National Navigation Award Scheme

Operation of the Scheme

NNAS courses are run by registered organisations and centres to which candidates apply individually or as a group.

Who can become a provider?

NNAS Course Provider accreditation depends upon the qualifications of those tutors delivering the courses and involves the submission of qualifications to the NNAS committee for approval.

Who can tutor NNAS courses?

Course tutors for training and assessment should hold a National Governing Body Award qualification.

These include : BEL, Walking Group Leader Award, Summer Mountain Leader Award or British Orienteering Coaching Awards. The level of qualification required will depend upon the course levels wishing to be delivered.

Qualifications issued by other bodies must be approved by the NNAS co-ordinating committee.

What happens when I become a provider?

Following successful accreditation and payment of the annual registration fee, providers will receive their annual registration certificate, the NNAS Tutor Handbook and further information on operating the scheme.

Providers have access to the website to promote their NNAS courses, provider resources and support and access to NNAS workshops.

To help keep up to date with navigation tutoring and the NNAS Scheme, providers are encouraged to take part in regional workshops provided by the NNAS.  

NNAS Certificates and Badges may be purchased by registered course providers on request from the NNAS National Office.

Can any provider deliver the Gold Award?

The NNAS Gold Award is considered to be at the same technical level as that required for personal navigation for the Mountain Leader or Walking Group Leader Award. The NNAS committee have drawn up the requirements for those tutors wishing to assess at NNAS Gold level. Please contact the This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more advice.

Can I use the NNAS as a benchmark?
Organisations and Centres who use the NNAS as a benchmark for the navigational competence of their leaders must have further mechanisms for assessing relevant leadership qualities.The NNAS awards are for personal performance only and must not be used as a leadership qualification of any kind.

For example after discussion, Sports Leaders UK now use the NNAS Silver award as part of their BEL Scheme.

There are regional training and sharing good practice workshops each year organised specially for providers.  The workshops cover the various aspects of the NNAS syllabus, teaching methods, new developments, etc.

There is a moderation scheme partly in place and partly being developed to help ensure a national standard for each level of the NNAS.

For both schemes there are a wide variety of navigation teaching books available, listed under resources in the relevant pages of this website.