BA (Hons) Physical Education (Secondary QTS) Degree

Overview

Qualify as a teacher ready to teach PE in secondary schools

Become a qualified PE teacher

Our BA (Hons) Physical Education (Secondary QTS) course provides the practical, professional and academic skills that are needed to prepare you to become a secondary school PE teacher, as you gain recommendation of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), which enables you to teach in schools in England and Wales.

You will graduate with the all-round experience and knowledge to teach the National Curriculum for Physical Education (NCPE) and have the skills to meet the Department for Education’s Teachers’ Standards in relation to Key Stage 3,4 and 5 (11-18 years).

Outstanding Ofsted provider

The University of Chichester is proud to have received a rating of Outstanding from Ofsted at its inspection this year.

The Ofsted report recognised that “trainees leave very well-placed to continue on their journey towards being aspirational, inspirational and motivational teachers.”

“…trainees flourish at the University of Chichester and develop into skilled and knowledgeable global citizens.”

“University and school staff support trainees to thrive through their highly effective ‘team around the trainee’ approach.”

“Trainees value the nurturing family ethos at Chichester, with one trainee commenting, ‘they are there to catch you when you fall, but they are also there to stop you falling in the first place’.”

Ofsted Report 2023

Develop your pedagogical knowledge

You will develop an understanding of the pedagogical practice to physically educate young people in a range of learning environments.

The course will build on your existing knowledge of sport activity and provide the opportunity to develop a sound academic foundation on which you will build your teaching skills.

Gain vital experience on placement to three different schools

You can develop your skills within three different real-world school settings, as you gain vital experience ahead of your teaching career and a greater insight into the different types of schools that you may wish to teach in once you qualify.

Each placement is assessed against the professional teaching standards, which will lead to qualified teacher status (QTS) and are all integral to you becoming an early career teacher (ECT).

Physical Education

Learn the practical, professional and academic skills required to inspire others to be physically active. There are 4 different route-ways to help you achieve your dream career of becoming a PE teacher in primary or secondary or a sports coach.

Engage in research-led learning

Throughout this course, you will study modules that use the latest research to inform your teaching practice, including aspects relating to schools’ impact on mental and physical health of its pupils.

Proud history of teacher training

The University of Chichester has been training teachers for over 180 years and we look to train employable professionals who can teach and make a difference.

Learn from expert and experienced staff

Our team of qualified physical education specialists and sports coaches are here to support you throughout your degree and get to know how best to help your reach your full potential.

On this course you will:

Gain a thorough understanding of the pedagogy, psychology, sociology and physiology of secondary physical education.
Spend 25 weeks on placement in a secondary school.
Learn from experienced professionals who will look to support you throughout your degree.
Gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), allowing you to teach in England and Wales.

The Course

Experience and develop the core skills needed to teach physical education

Our Physical Education courses have been specifically designed to give you choices and options that allow you to tailor your course to your own interests, so you will graduate with a degree that is individual to you.

Our BA (Hons) Physical Education (Secondary QTS) course provides you with the skills and knowledge to be an effective leader within a secondary-level environment.

Indicative modules

You will study a selection of core and optional modules during your degree. Each module is worth a particular number of credits and is delivered differently depending on the needs of the module.

Modules

This list is indicative and subject to change.

Teaching and Assessment

Innovative teaching methods that develop your full potential as a future teacher

We want you to be creative and innovative teachers, so we teach you in creative and innovative ways.

Teaching

Our ‘learn through doing’ philosophy is central to the course, and our expert staff will engage you with a variety of dynamic and interactive approaches that encourage strong theory-to-practice links.

You will experience a variety of teaching methods across the modules including lectures, group work, seminars, practical workshops and laboratory sessions.

In addition, there is individual directed work leading to research and enquiry.

Assessment

You will be assessed through a variety of methods including:

Your ability to plan, track and evaluate outcomes for pupils
Group presentations
Research projects
Lab work
Analysis of practical sports performance.

Experience

Discover classroom resources and world-class sporting facilities to support your learning

Broaden your horizons with residential experiences

Our BA (Hons) Physical Education (Secondary Years with QTS) course offers the opportunity to partake in residential experiences to increase your knowledge and understanding of outdoor and adventurous activities and to also begin to learn how to plan and run residentials.

Bishop Otter campus

Click to watch our virtual tour of our historic Bishop Otter campus in the heart of Chichester.

Sports facilities

Professor Mike Lauder guides you through our world-class facilities on our historic Bishop Otter campus.

Classroom resources

Discover over 20,000 classroom resources available to use on your placements and to support your academic learning.

FA Women’s High-Performance Football Centre

We are proud to have been designated as a women’s high performance football centre by the Football Association (FA).

Placement partners

We have developed strong connections with our partners to provide you with work placement opportunities.

Close community

Our commitment to a friendly and close-knit student community contributes to a high degree of success for our graduates.

Tudor Hale Centre for Sport

Our world-class Tudor Hale Centre for Sport acts as the focus for sports science, therapy and physiology.

Sports Hall

Our specialist sports hall can be used for a wide range of indoor sports, including basketball, netball, badminton and volleyball.

Specialist outdoor sports pitches

Alongside our grass football and rugby pitches, we also have our International Hockey Federation compliant floodlit astro turf.

Expert staff

Learn from experienced physical education and sports coaching specialists here to support you throughout your degree.

Learning Resource Centre

The Learning Resource Centre (LRC) contains the library, a café, IT/teaching rooms and the Support and Information Zone (SIZ).

Library

Our campus library holds more than 200,000 books and over 500,000 eBooks.

