Secondary Education Physical Education PGCE

Course overview

We offer our students an exceptional training experience – if you’re looking for a lifelong, challenging and exciting career, teaching may be for you.

The physical education subject knowledge programme aims to support and develop you to become confident and competent educators. As a part of our distinctive and ambitious curriculum you will understand and apply your knowledge of:

• Physical Literacy

• Meaningful PE

• Models Based Practice

• Inclusion and Social Justice

You’ll gain the knowledge and understanding necessary to reflect on your practice in order to refine and improve your teaching and pupils learning. You will develop your physical education subject knowledge through specialist sessions which will explore contemporary theory and how this is realised in pedagogy and practice.

Promoting engagement in physical activity and fostering curiosity and interest in learning is at the heart of the programme and we will focus on teaching methods which allow you to explore physical education in a meaningful and engaging environment.

Your subject knowledge programme, based at Oxstalls campus in specialist facilities, is progressive and complements your work and development in schools over the course of the year. You’ll develop your knowledge to become both an effective and reflective physical education teacher.

You’ll gain skills to plan and teach your subject effectively, helping all pupils to unlock their potential. You will be part of a select cohort of trainee teachers with access to mentoring and support throughout the course of the year and beyond into your ECT years and teaching career.

We will provide many opportunities to observe excellent practice working alongside teachers and pupils in a range of school settings. In addition to the focus at Key Stages 3 and 4, you’ll gain an insight into KS2 transition and KS5 teaching.

Our experienced and world leading team of academics will help nurture you as an innovative and resilient teacher, able to make a difference to pupils lives and transform the future of physical education.

You’ll be supported by a range of experienced professionals, both during school placements and by academic staff at the university. The programme aims to help you become an engaging and effective teacher within the 11–16 age range, and provides the input and opportunities that could enable you to teach post-16. Successfully completing this PGCE course will enable you to teach at Secondary age, as well as Primary and A Level.

We were founded as a teaching college 175 years ago, and following the introduction of new quality requirements, our Initial Teacher Training (ITT) courses leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), have successfully achieved reaccreditation in 2022 by the Department of Education.

Our ITT courses have also recently been rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted, with inspectors highlighting their ‘unique’ emphasis on sustainability and the University’s strong partnership with schools.

A brand-new campus

It’s planned that this course will be taught at UoG’s new campus in Gloucester city centre from September 2025.

The vibrant campus will be at the heart of the regeneration of Gloucester city centre. It will bring an iconic building back to life as a modern centre for teaching, learning and community partnerships, through placements, research and outreach activity, and provide cutting-edge facilities for your course.

Study style

During the Developing Phase of the curriculum, trainees will attend centre-based lectures and be introduced to Curriculum Key Themes;

• Behaviour Management and High Expectations

• Subject Knowledge and Curriculum Design

• Adaptive Practice and Inclusion

• Children’s Learning, Classroom Practice

• Assessment

• Professional and Ethical Practice.

During School Experience 1, trainees will be immersed in Adaptive Practice and Inclusion in a special school setting. During School Experience 2, trainees will start to apply their knowledge from the centre-based taught programme. During school-based training, trainees will revisit specific Curriculum Key Themes and attend centre-based training once a week.

During the Broadening Phase, trainees will build upon and extend the knowledge, skills and experience from School Experience 1 and 2 and the centre-based taught programme.

During the Broadening Phase, trainees will be expected to revisit and broaden their knowledge and practice of the 5 curriculum areas and Curriculum Key Themes introduced at the Developing Phase, and will engage with new Curriculum Key Themes, such as:

• Curriculum Design

• Subject Knowledge

• Sustainability

• Employability

• Research Informed Practice

During this phase of the curriculum, trainees will be supported to take on wider responsibilities as a part of the role of a trainee teacher and have opportunities to discuss, analyse and observe expert colleagues to support their progression through the Broadening Phase. Trainees will broaden their knowledge and experience of the primary phase, decolonising the curriculum, sustainability for education and other contemporary issues in education.

