Primary with PE Specialism

Award

PGCE

Study option

Location

Stoke-on-Trent campus

UCAS code

382T

Start dates available

September 2026

Apply now

Share your enthusiasm for physical activity and promote life skills through physical education as a primary school teacher. Our Primary with PE Specialism PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) gives you the skills and confidence you’ll need to lead PE learning throughout primary schools.

As a primary school teacher specialising in PE, you’ll be introducing your class to a range of physical activities including a variety of sports, dance, gymnastics and outdoor adventurous activities as well as learning how to teach the primary curriculum.

We’ve designed this course to help you understand how to support primary school pupils and develop the skills you need to make sure children develop, enjoy and thrive within PE lessons.

Throughout your training, you’ll get hands-on experience on placement, which is complimented by university sessions helping you understand learning theory and evidence-based pedagogy.

From getting the most out of your induction, to tips on teaching your first lesson, your academic tutor will be there to support you on every step of your PGCE journey.

On successful completion of study, we will issue the following award: PGCE Primary with PE Specialism with QTS.

Duration

University of Staffordshire postgraduate courses are usually 1 academic year duration when studying full-time.

At the University of Staffordshire, we work closely with our partner schools to ensure your placements offer valuable opportunities that support your professional development.

We have a broad network of partner schools across Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Shropshire, Cheshire, and Derbyshire, ranging from vibrant urban settings to small rural village schools.

Where possible travel time to placement will be kept to 60 minutes from the University’s Stoke on Trent Campus, however this may increase to accommodate rural locations or public transport restrictions.

Course content

Our Primary PGCE takes 42 weeks to complete. You’ll spend approximately 50 40 days across the course studying on campus. This will include a three-week induction to prepare you for placement, and sessions to develop your knowledge of the curriculum.

To give you experience in the classroom, you’ll spend at least 120 days working in two local schools. But, don’t worry, you won’t have the pressure of teaching an entire lesson straight away.

Your training will begin with observing a teacher and helping with group work. Then you’ll share the classes with the teacher and work towards teaching lessons independently. You will also undertake 20 Intensive Training and Practice (ITaP) days focused on foundational areas of learning to further develop your practice in the classroom. As a PE specialism student you will receive 4 additional university based days that are in October and February half terms as well as focussed support from our PE lead.

Alongside teaching, you’ll join in with day-to-day life at the school. Each school has a general (school based) mentor to help you understand the ethos, pastoral care systems, legal and social framework, and supporting services.

You’ll also have weekly meetings with your school based mentor to help you prepare for teaching, review lessons, and develop your subject knowledge.

Modules

The tables provide an indicative list of the modules that make up the course for the current academic year. Each module is worth a specified number of credits. Our teaching is informed by research, and modules change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline. We aim to ensure that all modules run as scheduled. If for any reason a module cannot be run we will advise you as soon as possible and will provide guidance on selecting an appropriate alternative module.

Year 1 compulsory modules
Year 1 compulsory modules
Educational And Professional Issues - Primary	40 credits
Teaching A Knowledge Rich Curriculum - Primary	20 credits
Teaching Practice 1 (The Emerging Teaching) - Primary	N/A
Teaching Practice 2 (The Established Teacher) - Primary	N/A

Entry requirements

You can apply for this course via Gov.uk. Please click on this link to start your application.

For this course, you need an Honours Degree with a 2:2 classification or higher in an appropriate subject and a GCSE grade C/4 or above in both English Language, Mathematics and Science.

Where applicants are taking or have taken double or triple award science, one grade must be at or above 4.

We also expect you to be confident in technology, and some experience working with primary age students in a school setting is preferable.

After you apply, we’ll arrange a selection interview. We’ll assess your personal qualities, such as communication skills, resilience for teaching, and how easy you’ll find it to relate to primary age students.

If you accept a formal offer, you’ll need to meet the Department for Education’s standards for physical and mental fitness to teach and you’ll need clearance to work with children (Enhanced DBS).

Returning to education? We’ll help you every step of the way. Find out more about our support for mature students (anyone over 21).

International entry requirements

For equivalent entry requirements in your home country, please see the information on our country pages.

Choose your country

Get country-specific details on entry requirements, fees, scholarships and support services. Choose your country to see how University of Staffordshire can support you from application to arrival.

Facilities

Libraries

We have Libraries and service desks at both sites in Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford. Our experienced and friendly staff can answer your IT queries, help you to access resources, show you how to research for your assignments and help with referencing.

Careers

With a Primary with PE PGCE and Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), you’ll be ready to teach in primary schools across England.

