Young people will no longer need to be confined to a four-wall environment to earn valuable qualifications, following the launch of a portfolio of new qualifications by The Countryside Alliance Foundation (TCAF). 

Launched through TCAF’s award-winning Fishing for Schools programme, the Ofqual-regulated qualifications, named “Angling and Countryside”, will help young people develop practical skills, confidence, and pathways into further education and employment. 

The new qualifications have the potential to revolutionise thousands of young people’s education experience. They will be available to centres and schools across the UK from Autumn 2026, with pilot delivery beginning in 2025. Four schools have already signed up to the pilot. 

Launching the qualifications at a reception in Parliament (14th October 2025), Charles Jardine, Director of Fishing for Schools, stated: 

“The Angling and Countryside qualification is the first ever qualification of its kind. It will make a real difference, because the people that always were thought of as not being able to highly achieve, will be able to achieve - and Fishing for Schools is about people achieving. 

“This course and qualification will provide children with a range of practical, transferable skills that will pave the way for a career in angling- a huge global industry with massive opportunities- and beyond the industry too.” 

Conventional classroom lessons can be a struggle for some young people, but they can flourish when taken out of these traditional environments, as evidenced over the 18 years Fishing for Schools has been running.  

Accredited by Crossfields Institute, the qualifications range from Level 1 (Introduction) through to Level 3 (Advanced Skills), and are equivalent in level and structure to GCSE, BTEC and A-Level frameworks.  

Learners completing the Level 3 Advanced Skills Award will also be able to earn UCAS points, recognising the qualification as a legitimate route into higher education and related vocational pathways. 

Angler and social media influencer James Duffy (BigDuffsFishing), praised the new qualifications: 

“Qualifications like these would have been invaluable for me as a young person. They would have helped me to both develop and showcase my own skills, skills that are unrecognised in the conventional educational system, but that have real world applications and great career opportunities. 

“I'm fully behind this ground-breaking programme, and want to encourage as many schools as possible to get involved. We should be doing everything we can to help young people flourish, and for those that might struggle in a classroom, this is a real opportunity for that growth.” 

Each module of the exciting new programme can be delivered flexibly by approved centres and schools, offering a structured progression route from early engagement to advanced study in environmental science, outdoor education, and fisheries management.  

Crossfields Institute, as the awarding organisation, will oversee annual moderation and certification.

The qualification structure supports holistic, experiential learning, emphasising both classroom and outdoor environments, and reinforces Fishing for Schools’ core belief that “learning happens everywhere.” Designed with progression in mind, the new portfolio enables schools, colleges, and community providers to integrate angling and environmental studies within the broader 14–19 curriculum.