(Secondary) Physical Education PGCE

Top reasons to choose this course

• You will train to teach with an Ofsted ‘outstanding’ provider.
• 2nd in the UK for education courses – Guardian University Guide 2025.
• Placement opportunities with schools in large, small, urban and rural settings.
• Enrichment opportunities to teach ages 16–18.
• Learn in our specialist classrooms that replicate those used in schools and our curriculum centre with its 30,000 resources for student teachers.
• Brighton has an expert team who have their own successful experience as education practitioners.
• Our teaching graduates benefit from excellent employment rates that are consistently above the sector average.
• We have a dedicated team to help you after you qualify, through our Early Teacher Career support programme.

Plus, our student physical education teachers benefit from:

• excellent on-site facilities including grass football pitches, netball and tennis courts and a swimming pool.
• organising activities such as disability sport and transition days for secondary school pupils
• learning how to teach non-traditional team games alongside the usual competitive team games
• visiting guest speakers
• the ability to gain the FA Teachers’ Award
• opportunities to visit additional schools and colleges as part of the peer observation programme.

Course structure

When studying with us at the university, you’ll experience and learn how to teach practical physical education through The A-list of physical activities. These include physical activities considered to be less conventional compared to more established types of activities.

The A-list includes the following non-conventional physical activities: 

• Alternative – physical activities that depart from or challenge traditional norms and are considered to be non-traditional in a UK context such as tchoukball, kin-ball and korfball
• Adapted – physical activities suited to pupils with additional learning needs but that can also be enjoyed by all pupils within secondary schools such as boccia, goalball and new age kurling
• Artistic – physical activities related to cultural and artistic forms of dance
• Aesthetic – physical activities that are creative and involve a combination of movements requiring precision, fluency and control such as urban gymnastics, cheerleading and trampolining
• Aquatic – physical activities that take place in or on the water such as swimming, synchronised swimming, water aerobic dancing, water polo, life-saving and personal survival
• Athletic – physical activities that require physical skill, agility and stamina such as street surfing
• Adventurous – physical activities that require precise problem-solving and decision-making skills such as orienteering and climbing
• Aerobic – physical activities that are sustained and require low to high intensity such as jogging, rowing and cycling
• Anaerobic – physical activities that are non-endurance activities involving speed strength and power such as sprinting, jumping, and throwing.

The university works in partnership with schools and colleges to provide a high quality programme of support, ensuring a sound relationship between theory and practice. You will benefit from undertaking two placements in two schools or colleges, spending two-thirds of your year teaching under supervision. You’ll also have the opportunity to visit additional schools or colleges as part of the peer observation programme.

Our tutors and mentors will advise and support you throughout each placement. You will receive comprehensive feedback during this time, enabling you to see what you are doing well and where you might need to improve.

You will have the opportunity to organise group activities which reflect contemporary expectations of physical education teachers and the individual needs of pupils from diverse backgrounds. 

The campus is excellently equipped with multimedia training materials, giving you the opportunity to develop your confidence and competence in the use of information and communications technology (ICT). Our multimedia suites are regularly updated to keep up with technological advancements in classroom teaching provision. 

Activities which you may take part in or organise yourself include:

• Disability sports such as boccia, new age kurling, goalball, sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball.
• Year 7 transition day with a local secondary school.
• Year 10 V-Cert revision day with a local secondary school.

You’ll also hear from a range of guest speakers and have an opportunity to gain the FA Teachers’ Award. 

Areas of study

This course covers the national curriculum range of content for physical education. You’ll experience practical and theoretical modules that are based upon research-informed practice by the route leader, Dr Gary Stidder, who is an established academic and active researcher in the field of physical education.

The course also includes health-related exercise, the use of new and emerging technologies in physical education, thematic teaching and learning in physical education, inclusive practice in physical education and the teaching of accredited courses in physical education.

Course content is kept up to date with changes in local and national initiatives and legislation, so you will be confident that your working knowledge is based on current theory and practice.

The areas of study are made up of three strands.

