Secondary Physical Education (with EBacc subject) with QTS (11-16) PGCE

At the start of the programme, you’ll assess your existing subject knowledge to pinpoint areas of development and strengths. This will include assessing and developing your subject knowledge in your Ebacc subject (up to Key Stage 3).

Get a fundamental understanding of essential educational theory and teaching methods. Then cover strategies in a range of sports including dance, gymnastics, athletics, swimming, and other outdoor and adventure activities. While covering these areas, we’ll encourage you to define what effective teaching and learning looks like in the subject of physical education.

You’ll learn how to plan lessons effectively and in line with the national curriculum. And how to check your teaching is always adaptive, research-informed and inclusive. To help you do this, you’ll get the chance to tailor your approach for pupils with special needs and disabilities, as well as supporting pupils who speak English as an additional language. You’ll also have sessions at key points of your curriculum within your Ebacc subject, in addition to the learning you’ll do as part of the PGCE Physical Education cohort.

Experience life as a physical education teacher with extensive placements in at least two secondary school settings, working alongside our expert mentors and tutors.

There will be some carefully selected aspects which shall be delivered in a slightly condensed format in order to create space for content related to teaching and learning in your chosen EBacc subject. This additional content will reflect relevant parts of the existing PGCE teacher training curriculum in that subject, and will ensure you are supported in developing your EBacc subject pedagogical content knowledge up to Key Stage 3 level. This will include gaining experience of teaching your Ebacc subject to Key Stage 3 learners as part of your placement experience.

How you'll study

We’ve designed our PGCE Secondary Physical Education courses so that you can combine learning on campus with practical experience in the classroom. You’ll spend a significant part of your PGCE year on placement in school settings. Whenever you need support or feedback, you can turn to your subject specific tutors and school-based expert mentor. We’re here to help you become the best teacher you can be.

A combination of academic study, group discussion and reflection, and practical, work-based learning in the classroom will give you all the knowledge and skills you need to become a creative and innovative teacher. The programme aims to develop a reflective and critically analytical approach to education.

You will undertake extensive placements in schools, putting your training into practice through assisting in and taking responsibility for classes, and working alongside mentors and peers to further your professional development. The focus initially is on observation and supporting teaching and learning. Your teaching timetable will increase as your training progresses and you become more confident and competent in the classroom.

You will receive appropriate subject specialist input in your additional EBacc subject, ensuring coverage of the necessary specialist subject pedagogy. Placements will be sourced that provide appropriate opportunities for you to observe your specialist EBacc subject in action. You will also be required to generate, and be supported in executing, a personalised Action Plan arising from a Subject Knowledge Audit which will prepare you to teach your EBacc subject up to the end of Key Stage 3.

You will also undertake Intensive Training and Practice (ITAP) as a specific and focused element of our teacher training curriculum. This is designed to consolidate your knowledge of effective teaching, and enable you to rehearse and obtain feedback from experts on your practice. Our ITAPs are designed to utilise the latest research and technology as well as draw on the outstanding mentors, tutors, and teacher expertise from across our partnership.

Over the course of your training, you will have the opportunity to participate in several days of Intensive Practice focusing on aspects of pivotal practice such as; behaviour management, scaffolding, professional behaviours and questioning.

During periods of ITAP, your timetable may differ and you may be required to attend campus and/or a placement on days outside of the usual pattern.

How you'll be assessed

You will be assessed, through a balanced combination of coursework and portfolio assessments, against both academic criteria and the Standards related to QTS. Various other tasks will enable you to show your competence in ICT, numeracy, literacy, other areas of PE, and your additional Ebacc subject.

Your professional practice will conclude with a final viva that will allow you to demonstrate appropriate achievement against the Teachers’ Standards in order to allow us to make a recommendation for QTS. You will be required to demonstrate in the viva that you have also made appropriate progress through your EBacc Subject Knowledge Audit and Action Plan.

Who will be teaching you

The Faculty of Education has been at the forefront of teacher education for over 135 years and today enjoys the enviable position of being one of the country’s leading providers of education, training and research for the children’s workforce.

You will be taught by a dedicated team of knowledgeable, experienced, friendly and supportive tutors who have the welfare of their trainees as a number one priority.
All of the tutors on the programme are experienced teachers of Physical Education who will model good practice and encourage you to develop your own teaching style. You will be additionally supported by tutors who are specialists within your EBacc subject.

The Edge Hill lead mentors and mentor leadership team play an important part in your teacher training as experts in their field. They have a deep knowledge of the trainee curriculum and support trainees and mentors to make progress providing guidance and support on aspects of the curriculum and assessment.