We offer both secondary and primary postgraduate physical education courses.
Secondary trainees are trained to teach physical education across the 11-16 age range with enhancement opportunities at post-16. They are also provided with opportunities to do some teaching in a second subject area, usually a core subject.
Primary trainees are trained to be primary school teachers with a physical education specialism across the 5-11 age range.
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 lead school. Churchill Community College in North Tyneside and King Edward VI Academy in Northumberland act as associate lead schools and support the leadership and management of the programme. Northumbria University is the awarding body for the PGCE.
The course is full-time and lasts for forty weeks from September to June; in addition there will be some compulsory sessions during the last two weeks of August. 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 teaching styles and strategies and to reflect upon their practice in order to achieve high professional standards and develop into outstanding trainee teachers.
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), work in a primary setting and have the opportunity to do some teaching in a second subject area (usually a core 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 QTS. Two coursework assignments and an action research project provide further evidence of suitability to enter the teaching profession. Two modules are assessed at Masters level and if successfully completed count as sixty credits towards a Masters qualification. Successful trainees exit the course with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) plus a PGCE from Northumbria University.
For 2022/23 we will offer 28 secondary physical education places.
The programme is made up of four inter-related modules.
Professional Placements
All trainees gain teaching experience in two contrasting placement schools in the north east of England. Professional placement one starts almost immediately in September with two serial days each week followed by an observation and planning period then a six-week block between November and December. Professional placement two starts in January with two serial days each week followed by an observation and planning period then a twelve-week block between February and June. Trainees progress from observation to collaboration to independence. They also progress from a 60 per cent to a 70 per cent timetable. 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 of pastoral work. 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 practitioners from partnership schools. Assessment of this module is by an extended written assignment.
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; strengthening pupils memory; literacy and numeracy across the curriculum; equality and diversity. Time is also allocated to preparing for employment. The sessions are delivered by highly skilled and experienced professionals in partnership schools. 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. 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:
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.
The North East Partnership SCITT is the accredited provider for a small number of primary with a physical education specialism school direct places. John Spence Community High School is the Lead School and works with Northumbria University and nineteen local schools to offer this innovative course which lasts for forty weeks from September to June. In addition, there is a compulsory two week summer school at the end of August and trainees will support end of year activities in their placement schools during the month of July.
Trainees will be trained to teach high quality physical education alongside all other areas of the primary curriculum across Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. On completion of the course they will be qualified primary teachers with a physical education specialism. They will be able to lead high quality physical education and sport provision within primary schools, support other primary teachers to develop their skills in delivering physical education and sport and lead regional sports initiatives to improve primary physical education and sport. They will also complete a PGCE qualification awarded by Northumbria University and have the opportunity to gain 60 Masters level credits.
Trainees spend the majority of the year in their Host School and have a contrasting placement in a Partner School. They visit two other schools to gain experience of working with children who have SEND and EAL plus visit an early years setting and a secondary school. Many of the partnership school are involved in the delivery of the core programme.
For 2022/23 we will offer 14 primary with a physical education specialism places.
The programme is made up of 4 inter-related modules:
Professional Placements:
All trainees will gain teaching experience in two contrasting placement schools; a Host School and a Partner School. They will spend the majority of the year in their Host School teaching Key Stage 2 pupils and a six week block placement in their Partner School teaching Key Stage 1 pupils. In addition, they will visit two other schools to gain experience of working with children who have SEND and EAL plus visit an early years setting and a secondary school. Trainees’ will progress from observation through collaborative working to independence. They will also progress from a 60% to a 70% timetable. Link tutors and school mentors liaise to support trainees in the development of their practical teaching. By the end of the year all trainees will have had teaching experience in all areas of the primary curriculum at Key Stages 1 and 2. They will have a specialism in physical education. They will develop into reflective, creative and highly effective practitioners who meet the Teachers’ Standards to a high level for a trainee teacher by the end of the module. This module is assessed against trainees mastery of the ITT curriculum and the Teachers’ Standards.
Curriculum Studies:
This module is where trainees begin to develop their subject specific knowledge in physical education, the core subjects and the foundation subjects. The sessions that make up this module are delivered by good or outstanding practitioners from partnership schools alongside North Tyneside Local Authority, North Tyneside Maths Hub, the Primary Lead and a Primary PE Consultant. Assessment of this module is by an extended written assignment.
Critical Professional Studies:
This module is where trainees begin to develop their knowledge about 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, behaviour management, memory, teaching and learning, assessment, inclusion, pupil premium, equality and diversity, and literacy and numeracy across the curriculum. Time is also allocated to preparing for employment. These sessions are delivered by middle and senior leaders in partnership schools. These professionals engage trainees in critical and analytical debates about learning and pedagogy theories and the implications for their own professional practice, learning and emerging philosophy of education. 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 Primary Education Issues:
This module is an independent action research project that is carried out during the final Host School placement. Each trainee negotiates a focus for their project with their mentor and discusses the proposal with their assignment tutor. Assessment is through a written project and the presentation of the ideas and findings of the project to peers and tutors. Trainees who do not pass this module at Level 7 will have their work marked against Level 6 criteria.
