BRIDGING PROGRAM
Upgrade your qualification to a BTEC Level 5 Professional Diploma in Sports Massage and Remedial Soft Tissue Therapy
This Bridging Program is specifically designed so you can build upon your strengths and experience and address your individual needs, thus enabling you to upgrade your skills and gain a BTEC Level 5 professional qualification.
NEXT COURSE: Bridging Diploma 23B, commencing Tuesday 11th July 2023.
Full details and how to book here.
WHO IS THIS MASSAGE COURSE FOR?
To be eligible, students must have successfully completed at least one of the following:
- Level 4 qualification in sports massage
- A degree in osteopathy
- A degree in physiotherapy
- A degree in sports therapy
- Sports science unfortunately is not accepted
Are you a beginner? This is not the course for you!
Please head to our Level 5 Diploma page to start your journey.
Are you a Level 3 therapist? You may be considered if you have a minimum of 2 years experience. Please get in touch with us at info@nlssm.com.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
In addition to a Level 4 qualification or degree as outlined above, students must also have the following:
- Hold a current first aid certificate.
- Be able to demonstrate prior learning of anatomy and physiology
- Have appropriate insurance
- Be a member of a professional association
Evidence of the above, as well as certificates of your qualification need to be submitted within 24 hours of your application.
Are you unsure if you are eligible?
Get in touch with us at info@nlssm.com
Course structure
It takes approximately 7 months to complete the course, during which time you will attend practical workshops in class and undertake significant home study and hands-on practice.
You will attend class (some are online) for 13 days, split across one day every two weeks. The course is broken down into the following:
- 12 face-to-face practical workshops in The Annexe
- 1 half day of pre-recorded lectures
- 1 bonus lecture that can be done independently
In addition to the practical workshops each candidate will need to complete the following prior to taking their final written and practical BTEC Level 5 Sports Massage and Remedial Soft Tissue Therapy exams:
- 2 Written assignments to be completed throughout the course.
- 2 Practical in-class assessments for advanced techniques
- 1 In-depth case study
- 70 Logbook Hours (20 can be included as part of your employment in your field)
Course syllabus
- Musculoskletal System
- Cardiovascular System
- Reproductive System
- Central Nervous System
- Lymphatic System
- Skin
- Urinary System
- Respiratory System
- Digestive System
- Endocrine System
- Skeletal System Joints/Muscles
- Functional Anatomy
- Range of Motion Testing
- Biomechanics vs Biotensegrity
- Pain Neurophysiology
- Exercise & Physiology
- Lymphatic Drainage
- Neurological Examination
- Soft Tissue Release – Active Passive, Resisted & Transverse
- Muscle Energy Technqiue – Reciprocal Inhibition & Post Isometric Relaxation
- Neuromuscular Techniques
- Triggers points
- Positional Release
- Myofascial Release Introduction
- Rehabilitation processes
- Pathology reviews for example, Parkinson’s, Diabetes, Arthritis, Frozen Shoulder etc.
- Stretching and corrective exercises
- Injury scenarios
- Prevention Soft Tissue Therapy
- Re-education methods
- Homecare
- Remedial Massage
- History taking & notation
- Static & movement based assessment
- Contraindications
- Palpation skills
- Pain assessment skills
- Assessment of Acute, Sub Acute & Chronic
- Muscle ROM testing
- Biomechanics vs biotensegrity
- Neurological testing
- Legalities
- Sports Psychology
- Ethics & Professionalism
- Communication
- Role of Practitioner
- Safety
- Onward Referral
- Environment
This course is supported and accredited by the following associations:
WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THIS COURSE?
- Course lectures & comprehensive notes
- Detailed schedule of work
- Online review quizzes for all class days
- Online - extra bonus videos reviewing practical work
- Online - extra bonus videos reviewing practical work
- Access to schools' textbook library and teaching space
- A supportive tutor mentoring system
- Student Office Hours - monthly online tutorial
- A high ratio of teacher to student instruction
- BTEC Registration & Final exam fees
- Free membership to Exercise Lab rehabilitation site
- Private NLSSM Facebook group with job listings and support (ongoing after graduation)
- Student massage clinic (optional)
- Work placements and event opportunities
STUDENT MASSAGE CLINIC
During the course, you’ll have the opportunity to take part in our student massage clinic. This is a regular clinic arranged by us, so you can gain experience of treating clients in as close to a real clinical setting as possible.
WORK PLACEMENTS
We also offer regular work experience opportunities for our Level 5 Diploma students. Throughout the course, various types of placements are available to apply to, such as working with sports teams, professional dance groups and events like the London Marathon. See examples here.
STUDENT DISCOUNTS
NLSSM students have access to the following discounts (click each for more info).
Suppliers of sports injury, sports massage, first aid for sport, foam roller rehabilitation products to therapists, sports teams, patients, and the public. 10% off for NLSSM students. Find out more about Physique here.
Songbird massage waxes and balms combine a unique blend of beeswax (or beeswax free for our vegan wax alternatives) and 100% natural ingredients. NLSSM students get 25% off. Find out more about Songbird here.