Subject-specific librarians

If you have difficulty finding material for an essay, seminar or project, subject librarians will be happy to provide assistance.

Fitness Suite

We offer a variety of cardio, resistance and weight equipment, with a dedicated strength and conditioning room.

Sports Dome

The Sports Dome is a large indoor facility which can be used for sports such as cricket, football, hockey and many more.

Sports injury clinic

Sports Therapy students use our specialist injury clinics these spaces for practical sessions and run a practice.

Work Placements

Gain vital workplace experience within secondary school environments

School experience in a partnership school forms an important element of the course. As such, you will spend time in schools in your second, third and final year, as you teach whilst under supervision.

You will be fully prepared for your placements and will be supported by both the University and a school-based mentor throughout your training.

You will receive substantial teaching experience in schools in the following pattern:

Year One – 1 week in a primary school
Year Two – 12 weeks in a secondary school
Year Three – 12 weeks in a secondary school

You will be asked to complete a school experience information form when you start your course.

The school partnership office will use this information to match you to a suitable placement. We will consider your previous experience, travelling distance and your current needs.

Broaden your horizons

These placements will usually provide distinctive opportunities to develop your professional and teaching skills.

In particular, efforts will be made to place you in schools with different organisational characteristics and in contrasting socio-economic catchment areas.

Study Abroad

Explore the opportunity to study part of your course abroad

As a student at the University of Chichester, you can explore opportunities to study abroad during your studies to enrich your educational experiences.

It’s a chance to broaden your horizons, a great opportunity to meet new people, undertake further travelling and immerse yourself in a new culture.

You will be fully supported throughout the process to help find the right destination and institution for you and your course. We can take you through everything that you will need to consider, from visas to financial support, to ensure you get the best out of your time studying abroad.

Careers

Open up your future career options

Our BA (Hons) Physical Education (Secondary QTS) course leads to the recommendation of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) enabling you to teach in schools in England and Wales.

Unlike other courses that only cater for teaching ages 11-16, our course gives you quality time in schools and gives you the experience and skills to meet the Department for Education’s Teachers’ Standards in relation to Key Stage 3, 4 and 5 (11-18 years).

After successful completion of this course, you have the option to further your studies with a postgraduate degree.

University of Chichester alumni who have completed a full undergraduate degree at the University will receive a 15% discount on their postgraduate fees.

Gifted Athlete Support Programme

Supporting athletes with their studies and sporting ambitions

The University’s Gifted Athlete Support Programme (GASP) helps students combine academic study with sport by offering support to compete at the highest level.

Our student athletes will have access to our experts in sport coaching, exercise physiology, biomechanics, strength and conditioning, performance analysis, sport nutrition, sport psychology, sport therapy or physiotherapy and receive:

Financial support*
Fitness Suite at the Tudor Hale Centre for Sport
Administrative support from SU Sport
GASP-branded kit.

*Level of financial support dependent upon level of achievement in sport.

Gifted Athlete Support Programme (GASP)

Learn more about our Gifted Athlete Support Programme, our past graduates and how you can apply.

Course Costs

Course Fees 2027/28

UK fee

£10,050

International fee

£17,354

EU/EEA Fee Reduction Scholarship

EU/EEA students automatically pay the equivalent of UK fees via the EU/EEA Fee Reduction Scholarship

For further details about fees, please see our Tuition Fees page.

For further details about international scholarships, please see our Scholarships page.

To find out about any additional costs on this course, please see our Additional Costs page.

Course-specific costs

You will be required to have a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check costing £52, which needs to be paid for before the start of the course.

Entry Requirements

UCAS

104

tariff points from A levels or a combination with Extended Project / BTEC / Cambridge Technical.

A Levels

BCC

BTEC/Cambridge Technical

DMM

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

GCSEs

C/4

or better in both English Language or Literature, and Maths.

IELTS

7.0

including 7.0 in academic writing with other components no less than 6.5 – or equivalent qualification.

Contextual offers

We believe everyone deserves an equal opportunity to pursue higher education, regardless of their background.

When we receive your application, we consider your personal circumstances and the factors surrounding your achievements to see if you are eligible for a contextual offer. This is an offer with a reduced entry tariff – typically the equivalent of 16 fewer UCAS points (two A-level grades).

Applicants who are predicted to achieve two or more (A-level) grades better than the published typical offer will normally be made the typical offer, rather than a reduced offer. For example, where the predicted grades are BBB, and the published typical offer is BCC, a BCC offer would be made.

Find out more about our contextual offers.

Interview and DBS

Secondary Teacher training applicants are required to have an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check, which needs to be paid for before the start of the course.

This course requires you to attend an interview as part of the application process.

This gives our staff a chance to meet you, as well as giving you the opportunity for a campus tour and ask any questions you might have.

The interviews are designed to explore your practical suitability and personal drive to study the course.

The interview will also start to build the personalised and individual relationship that the Institute has with all of its students.

You will also be asked to complete an audit for mathematics and English

Costs incurred during School Experience

Over the duration of your course you will spend 25 weeks on placement.

These school experiences are organised in our partnership schools which extend across East and West Sussex, Hampshire and Isle of Wight and into Surrey.

Travel to placements, which can be by car or public transport, varies but your commute will not usually exceed an hour from your term time address to the placement school (assuming your term time address is within our partnership area).

Whilst on school experience, appropriate professional dress will be required.

Students may wish to purchase a laptop/tablet to use whilst on school experience as schools are not required to provide these.

BA (Hons) Physical Education (Secondary QTS)

Graduate qualified to work as a secondary school PE teacher