BA (Hons) Physical Education (Secondary QTS)

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Chichester

Program Overview

The BA (Hons) Physical Education (Secondary QTS) is designed to prepare you to become a fully qualified secondary school physical education teacher (ages 11-18), with recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) on graduation. You will develop both the practical skills and pedagogical understanding needed to teach the national curriculum and support pupil development in physical activity, sport, and well-being.

Curriculum structure

Year One

In the first year you’ll begin building a foundation in teaching and physical education practice through modules such as “Foundations of Learning and Teaching”, where you start exploring learning theories and pedagogic practices, and “The Enquiring Practitioner”, which introduces biomechanical principles and research-informed practice. You’ll also take modules like “Knowledge and Understanding of Individual Activities (Aesthetics)” (gymnastics and dance) and “Principles of Play Through Invasion Games”, giving you practical experience in movement skills, performance and game-based play. Your first school-based experience begins with “School Experience 1”, focused on observation and early teaching tasks.

Year Two

In the second year you’ll deepen your subject knowledge and start designing lessons and understanding teaching approaches. You’ll study modules like “Classroom Pedagogy”, exploring curriculum design and lesson planning, and “Managing Individual Differences and Behaviours”, which focuses on inclusion, diversity and classroom management. The module “Teaching Approaches in Practice” lets you plan and deliver short teaching episodes and reflect on your methods. You also complete “School Experience 2: Developing as a Teacher”, where you take increasing responsibility for teaching with mentor support.

Final Year

In your final year, you’ll refine your teaching practice and lead whole-class teaching during an extended placement. Through “School Experience 3”, you undertake a 12-week placement where you take responsibility for full-class teaching, curriculum planning and assessment while meeting QTS standards. Alongside this, your Dissertation Project allows you to investigate an educational or physical-activity theme that supports your professional growth and evidence-informed teaching.

Focus areas

Teaching pedagogy; secondary PE curriculum (games, athletics, dance, gymnastics, OAA); inclusive and differentiated teaching practice; movement analysis and performance.

Learning outcomes

Graduates will be able to design and deliver effective PE lessons across Key Stages 3–5, apply evidence-based pedagogical principles, manage diverse classrooms, analyse and develop pupil performance, and demonstrate professional conduct aligned with teaching standards.

Professional alignment (accreditation)

This degree includes a recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), enabling graduates to teach PE in secondary schools across England and Wales.

Reputation (employability rankings)

The University of Chichester’s teacher-training provision has been rated “Outstanding” by Ofsted, recognising exceptional preparation of future teachers. The course has also achieved high student satisfaction, including a 95% positivity rating for teaching quality in the National Student Survey and a top-five ranking for academic support.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Students gain practical, hands-on experience through placements, specialist modules and sport-focused facilities. Here’s how the experiential learning at Chichester works for this programme:

Three major school placements, totalling around 32 weeks of real classroom experience across the four-year degree.
Progressive placement structure: a primary placement in Year 1, followed by longer and more advanced secondary-school placements in Years 2, 3 and 4.
Subject-specific practical modules, covering athletics, games, aquatic activities, dance, fitness, and outdoor & adventurous activities — all linked directly to the curriculum you’ll teach in schools.
Research-led learning, helping you apply educational research to real teaching situations and develop reflective teaching practice.

Facilities and On-Campus Resources

The Tudor Hale Centre for Sport, offering sport science labs, physiology facilities, a fitness suite and specialist teaching spaces.
Large indoor sports hall for activities such as basketball, volleyball and badminton.
High-quality outdoor sports grounds, including grass pitches and a floodlit astro turf certified for professional-standard hockey.
The Sports Dome, supporting flexible indoor and outdoor training throughout the year.
The Learning Resource Centre (LRC) with 200,000+ books, extensive e-resources, teaching rooms, and dedicated materials for trainee teachers.
Access to experienced PE specialists, coaches and mentors who guide your classroom performance and help you build professional confidence.

Why this programme stands out

Leads to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) upon graduation — qualifying you to teach PE in secondary schools.
The University of Chichester’s teacher-training provision is rated Outstanding, ensuring high-quality support and professional preparation.
Placement opportunities across a wide network of partner schools, giving you exposure to varied teaching environments.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates from this programme leave ready to teach in secondary schools (ages 11–18) with full recommendation for Teachers’ Standards and Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
Typical roles for graduates include:

Secondary school Physical Education Teacher (Key Stage 3/4/5)
Specialist sports / PE coordinator or department lead
Outdoor/adventure education leader or curriculum development roles
Sports coach or physical activity programme manager

Why this course works for you:

University support and training: The University of Chichester has been rated “Outstanding” for their teacher-training provision, and their “team around the trainee” approach means you’re supported in placements and development across partner schools.
Real-world placement experience: Over the course of your degree, you’ll complete approximately 32 weeks of placement in three different secondary schools, giving you hands-on teaching experience in varied settings, fully assessed against professional teaching standards.
Strong student satisfaction and support: Student satisfaction is very high — in the latest national student survey, there’s a 95% positivity rate for teaching on the course, and excellent feedback on academic support and learning opportunities.
Employment outcomes: According to national graduate-outcome data for teacher training graduates at the University of Chichester, 100% of the recent course applicants were working or studying 15 months after the course, with the majority in highly skilled work roles and around 75% in teaching professional roles.
Reputation & accreditation value: You qualify with QTS on graduation, giving you the official qualification to teach in schools in England and Wales under the national standards. The strong inspection underlines that you’re trained in a robust, respected teacher-training environment.

Further Academic Progression:
After you complete the BA (Hons) Physical Education (Secondary QTS), you have several strong paths to deepen your expertise or career options:

You could move on to postgraduate study with programmes like the MA Sport Pedagogy and Physical Education, MSc Sports Coaching, MSc Applied Sport and Exercise Nutrition, or related master’s degrees at the same university or elsewhere.
If you decide to specialise or move into leadership/management in schools, you could pursue postgraduate qualifications or leadership training in education, school sports leadership, or educational management.