Teacher - Secondary School - Physical Education
Inspire and motivate young people to learn about sport, fitness and health. Physical education teachers help learners build the knowledge and skills needed for sporting success.
Also known as: pe teacher
About the job
Salary
Source: National Careers Service
Weekly
£577
Entry level
£904
Experienced
Monthly
£2,500
Entry level
£3,917
Experienced
Yearly
£30,000
Entry level
£47,000
Experienced
29,300
people are currently employed
High growth
300 more jobs in 5 years
These figures refer to this job and similar ones with comparable skills and qualifications. They only apply to Scotland. Source: Oxford Economics
A day in the life – PE teacher
What it's like
You’d inspire and motivate young people to study and learn about sport, fitness and health. You’d help them get the knowledge, skills and attributes they’ll need for a successful and positive life when they leave school.
You would teach young people from 11 to 18 years old, in state and independent schools. You might also work in a college or learning centre.
You would specialise in physical education (PE). You’d teach students of different ages and abilities and prepare young people to take the National Qualifications and Highers in this subject.
There’s national guidance for Curriculum for Excellence and National Qualifications, which you would use when planning your teaching.
As a PE teacher you’d have a key role in encouraging pupils to take responsibility for their health and wellbeing, and helping them understand why and how to keep themselves fit and healthy.
You’d teach different sports and physical activities and might coach school teams for competitions. You’d make sure that the pupils exercise safely and understand how the human body works.
You would:
prepare lessons and teaching materials
assess students’ progress and mark their work
set homework
manage behaviour in the classroom, the sports field and gym hall
discuss students' progress with parents and carers
organise sports events and matches with other schools and colleges
You’d encourage the students to take pride in their achievements inside and outside school. You’d support them to build good relationships with other students and teachers and play a positive part in the life of the school and the local community.
Sometimes you will need to deal with challenging behaviour. It may be difficult to get some teenagers to take part in activities so you’d need to be imaginative and enthusiastic to keep them interested.
You’d need to attend meetings and training courses. You’d work closely with colleagues to plan the school’s timetables, and work with other professionals, such as education psychologists and social workers.
Hours
Environment
Travel
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Here are some of the skills you'll need to do this job:
- motivating others
- mentoring
- coaching
- ethical
- social conscience
- respecting
- empathising
- written communication
- verbal communication
- supporting
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore the sections shown for more information about getting into this career.
You might have qualifications which are not shown here but will allow you access to a course. You can compare your qualifications by looking at their SCQF Level. For more information about this, check out the SCQF website.
Always contact the college, university or training provider to check exactly what you'll need.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Care
Childcare and Development
English and Communication
PE (Physical education)
Skills for Work: Sport and Recreation
You'll need:
a degree in a sports subject (SCQF level 9/10) plus a PGDE - Professional Graduate Diploma in Education - in Physical Education (SCQF level 11)
or an MA with Honours in Physical Education with Qualified Teaching Status (SCQF level 10)
or a BSc with Honours in Professional Education (Secondary), Sports Studies and Physical Education.
Entry to a sports degree with teacher training can be very competitive. You'll need four Highers, including English, at B or above. Some universities may ask for Highers at AAAB in one sitting.
To enter a PGDE requires a sports related degree, Higher English and National 5 maths. Your degree should include at least 80 SCQF credit points in a sports-related subject.
Qualifications and experience that show the ability to work with children or young people, communication skills and sports skills, such as a Sports Leaders UK Award.
To be approved for membership of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme run by Disclosure Scotland
You'll need to show competency for traditional sports plus games, dance, gymnastics and swimming. Most universities look for applicants with experience coaching or mentoring children in a sports or outdoor activity role.
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