BA (Hons) Physical Education (Secondary QTS)

Active Schools

Explore the issues surrounding Physical Education and its role in the health and activity agenda. Consideration of personal and social barriers and facilitators within and outside the school environment will also be given.

Developing Professional and Academic Skills

This module aims to help you make the transition between UK qualifications levels three and four (Year One at university) by improving intellectual and academic skills, which will support you throughout your programme. As part of the developing professional skills you will focus on issues surrounding employability and developing graduate employability skills.

Foundations of Movement and Principles of Games

Explore the teaching of games with a developmental focus as you learn to break down simple skills into key components to help children learn and understand.

Fundamental Movement Skills and Child Development

This module aims to develop your knowledge of fundamental movement skills (FMS) and child maturation. Emphasis will be placed on how Physical Education teachers and sport coaches facilitate developmentally appropriate pedagogy.

Knowledge and Understanding of Individual Activities (Aesthetics)

This module aims to analyse in detail movement related to gymnastics and dance.

You will explore gymnastics in its broadest sense within elements identified as Formal, Educational, Sporting and Rhythmic.

You will use the application of biomechanical principles, including Laban technique as you explore the evaluation of gymnastic and dance performance.

Principles of Play Through Invasion Games

You will participate in a range of practical sessions that will examine attacking and defensive principles of play, as you analyse the technical and tactical aspects of performance within their application within invasion games.

Professional Issues in Teaching and Coaching

This module aims to address contemporary topics relating to the professional issues surrounding teaching and coaching whilst exploring and debating current developments in both professions.

The Enquiring Practitioner

While learning the technical components involved in the teaching and coaching of specific skills, you will also be introduced to fundamental biomechanical principles which impact performance.

The module will apply research and enquiry to real-life lived experiences that are associated with your potential future career paths.

Pedagogical Skills in Track & Field Athletics and Swimming

This module aims to provide you with an opportunity to develop your knowledge, understanding, and personal performance of track and field athletics events and swimming strokes. You may have the opportunity to apply your knowledge and understanding of technical aspects, by planning and leading small group sessions.

Pedagogy for Activity

This module aims to further your understanding as to the ‘why’ surrounding physical activity through Physical Education. You will develop your knowledge and personal philosophy as to what you believe you want to deliver, how, and why, in accordance with school and Governmental policies.

Purposeful Practice for Games-Based Physical Education

You will participate in a range of practical sessions that will explore different types of practice and have the opportunity to design practices for developing technical, tactical, and/or physical aspects of games-based performance.

School Experience 1

This module aims to develop your understanding of schools, physical education and effective pedagogical practice.

This will be achieved through an eight-week block placement in a school. You will be supported by a school-based mentor, professional tutor and subject link tutor. You will be expected to observe pupils and teachers and collaborate to plan, teach, evaluate and assess physical education for groups of learners.

Striking and Fielding: Net and Wall Games

While learning the technical components involved in the teaching and coaching of specific skills, you will also be introduced to fundamental biomechanical principles which impact performance.

Understanding and Managing Individual Differences

Build on your understanding of effective teaching and coaching by understanding and applying principles of equality and inclusive practice.

The Enquiring Practitioner 2

This module seeks to develop your knowledge and understanding from the Enquiring Practitioner 1 and help prepare you for your final year dissertation. You will conceive of, plan and execute small-scale research.

The aim of this “dress rehearsal” is to develop your appreciation of the project management aspect of the research process.

Teaching Approaches and Behaviours in Invasion Games

You will have the opportunity to lead practical sessions with a focus on a particular teaching approach.

You will need to critically reflect on the different teaching approaches and how the pedagogical behaviours influence performance and learning within these approaches.

School Experience 2: Developing As A Teacher

Preparation for this school experience will begin in University through student participation in all elements of the taught course. You will engage in practical work-based learning experiences and complete directed tasks, supported by a University-trained Mentor and Link Tutor who will guide and assess student progress.

Classroom Pedagogy

This module will use a series of lectures and workshops to explore curricula employed in classroom teaching such as

• the National Curriculum
• GCSE PE
• BTEC Sport
• A-level PE

to consider how schemes of work and lesson plans are developed for delivery in school and college classrooms.

Active Schools: Mental Health and Wellbeing

The module aims to analyse the contribution of sport and physical activity to mental health and wellbeing. The influence of the role of teachers/coaches and pedagogical practice on the growing and developing brain will be examined.

Subject Matters in Physical Education

You will participate in a range of lectures and workshops that will discuss the priorities of Physical Education. This module should enable you to reflect on the subject issues experienced during your school experience in year two.

Pedagogy of Outdoor and Adventurous Activities

This module aims to provide you with an understanding of Outdoor and Adventurous Activities at KS3/KS4. Through theoretical, practical, and residential experiences the module seeks to provide you with an understanding of the activities that are implicit to the programme and an appreciation of the principles that underpin outdoor learning more generically. 

School Experience 3

You will complete whole-class teaching for Physical Education in a range of curriculum areas, on this twelve-week placement. You will work alongside the teacher on the weekly planning for all aspects of the curriculum. It is assumed that, by the end of this placement, you will be regularly planning for and teaching the whole class and will pass the QTS standards.

Dissertation Project

This module is the culmination of previous learning and is the major element of your independent enquiry on your programme.

The module requires that you reflect on, and utilise the knowledge base, context, and application of taught modules, as well as placement experiences.

It is designed to encourage you to generate and explore your own ‘problem’ assisted by supervision from a tutor.