During the Enhancing Phase, trainees will enhance and extend the knowledge, skills and experience gained during School Experience 2 and the centre-based taught programme. During the Enhancing Phase, trainees will be expected to revisit and extend their knowledge and practice of the 5 curriculum areas:

• Behaviour Management

• Pedagogy

• Curriculum

• Assessment

• Professional Behaviours

During this phase trainees will plan and deliver an enhancement project such as ‘Primary Sustainability Project’ which will promote a love of learning and intellectual curiosity. Trainees will enhance their knowledge across the curriculum and demonstrate their ability to be:

• Graduate Ambassadors of Education

• Leaders of Learning

• Outstanding Teachers

• Subject Experts

At the end of the secondary programme, our highly employable trainees will be able to further enhance their professional development and draw upon their essential ECT Toolkit gained during the course.

Course modules

You're viewing course modules for the Full Time (1 years) ages 11 - 16 course option.Level 7 (Postgraduate)

All students must complete these modules:

Professional Development Evidence File (PDE) (PGS6003)

The module aims to: * Provide evidence of the progress of trainees and pupil progress against the Teachers Standards in their teaching, related tasks and other professional activity. * Provide reflective evidence of their developmental targets and final attainment against the Teachers' Standards for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

*Provide targets for professional development for the first year of teaching through the completion of the Career Entry Development Profile (CEDP). Learning and Teaching Activities
001: 100% Portfolio: Individual: UNKNOWN

School Experience One (PGS6004)

The module aims to develop trainees’ understanding of different groups of learners, pupil progress and learning. Trainees will develop their knowledge and understanding and practical teaching skills with a particular focus on Teachers Standards 1, 2, 5 and 6. Drawing from their learning in other PGS modules trainees will undertake a 17 day placement in a diverse range of partnership schools/settings where they will be expected to undertake planned teaching activities with targeted groups of pupils for one day a week. Learning and Teaching Activities
001: 100% Assignment: Individual: Practical School Experience

School Experience Two (PGS6005)

The module aims to develop and extend the trainees’ teaching skills following a school induction period; drawing from their learning in other PGS modules trainees will undertake a 40 day placement in a partnership school/setting where they will be expected to undertake planned teaching activities with groups and whole classes for approximately 9 - 11hrs of the teaching week. Learning and Teaching Activities
001: 100% Practical Assessment: Individual: School Expereience Two

School Experience Three (PGS6006)

The module aims to build on and enhance the trainees’ professional knowledge, understanding and teaching skills developed in PGS6005 and from their learning in other PGS modules. It will provide opportunities for trainees to develop their teaching skills to 'good' or 'outstanding' level.

The Standards Tracker will be used to set clear targets at the outset of the placement and training will be highly personalised to provide the necessary challenge to move trainees on with their teaching. Trainees will undertake a 75 day placement in a partnership school/setting.

In the Spring term they will be expected to undertake planned teaching for approximately 11-13 hours of the teaching week moving to 13-15 hours in the Summer term. Learning and Teaching Activities
001: 100% Practical Assessment: Individual: School Experience Three

Teaching, Learning and Pedagogical Theory in the Secondary Curriculum (PGS7000)

During this module trainees will draw upon the knowledge they have gained from the professional studies lectures, subject knowledge lectures, school experience 1 placement and school experience 2 placement to inform their understanding of how children learn and the role of the teacher.

This module been designed to support trainee development in the 5 core areas outlined in ITT core framework, those being behaviour management, pedagogy, curriculum, assessment and professional behaviours. Trainees will also gain a good understanding of the specific expectations of good practice as expressed by the Teachers’ Standards for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

Learning and Teaching Activities
001: 100% Presentation: Individual: 20 minutes

School Research Enquiry (PGS7002)

The module provides a student with the opportunity to undertake an independent practice-based enquiry, which addresses the teaching and learning needs of the individual and of their school.

The programme includes university based lectures and seminars, subject training sessions and school-based seminars, tutorials. Enquiry into practice will be undertaken at the trainee’s school experience 1 or school experience 3 school and located within a student’s subject specialism. Scheduled Contact Hours: 50
Independent Learning Hours: 50
Scheduled Hours on Placement: 200
Assessment
001: 100% Presentation: Individual: 20 mins