Massage Warehouse is the UK’s largest supplier of therapy equipment for Professional Therapists and our extensive ranges will suit every budget. 10% off for NLSSM students.
React First runs a lively program of public first aid courses in Central London and in-house first aid training across London and the South East. 10% discount for NLSSM students
Naqi Massage Lotion is our main supplier at NLSSM. This is available at a discount for students via Physique.
TOTUM, previously known as NUS extra, is the #1 student discount card, brings you over 200 UK student discounts.
KenHub is an online anatomy learning tool that includes detailed drawings, videos and more. 10% discount for NLSSM students
Handspring Publishing specialises in books that focuses on bodywork and movement. NLSSM students will receive a 15% discount on purchases
MEMBERSHIPS
NLSSM graduates are able to become members of the following associations (click each for more info).
DATES & LOCATION
Our bridging program takes place alongside our Professional Level 5 Diploma in Sports Massage and Remedial Soft Tissue Therapy, in The Annexe, North London.
Conveniently located just a few minutes walk from Seven Sisters London Underground station and Overground, and just ten minutes walk from the National Rail. Please find full location details here.
Upcoming Course Dates
We have the following details available for enrolment (click each course for more info):
This is a Tuesday course, running from 10am – 5pm. Please find exact course dates here.
This is a Sunday course, running from 10am – 5pm. Please find exact course dates here.
This is a Tuesday course, running from 10am – 5pm. Please find exact course dates here.
This is a Sunday course, running from 10am – 5pm. Please find exact course dates here.
COURSE FEES
The full cost of this Bridging Program is BTEC Level 5 Diploma in Sports Massage and Remedial Soft Tissue Therapy is £1560 + VAT £390 = £1950
You will be required to pay a deposit of £500 (non-refundable) when you submit your application. You have the following options of how to pay the remainder of your course fees after you apply. Details of how to pay using either of these 3 options will be in the welcome letter of the course, which you will have access to after you apply.
Payment Options
- Payment in full via bank transfer
You can choose to pay your course fees in full, after you submit your application and pay the deposit. This must be received a minimum of two weeks prior to the course start date.
- Payment in full via credit card
You can choose to pay the remainder of your course fees in full with your credit card. This must be received a minimum of two weeks prior to the course start date. Please note: there is an admin fee of £50 for this option.
- Payment via standing order
We offer a monthly payment scheme where the course costs (minus the deposit) are split over 7 months via a standing order. Your repayments begin on the 28th day of the month that your diploma course commences. You can also make a larger initial deposit payment to reduce the monthly amounts. You will need to advise us of this after you submit your application, and send evidence that this standing order has been set up. Please note: there is an admin fee of £100 for this option.
Please see our full Terms and Conditions here.
Ready to enrol?
If you’re ready to apply, please remember you’ll need to submit the following within 24 hours of your application:
- Evidence of your qualification in one of the accepted fields
- Evidence of prior learning in Anatomy and Physiology
- A copy of your valid first aid certificate
- A copy of your insurance
- Details of your professional association
Details of how to submit this evidence will be given in your welcome letter upon your application and course deposit.
To enrol on a course, please click the button below:
FAQ's
This Professional Level 5 Diploma is accredited by BTEC/Edexcel.
Both are awarding bodies, and aspire to ensure the massage course you are enrolling onto meets their educational standards. We chose BTEC because it has a good reputation in ensuring a high standard of education as well as we could customize the massage course to meet the demands of the jobs that employers are looking for. We also have greater freedom in how we deliver our sports and remedial massage course, increasing your ability to develop the massage skills that are top in the manual therapy profession.
The NLSSM massage course is the best foundation you can get, it will open up many different opportunities in manual therapy. Our graduates have chosen a variety of directions, demonstrating you are not limited.
Please refer to our Graduates Stories page, wherein you can see there is a wide range of job descriptions from working in elite sport, being part of a clinical health care team, to establishing their own massage clinic.
We have developed a set of robust procedures to minimise the risk of COVID-19. Please find out more in our policy here.
Yes! You can choose to split the course fees over a 7 month standing order. The payments start on the same month in which your course commences.
Additionally, you can pay your course fees in full via bank transfer or credit card.
Find out more about your different payment options here.
At NLSSM, we are happy to support our students with any specific learning requirements they may have, where possible. If you have any concerns then please give us a call on 0208 885 6062 to discuss your needs.
We understand that this is a long commitment, and there may be a course date that you cannot make due to an emergency or pre-planned event. This is why we allow you to swap up to two days of the course and attend with an alternative diploma date instead.
Whilst we make this allowance, it is not something we encourage, as completing your course dates in the correct order and with your own class is recommended.
We use a number of different massage creams, lotions, oils and waxes, including the following:
COVID 19
We have carried out a full risk assessment to ensure that the highest standards of safety are in place for everyone coming in to the school, the decisions were based on the location, the layout and how we could modify the interior set up so that it meets the new health and safety requirements.