The education and professional studies strand gives you a thorough understanding of the learning process itself, including an appreciation of individual differences. The study of the principles and practices of learning and teaching is through both school and university settings, allowing you to develop practical competency supported by analytical skills.

By the end of the course you will:

• refine your understanding of pedagogy, including an appreciation of current and emerging educational theories and debate
• understand how to use and adapt teaching, learning, management and assessment strategies in order to meet the varying needs of learners
• understand how the progress and wellbeing of learners is affected by different influences and know how to take account of the principles of equality, inclusion and diversity.

The subject study/subject education strand builds upon your existing expertise in your specialist subject and provides you with the opportunity to develop skills, knowledge and understanding of the subject in the secondary school context. You will consider the learning and teaching strategies that are relevant to physical education. 

The subject education module is specifically related to teaching PE in school, while the subject study module enables you to take your subject specialist studies to an increased depth. 

The school placements/professional practice strand is intrinsically linked to all key strands of the course and is designed to enable you to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive as creative, informed and critical professionals.

You will engage in target-setting and action-planning, and reflect upon your learning in order to make improvements as you progress through the emerging, embedding and enhancing phases of trainee teacher development towards meeting the Teachers’ Standards and the award of Qualified Teacher Status at the end of the course.

School-based training

Ofsted identifies our approach to training in schools as a key strength of this course, with an excellent balance between university tuition and school-based training.

You will spend at least 120 days on school-based activities, with training shared between the university and the partner schools. 

Your school-based training will take place in two carefully selected schools and will include observing teachers, working with pupils, team and independent teaching, completing specific subject tasks and learning about school policy and effective practices.

You will also write lesson plans and evaluations for classes, carry out formative and summative assessment of pupils’ learning and performance, and maintain an e-portfolio which will be evaluated as part of your overall assessment.

Key aims:

• develop your professional attributes, skills, knowledge and understanding and help you gain confidence in your teaching ability
• provide a variety of practical and specific experiences that enable you to critically analyse your professional practice and take responsibility for your own professional development
• enable you to work collaboratively with colleagues in order to develop an understanding of the ways in which the attainment, development and wellbeing of all learners can be achieved with a unified support and teaching system
• provide opportunities for you to adopt a creative and constructively critical approach towards your practice, supported by appropriate reading and research

• make valuable contacts which will help when looking for your first teaching role.

Throughout your placements, university tutors and school mentors will support and assess your progress, providing regular feedback to guide your professional development.

You’ll be encouraged to critically review your work, set appropriately challenging targets, and work with your tutors to create an action plan that identifies your strengths, development needs and next steps, ensuring your practice continually evolves.

Organising your school-based training

Your training will be organised by our Partnership Office which sets up over 2,500 placements annually with our 600-plus partnership schools and organisations. These are in a mixture of large, small, urban and rural settings in south-east England, mostly in East and West Sussex.

When you start your course, you will complete a placement information form and we’ll use this information to match you to a suitable placement – we work hard to ensure your placement gives you valuable and varied experiences in the area of you’re interested in. We will consider your previous experience, travelling distance, the age ranges you wish to teach and your current needs.

Once we have matched you with a placement, the Partnership Office team will confirm with the school or organisation as quickly as possible and contact you with the details.

We will ensure you are well prepared before you start and you will have all the support and guidance needed to make the most of these placement opportunities.

Meet the course leader

Dr Gary Stidder, principal lecturer and route leader

Dr Gary Stidder has been the PGCE route leader for Physical Education since 2005.

Gary is a former secondary school physical education teacher and was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to the USA during 1990–1991. Gary completed his masters and PhD at the University of Brighton.

Gary is co-editor of The Really Useful Physical Education Book: Learning and Teaching Across the 7–14 and 11–16 Age Range books, and Equity and Inclusion in Physical Education and Sport. Gary is also the author of Becoming a Physical Education Teacher which was first published in 2015 by Routledge. In 2022, Gary published Teaching Physical Education: Contemporary Issues for Teachers, Educators and Students which addressed the impact of the Post 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics era on the teaching of physical education in schools and particularly the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Gary is the co-founder and deputy director of the University of Brighton’s pioneering Football 4 Peace International Project which has been operating since 2001.

