The course is delivered by a consortium of over forty local secondary schools covering ten local authorities in the North East of England. We work with schools as far north as Alnwick in Northumberland and as far south as Nunthorpe in Middlesbrough. John Spence Community High School, a Specialist Sports College in North Tyneside, is the host school. The North East Partnership SCITT works closely with North Tyneside SCITT and adheres to their curriculum approaches. As the accredited provider, North Tyneside SCITT award Qualified Teacher Status to North East Partnership SCITT trainees. The PGCE programme is validated by Northumbria University and therefore North East Partnership SCITT also adheres to the University’s academic regulations.

The course is full-time and lasts for forty weeks from September to July; in addition there are some compulsory sessions during the last two weeks of August, prior to the start of the course. The course is structured to ensure that all trainees develop the necessary skills, knowledge and understanding required to teach the range of activities outlined in the Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 national curriculum for physical education and to teach examination physical education at Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5. Trainees are encouraged to experiment with a variety of pedagogical approaches and strategies and to reflect upon their practice in order to achieve high professional standards and develop into outstanding trainee teachers. All aspects of the curriculum are underpinned by evidence based research and best practice.

Trainees spend the majority of the year working in two contrasting placement schools. They also visit two other schools to gain experience of working with children who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and English as an additional language (EAL). Trainees also gain experience of working in a primary setting and are provided with opportunities to teach a second subject. In addition, they visit a number of good and outstanding physical education departments to receive subject-specific training prior to placements. On average, trainees spend time in ten different schools over the course of the year –  something we believe makes us unique.

Placement performance is assessed against trainees’ mastery of the ITT curriculum and the Teachers’ Standards for the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Two academic assignments and an action research project provide further evidence of suitability to enter the teaching profession. Two of the three modules are assessed at Masters level and if successfully completed count as sixty credits towards a Masters qualification and the award of a PGCE. Successful trainees exit the course with QTS (awarded by North Tyneside SCITT) plus a PGCE from Northumbria University.

For 2025/26 we will offer 30 secondary physical education places.

• North East Partnership SCITT – Physical Education – Provider Code N73 Course code 2LFK

The programme is made up of four inter-related modules.

Professional Placements in Education Settings

All trainees gain teaching experience in two contrasting placement schools in the North East of England. Initial placement starts during the autumn term with a number of days in school first, followed by an observation and planning period then a six-week block between November and December. The second placement starts in January, following a similar pattern, with a twelve-week block between February and June. Trainees progress from observation to collaboration to independence. They also progress from a 60 percent timetable to an 80 percent timetable by the end of their second placement. By the end of the two placements all trainees will have had teaching experience in all areas of the national curriculum, all secondary key stages and in both core and examination physical education. They will also have had some experience of teaching a second subject and some experience as a form tutor. They will develop into reflective, creative and highly effective practitioners who meet the Teachers’ Standards to a high level for a trainee teacher. This module is formally assessed on a pass/fail basis against trainees’ mastery of the ITT curriculum and the Teachers’ Standards.

Curriculum Studies

In this module, trainees begin to develop their subject-specific knowledge. They gain practical and theoretical experience relating to all six areas of activity outlined in the physical education national curriculum and of examination courses at Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5. They learn about the importance of ICT to enhance learning in physical education and how literacy and numeracy can be incorporated into physical education lessons to support whole school priorities. They also learn about the national curriculum for physical education, the current landscape for physical education, a range of pedagogical theories to support their classroom practice, planning lessons and writing units of work, how children learn, producing creative resources, adaptive practice, monitoring and measuring progress, and how to work safely. The sessions that make up this module are delivered by outstanding, expert practitioners from partnership schools. Assessment of this module is by an extended written assignment.

Critical Professional Studies

In this module trainees begin to develop their knowledge of education. The module consists of a structured programme of conference days, focusing on a range of topics that are at the forefront of education policy and practice. These include: safeguarding and child protection; pastoral care; working with parents; effective behaviour management; outstanding teaching and learning; assessment; inclusion; making learning stick; literacy and numeracy across the curriculum; equality and diversity; character education. Time is also allocated to preparing for employment. The sessions are delivered by highly skilled and experienced professionals who are experts in their field. All conference days are underpinned by recent and relevant evidence based research. These professionals engage trainees in critical and analytical debates about learning and pedagogical theories and the implications for their own learning, professional practice and personal philosophy of education. Four key topics will be explored in greater depth throughout the course, allowing trainees to develop ‘foundational areas of learning’ in high expectations and routines, modelling, questioning and adaptive practice. Known as ‘Intensive Training and Practice’ (ITAPs), trainees learn from evidence bases, experts in schools and have the opportunity to plan, teach and refine their practice with live feedback. Assessment of this module is by an extended written assignment. Trainees who do not pass this module at Level 7 will have their work marked against Level 6 criteria.

Enquiry into Current Secondary Education Issues

This module is an independent project that is carried out during professional placement two. Each trainee negotiates a focus for their project with their school-based tutor and discusses the proposal with their assignment tutor. The project must be consistent with the trainee’s individual learning plan and provide further opportunities for the trainee to:

• demonstrate their ability to work autonomously at Level 7 on an independent project that researches an area in depth;
• collect evidence for meeting the Teachers’ Standards for QTS.

The project should take advantage of the specialisms within the placement school, the network of external organisations accessed throughout the programme and any developments at the forefront of physical education. Assessment is through a written project and a presentation to peers and tutors. Trainees who do not pass this module at Level 7 will have their work marked against Level 6 criteria.