaching support for those sessions, to be agreed.
The Head Coach’s roles and responsibilities will be as follows:
Physical Education and Pathways
Oversight of rowing on the PE curriculum including:
* Working in partnership with RRA steering group, RHAT Curriculum Leaders, PE members of staff, and Rowing Champions
* Helping to design and review curriculum plans
* Staff CPD and QA of rowing-related curriculum teaching and coaching
* Student recruitment and talent ID into co-curricular land training squads
Co-curriculum Land Training
* Design and ongoing review of Trust-wide land training programme
* Liaising with Sports Development Officer, RRA steering group, and Rowing Champions, to ensure high standard of delivery
* Working with Rowing Champions to ensure high standards and athlete progression
* QA of programme delivery including coaching and culture management
* Monitoring and evaluation including all training and performance data
* Design and ongoing review of Trust-wide on-water programme
* Leading on all on-water midweek session delivery or deputising session management to Rowing Champions as appropriate
* CPD including shadowing of Rowing Champions and sessions coaches including QA
* Integrating with NURC Junior squad coaching team in first seasons to support the competitive development of Redhill students within NURC
* Responsible for all competitive and performance coaching, including selection and racing, when RRAhas affiliated and transitioned to full independence
* Monitoring and evaluation, including all training and performance data
* Design and lead on training camps and holiday courses
Responsible for all selection and racing (internal and external)including:
* Design of racing calendar
* Internal selection events and data analysis for whole Trust
* Communication of selection decisions with other coaches and RowingChampions
* Logistical arrangements for internal and external racing
* Driving of minibus and towing vehicles as appropriate
* Submission of race entries and payment
* All of above as applicable to GB Junior International trials process
Location
* Across all RHAT academies
* Nottingham and Union Rowing Club
* LYR: weekly online meetings; events in person as appropriate
* Various LYR sites as appropriate
Other Duties
* Management of the rowing budget
* Upkeep of LYR boat bay at Holme Pierrepont
* Maintenance of LYR fleet and equipment
* Support with equipment procurement, kit design etc
* Internal and external comms with:
o LYR SeniorManagement Team
o RHAT Sports DevelopmentOfficer and RRA Steering Group
o Rowing Champions
o Redhill rowing staff, LYR session coaches, and volunteers
o Principals
o Curriculum Leaders
o Teaching and admin staff as appropriate
o Parents and students as appropriate
* Registers and other data collation as appropriate
* Promote and assist with social media updates and feeds
* Rowing families’ information events and Open Days
* Support LYR and Redhill monitoring and evaluation as appropriate
Hours
* 40 hours a week
* Daily start and finish times dictated by programme, to be agreed
* Weekend coaching expected. Balance of midweek hours to be agreed through steering group
* Weekend racing as appropriate with some longer periods (HRR and NSR)
* Required to work some school holidays for training camps, and to help and support LYR-specific events (NJIRC, Race the Thames, Oarsome Challenge) if possible.
o October HT
o February HT
o Easter
o May HT
o Summer holidays (2/3weeks)
Developing Yourself
* Manage your attitude and expectations
* Organise yourself and developing a routine that will help you thrive
* Communicate clearly with your colleagues and managers
* Engage fully in the opportunities that are provided, and completing all the necessary training and qualifications required for the role
* Plan and shape a development plan that you are passionate about
* Report and communicate openly and honestly with your managers on your complete experience and journey
* Enrolment into LYR pension scheme, with the People’s Pension (subject to meeting qualifying criteria)
* 20 days’ holiday per year initially (increases per annum) plus 4 company gift days (2during summer and 2 during the Christmas holidays)
* Travel expenses
Equality Statement
London Youth Rowing recognises the positive value of diversity, promotes equality and challenges discrimination. We particularly encourage applications from people that have experience of working in the areas where we operate and from disabled candidates, female candidates, andcandidatesfrom ethnic minorities,aswe work extensively with young people from these backgrounds andthese groups are underrepresented insports organisations and the charity sector.
Safeguarding Statement
LYRusessport to engage & inspire young individuals to achieve their potential. Protecting children and adults at risk from harm and promoting their wellbeing is fundamental to achieving this mission.All successful applicants will be required to complete a DBS check before starting their new role – as per theNSPCC safer recruitment guidelines.
All staff are required to undertake mandatory Child Protection Training shortly after taking up post.
The post is subject to the successful applicant completing a 6-month probationary period agreed by the Steering Group.
How to Apply
To apply for this role, you should submit:
* An updated CV which shows your full career history with any breaks explained, we recommend that this is no longer than three pages.
* A supporting statement explaining why you are interested in this role, detailing how you are a good candidate for this role and how you fulfil the person specification, again we recommend that this is no longer than two pages.
If you apply, we will aim to acknowledge your application within 24 hours of receipt. If after that time you have not heard from us, please telephone the LYR office (0203 4340990) to ensure that it has arrived. Using a secure email address and putting the job title/organisation in the subject line reduces the chances of any email going into spam.
More Information
Thank you for taking the time to read this job information pack, we hope that you have found it useful. If you are interested in applying and have questions about the role you would like to ask first, please send an email to bcox@londonyouthrowing.comwith the job title/organisation in the subject line and we will get back to you.
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