Opening new opportunities through angling

When we officially launched our Angling and the Countryside Qualification in October 2025, we believed it would fill an important gap in educational provision, with a recognised qualification at its heart. Since then, we have been inspired by the breadth of interest it has generated, with enquiries from mainstream schools, specialist settings and alternative provisions across the country.

The enthusiasm we have seen has been incredibly encouraging. More importantly, it has confirmed that there is a demand for a qualification like this; one that offers young people a different way to learn, achieve and thrive.

That belief has been at the heart of the Countryside Alliance Foundation's work for nearly 20 years through our Fishing for Schools programme. We have seen first-hand how angling can help build confidence, resilience, life skills and wellbeing. For schools looking for a way to re-engage young people who have become disconnected from the classroom, Fishing for Schools provides the hook - opening the door to practical, purposeful learning in the outdoors.

Our Angling and the Countryside Qualification builds on that success.

Combining classroom-based study with practical outdoor learning, it gives young people the opportunity to achieve an Ofqual-accredited qualification, while developing their knowledge of angling and conservation alongside valuable transferable skills. Available across three levels, it has been designed to support a wide range of learners of varying abilities to develop their skills, build confidence and achieve at a level that challenges and supports them.

Across all the enquiries we have received, one message has been clear: there is a real appetite for learning opportunities that support young people in different ways. Schools are looking for meaningful opportunities for learners who struggle in conventional classroom settings, while recognising the value of practical, engaging pathways that better reflect how young people learn.

Since launching the qualification last October, work has continued behind the scenes. With Ofqual approval secured, learning materials developed and pilot schools recruited, we are excited to see the first pilot programmes begin this September.

This is a significant milestone - but it is just the beginning.

Our ambition is to make our qualification available to more schools and specialist settings, enabling many more young people the opportunity to gain a recognised qualification through an approach to learning that inspires, motivates and connects them with the countryside.

With your support, we can help make that opportunity available to many more young people.

Pilot delivery begins this autumn. Your support today will help us bring the qualification to schools and specialist settings, laying the foundations for wider delivery in the future.