Secondary Education (Physical Education) PGCE

Course Summary

The PGCE Secondary is the first phase of a career-long process of personal and professional development, which will equip you to become a secondary school teacher. The PGCE Secondary is a course in Initial Teacher Training which is accredited by the DfE, the successful completion of which will accord you Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Our course has recently been inspected by Ofsted which resulted in an “Outstanding” grading for all aspects of our provision.

Students who have successfully completed the PGCE at Durham in the previous academic year have the option to use 90 credits they have accredited towards a part time MA Education. These students only need to do the core modules, Education Enquiry and the Dissertation over 2 years, to complete the course. Subject pedagogy is explored in curriculum groups, examining techniques for making each subject accessible and stimulating in a classroom environment. Integrated into the Course are university sessions, school experiences and OAA activities. An undoubted strength of the Course is the excellent partnership that exists between the university and schools. The course has been devised by the University Tutor and Physical Education specialists in local schools to prepare you to teach Physical Education to the full secondary age and ability range.

Whilst in University you will follow a structured PE programme which will involve sessions reflecting good practice. Sessions, therefore, feature discussion, collaborative work, experiential learning, the examination and analysis of materials but especially the active participation of members of the group. There will be an obvious focus on all PE activity areas (games, gymnastic activities, dance, athletic activities, swimming and outdoor and adventurous activities) throughout the course.

The design of the PE course also takes into account the simultaneous delivery of the PI lectures programme. It therefore complements and reinforces the generic and subject specific principles, skills and techniques required of the competent teacher. Through critical reflection on current teaching practices, as well as your own teaching and research, you will be given the opportunity to develop into a more effective PE teacher, progressively improving the quality of your preparation and classroom practice, to become a physical educationalist for the future.

As part of your course, you will complete 3 Teaching placements (one of which you will arrange yourself) in a variety of local schools. This will comprise a minimum of 120 days to meet the minimum requirement for QTS.

Career Opportunities

Career opportunities in education are wide and include classroom teaching, educational leadership and management, administration and policy development.