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2024/25
2025/26

PGCE Secondary Physical Education

  • Year of entry
    2025/26
  • Course duration
    Full Time: 10 months
  • Year of entry
    2025/26
  • Course duration
    Full Time: 10 months

Benefit from evidence-based teaching, extensive sports resources, and consistently high employment rates on our PGCE Secondary Physical Education course. 

You’ll develop the skills to teach a subject that has a positive impact on pupils' personal, social, emotional, cognitive and physical development.

How you’ll learn  

You’ll be taught by staff who have national and international reputations as experts in the field of physical education. These staff are supported by expert practitioners from local schools. 

During the course, you will study a variety of teaching strategies, hear different opinions, and be taught by a collaborative network of teachers. You’ll have the freedom to choose which methods suit you, and to develop an understanding of your own personal teaching philosophy. 

Throughout your course, you will: 

  • attend interactive workshop sessions and individual tutorials  
  • learn about National Governing Body qualifications 
  • attend presentations by subject experts 
  • work on tasks in groups 
  • visit schools or other education settings
  • write assignments on aspects of subject teaching and professional studies. 

Alongside the University tutors, you’ll receive guidance from a team of committed and experienced University-trained school mentors. 

QTS status

This Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) Secondary Physical Education course leads to the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), qualifying you to teach the 11-18 age group in secondary schools in England and Wales. 

Your learning environment   

Our PGCE physical education course offers opportunities to learn outside the classroom. Practical micro-teaching sessions enable you to practice PE education, work on class pedagogy and organisation, and develop your subject knowledge. 

Our excellent teaching facilities, including a sports hall and gymnasium with extensive resources and equipment, will provide the setting for your practical teaching.

Partnership with schools 

This course is designed in collaboration with our strong school partnership, ensuring that it meets both your needs as a learner and the needs of the children you teach. At secondary level, we have relationships with around 90 schools in the local and surrounding area. It is a testament to the strength of these partnerships and the reputation of our graduates, that most schools in Berkshire employ at least one graduate from the University of Reading.

Placements 

Placements enable you to develop the skills and knowledge valued by employers. You'll build your confidence in the classroom and gain practical teaching experience. 

Placements also provide you with the opportunity to connect with potential employers and build your professional network. 

On this secondary PGCE course, you are required to carry out three placements in two age groups – ensuring that you receive a broad range of experiences. Two placements must be undertaken in a school setting, but the third can be taken in a different setting – allowing you to sample teaching in an alternative environment. 

In your school placement, you will: 

  • gain experience in the range of responsibilities of the classroom teacher 
  • observe other teachers 
  • plan the teaching of small groups and whole classes 
  • plan and teach elements of lessons and whole lessons 
  • reflect on and evaluate your teaching
  • receive feedback on your teaching. 

We offer a flexible and broad range of educational environments. You'll have the opportunity to gain experience in: 

  • special needs schools 
  • Pupil Referral Units 
  • independent schools 
  • museums
  • charities. 

Climate and sustainability education

At the University of Reading, we believe that climate and sustainability education is everyone's responsibility. You will be given access to training that enables you to incorporate climate education into your teaching, as part of our National Climate Education Action Plan. 

You will learn about: 

  • what is happening to our climate, how to help children learn about climate and sustainability in an age-appropriate and accessible way, and how to develop your own positioning as a teacher 
  • climate justice, the impact of current and future changes to our environment and climate on ourselves and others, and the implications for teachers
  • how to translate knowledge and theory into change and personal action through building climate and sustainability education into your planning, teaching and children's learning. 

Visit our Partnering for the Planet site to find out more about the University of Reading’s world-leading work in climate science. 

Research 

98% of our research is of international standing (Research Excellence Framework 2021, combining 4*, 3* and 2* submissions – Education). 

For more information, please visit the Institute of Education website. 

New UK/Republic of Ireland students: £9,535 for 2025/26

New international students: £25,850 for 2025/26

Tuition fees

To find out more about how the University of Reading sets its tuition fees, see our fees and funding pages.

Additional costs

Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.

Financial support for your studies

You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.

The Department for Education (DfE) also offer a range of scholarships and bursaries. To find out if you may be eligible, visit their bursaries and scholarships webpage.

The majority of our graduates go into schools and inspire children to develop into happy, confident and well-informed individuals. Other alumni take their educational skills to the worlds of business, culture, art, healthcare, human resources, adult learning. 

The support and training we give our students enables them to develop into resilient and creative teachers with the ability to adapt. The transferable skills and strengths they gain are also recognised outside of education, and are therefore desirable in many different areas of employment. 

The placement opportunities and careers support we give our students ensure they are attractive to employers. This is demonstrated by the consistently high employment rates our students enjoy in local and regional schools.