In July 2008 Gary was presented with a national award from the Association for Physical Education (AfPE) for his contribution to research and scholarship in the field of physical education. In 2018 Gary was awarded the Honoured Members Award by the Association for Physical Education for making a difference at national and international level over a lengthy and sustained period of time to physical education. . 

Read Gary’s full profile.

Ofsted ‘outstanding’

Graded ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted for primary and secondary in our 2024 Initial Teacher Education inspection.

Ofsted commended us on many aspects of our courses, saying:

• Trainees shine at Brighton’s long-established and highly impressive teacher training programmes.
• The care and dedication shown by staff towards trainees is superb.
• Trainees are at the heart of everything. They are valued and expertly supported throughout the course.
• The curriculum skilfully equips trainees in safeguarding, behaviour management and supporting pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Trainees impress the placement settings they work in because of their professionalism and aptitude to apply what they have learned.

Sport at Brighton

Sport Brighton

Sport Brighton brings together our sport and recreation services. As a Brighton student you’ll have use of sport and fitness facilities across all our campuses and there are opportunities to play for fun, fitness or take part in serious competition. 

Find out about Sport Brighton.

Sports scholarships

Our sports scholarship scheme is designed to help students develop their full sporting potential to train and compete at the highest level. We offer scholarships for elite athletes, elite disabled athletes and talented sports performers.

Find out about sport scholarships.

Brighton Cricket Academy

Develop your cricketing skills in the UK’s largest indoor cricket facility alongside studying for a degree. Whether you can already play or you’re new to the game offers the opportunity to train with top coaches in our world-class training environment. 

Find out about the Brighton Cricket Academy.

Facilities

You will have access to excellent sport and fitness facilities on site, including:

• dance and spin studios
• five outdoor grass football pitches
• floodlit full-size synthetic turf pitch
• floodlit non-slip netball and tennis courts
• indoor swimming pool
• large fitness suite
• outdoor grass rugby pitch
• sports hall with netball, volleyball, basketball and badminton courts and cricket nets
• strength and conditioning suite
• tennis and badminton courts.

You will also have access to our curriculum centre which contains more than 30,000 specialist resources for trainee teachers including books, games and an online catalogue.

School Connect PGCE and School Direct Salaried

School Connect PGCE and School Direct Salaried are alternative routes to gaining Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). The University of Brighton works with a number of schools to deliver this programme across a range of secondary subjects as well as in the primary phase. 

To train as a teacher through the School Connect PGCE or the School Direct Salaried programme you need to apply directly to a school for a training place. Schools advertise their vacancies on the Department for Education’s ‘Find Postgraduate training courses’ website. 

Find out more about School Connect PGCE and School Direct Salaried.

Course fees

As a postgraduate trainee teacher there is a range of funding available which you could be eligible to receive while you are studying:

• Tax-free bursaries and scholarships – these depend on the subject you are training to teach and your highest relevant academic award. 

On our website you will find information about other funding, including:

• the student finance package from Student Finance England – tuition fee loans and maintenance loans
• Parents’ Learning Allowance
• Childcare Grant
• Care leavers’ bursary
• Disabled Students’ Allowance.

If you are not a UK citizen, you are unlikely to get help funding your training unless you have permission to live permanently in the UK.

The fees listed here are for the first year of full-time study if you start your course in the academic year 2025–26.

You will pay fees for each year of your course. Some fees may increase each year.

UK undergraduate and some postgraduate fees are regulated by the UK government and increases will not be more than the maximum amount allowed. Course fees that are not regulated may increase each year by up to 5% or RPI (whichever is higher).

If you are studying part-time your fee will usually be calculated based on the number of modules that you take.

Find out more

• Fees, bursaries, scholarships and government funding info for UK and international postgraduate students
• Student finance and budgeting while studying
• About the university’s fees by checking our student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

Campus where this course is taught

Accommodation

Local area

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Support and wellbeing

Sport at Brighton