Most of our graduates find their first teaching position soon after they qualify. Many of them secure roles in our partnership schools.

After you’ve completed this course, you can join our Masters in Education. Your PGCE gives you Masters credits which means you’ll be fast tracked and can complete this course by the end of your second year of teaching.

Students on this programme have the opportunity to enhance their studies with a placement year, gain valuable work experience, and take part in international activities—potentially supported by the Turing funding.

All students have access to Careers, Placements & Employability, our dedicated careers team.

Open Day

Saturday 21 March 2026

Experience student life for yourself. It's a fantastic opportunity to explore our career-focused courses, next-level education, industry-standard facilities, and comprehensive student support.

Book now

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

When you’re not on placement, we’ll help you reflect on your experiences, exchange ideas and overcome challenges. You’ll also:

Learn in small groups
Use roleplay to develop your knowledge of the primary curriculum
Discuss ideas and challenges you face in group and individual tutorials
Reflect on your placement experiences

Our teaching is supported through our Virtual Learning Environment called Blackboard. This means you can access a range of materials to support your lectures wherever you are.

Assessment

Assessment for your PGCE involves portfolio work, assignments, and observed classroom practice. We’ll often ask you to reflect on approaches you’ve used in the classroom and their effectiveness.

You’ll also be regularly observed by your school-based mentor. Working with your placement schools, we’ll identify areas of professional practice that you find challenging, and you will be set weekly targets to develop in these areas.

Learning support

Your course tutors will provide lots of support. But you can also take advantage of our Academic Skills team, who can help you with:

Study skills (including reading, note-taking and presentation skills)
Written English (including punctuation, grammar)
Academic writing (including how to reference)
Research skills
Critical thinking
Revision, assessment and exam skills (including time management)

Additional support

If you have additional needs like dyslexia or a sensory impairment, then our Student Inclusion Services are here to help make sure nothing stands in your way.

Feedback

We know that it’s important for you to be able to gauge your progress. So, there are several scheduled support sessions for each assessment. We usually give you feedback on formal assessments within 20 working days, but the format will vary for each module.

Staff

You'll be taught by staff who have a range of academic and industry experience.

Please note, teaching team staff members may change during your studies.

Emma Clayson

Senior Lecturer

I am a senior lecturer within the primary education team. As a qualified teacher, I am passionate about education and in particular, inclusion and support our students to develop their skills in adaptive teaching.

Emma's profile

Fees

For the course starting on 7 September 2026 the tuition fees are:

Tuition fees for PGCE-Full-time
Study option	UK / Channel Islands	International
Full-time	£9,535 per course	£17,500 per course

Included in tuition fees
Included in the fees:
If you accept a place with us, we’ll cover the cost of your Enhanced DBS check. You’ll also receive Level 1 Safeguarding training during induction week.

Accommodation and living costs
Accommodation and living costs
Accommodation and living costs are not included in our fees. For more information on accommodation and living costs, please see: Accommodation

Sources of financial support

You can apply to the Student Loans Company (SLC) for the following support:

Tuition Fee Loan – To cover the cost of your tuition fees.
Maintenance Loan – To support you with living costs such as food, accommodation and travel.

For more information and how to apply visit www.gov.uk/teacher-training-funding.

Scholarships and additional funding

You could receive up to £32K or £34K in total - £26K as a tax free bursary or £28K scholarship with additional payments of £6K after tax once in teaching.

Your eligibility for financial support, and the amount you can expect to receive, will depend on the subject you choose to teach and your degree classification or highest relevant academic qualification.

For more information and how to apply visit https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/funding-my-teacher-training/bursaries-and-scholarships-for-teacher-training.

You may also be eligible for a University of Staffordshire bursary when you choose to study one of our postgraduate Education courses. Visit our Fees and Bursaries page to find out more.

Our students

The course so far has been a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

I chose my subject as I have a passion for teaching and wish to develop my skills so that I am able to make a difference to the lives and experience of education of many young people.

This course will qualify me for teaching roles in primary schools, and the course so far has been a thoroughly enjoyable experience, and it is a course that I would recommend to anybody who is considering going into teaching.

Jacob Bode

PGCE Primary with PE Specialism

Apply

Location	Award	Study option	Start date	Apply Link
Stoke-on-Trent campus	PGCE	Full-time	7 September 2026	Apply now

Rules and regulations

If you are offered a place at University of Staffordshire, your offer will be subject to our rules, regulations and enrolment conditions, which may vary from time to time.

Students of University of Staffordshire enter into a contract with us and are bound by these rules and regulations, which are subject to change. For more information, please see: University Policies and Regulations.