Physical Education

In our Secondary PE subject pathway, trainees participate in weekly, high-quality sessions led by experienced subject specialists, designed to deepen both subject knowledge and pedagogical understanding. These sessions explore key strands of Physical Education, with a focus on developing an understanding of the principles of effective PE teaching in a secondary school setting.

Over the course of the programme, trainees will have the opportunity to enhance their subject knowledge across a variety of sports, focusing on key areas such as skill development, tactical awareness, and physical fitness. Additionally, they will explore other essential elements of PE teaching, including formative assessment, adaptive teaching strategies, challenge, inclusion, and the integration of literacy within physical education contexts.

Trainees will gain a comprehensive understanding of the PE curriculum across Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4, while also exploring effective teaching strategies that support progression, from developing fundamental motor skills in younger students to fostering higher-level tactical and technical understanding in older students. There will be opportunities for trainees to work collaboratively in a supportive, reflective environment, where sharing ideas, reflecting on practice, and learning from peers is encouraged.

Regular opportunities will also be provided for professional debate and discussion about physical education pedagogy, helping trainees to develop a confident, evidence-informed approach to teaching. Sessions will integrate current curriculum developments, national assessments, and the ITT Core Content Framework to ensure that trainees are prepared as thoughtful, skilled, and reflective PE teachers.

Applicants for GITEP’s Physical Education teacher training course will normally have a PE or sports-related degree (e.g. sports coaching, sport and exercise science). They will need to demonstrate that they have considered how to develop their subject knowledge in the National Curriculum, GCSE, A level and BTEC requirements for PE, especially where topics/sports have not been covered by their degree.  Along with an active engagement in sport or physical activity and awareness of educational issues, a desire to excite, stimulate and engage young people from 11-18 with the possibilities and pleasures open to them in taking part in sport and studying PE is a good starting point for an application.

PE is our most popular subject by some distance, as it is for most providers of secondary teacher training, and we get a lot of strong applications.  It is also the only subject for which we have an allocation of places from the Department for Education which we cannot exceed.