Program Overview

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Secondary Physical Education with Biology with QTS - PGCE

Overview

This course will enable you to use your degree level skills in the teaching of Physical Education (PE) and Biology so that you can promote knowledge, understanding, skill and a wider love of learning for all pupils through the teaching of both PE and Biology as curriculum subjects in the secondary school sector.

What's covered in this course?

Our course provides you with the knowledge and understanding that will enable your current creative skills to grow into exciting and engaging teaching for the classroom. The course is a practice-based programme that will fully support you in becoming a confident, dynamic and creative teacher committed to making learning of many types accessible for all. This course covers the 11-16 age range with post-16 enhancement.

Central to the curriculum is the study of the subject-specific pedagogies and professional practice required for the teaching of PE and Biology which you will access through a synthesis of practical workshops, lectures, seminar groups and individual study.

Curriculum workshops are a key element of your course. In PE, dedicated lecturers and teachers deliver these in our specialist education classrooms and lecture theatres, including the Doug Ellis Sports Centre in Perry Barr. The workshops enable you to experience and develop your understanding of subject pedagogy through topics such as: Physical literacy, growth mindset through PE, dance in the curriculum, gymnastics, invasion games, net and wall games, target games and athletics, health and safety, as well as Key Stage 3 National Curriculum topics, GCSE and A Level PE topics.

Similarly in Biology, specialist lecturers and teachers deliver sessions in purpose built facilities that replicate the best on offer in schools. As a proven specialist in PE, you will recognise and develop your skills regarding your second subject knowledge, creating and applying signature pedagogies that link subject philosophies, educational theory in the subject, and classroom practice. Through additional practical workshops you will understand the nature of learning in Biology, and the most effective methods to allow your students to access that learning.

At least two thirds of the course take place within the school. You will be placed in a minimum of two PE departments.

Taught modules, assignments and School Based Training are structured around the development of your progress against our ITE Core Curriculum. Our ambitious curriculum incorporates the ITT Core Content Framework (DfE, 2019) and the nationally agreed competences - the Teachers’ Standards, which all teachers must meet throughout their career.

Through our Intensive training and practice (ITAP), which we have designed to strengthen the link between evidence and classroom practice, you will consolidate your knowledge of key evidence-based principles for effective teaching. You will also gain and understanding of adaptive teaching for SEND learners via expert input.

We map your development as a subject specialist with reference to identified subject priorities appropriate to the needs of secondary teachers entering the profession. Our systems for continuous improvement, development and assessment of your progress will support your growing ability to take responsibility for your own professional development and ensure that you approach QTS with a sound understanding of research-informed pedagogies and practices.

Why Choose Us?

• We are a key source of new teachers to schools across the West Midlands region; a destinations survey of our 2021/22 Secondary Teaching graduates showed they were employed in nearly 100 West Midlands schools as Early Career Teachers.
• Our curriculum is designed by research-active subject experts to be integrated between university and school-based training with input from our partnership schools, ensuring you’re equipped to meet the needs of the teaching workforce now and in the future.
• We have partnerships right across the West Midlands and beyond so you can benefit from training in a range of schools and early years settings, preparing you for work in a wide variety of schools when you qualify. A destinations survey of our 2021/22 Secondary Teaching graduates showed that 76% of their employing schools were from within our BCU partnership.
• You will complete at least 120 days across a minimum of two placements, in line with Department for Education (DfE) requirements, supported by a subject mentor in your school and a personal development tutor at the University.
• Should you wish to take your development further, you'll gain Master's level credits gained as part of this course that you can then use towards a full Master's degree.
• You may be able to obtain financial support to help you during your studies. For more information visit the Department for Education's Get Into Teaching website.

Entry Requirements

Essential requirements

• Applicants are normally expected to have a minimum of a 2:2 honours degree or a Master’s degree in a relevant subject from a UK higher education institution or equivalent.
• Applicants will also need to complete the relevant safeguarding checks for this course.
• All applicants will be interviewed; see 'interview arrangements' below.

Applying with international qualifications

• See below for further information on applying as an international student.

GCSE and other level 2 requirements

• Applicants for this course also need GCSE English Language or English Literature and GCSE Maths at grade C/4 or above prior to enrolment. We accept a range of qualifications in lieu of GCSEs for our Initial Teacher Training courses. Please see a full list of GCSE equivalencies for Initial Teacher Training.

Interview arrangements

• The selection interview will assess your subject knowledge and personal qualities such as the potential to relate well to secondary age students, enthusiasm, sensitivity, communication skills and robustness and resilience for teaching.
• You will also take a written test to assess your standard of English.

International qualifications

• Please see our international pages for further details of the entry requirements for our courses and information relevant to applicants from your country.

English language requirements

• IELTS 7.0 overall with no less than 6.5 in each band, or equivalent. See details of accepted qualifications.
• Candidates who have undertaken IELTS will also need to successfully pass our GCSE English equivalency test.

Fees & How to Apply

UK students

• Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.
• Award: PGCE
• Starting: Sep 2025
• Mode: Full Time
• Duration: 1 year
• Fees: £9,535 in 2025/26

International students

• Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.
• Award: PGCE
• Starting: Sep 2025
• Mode: Full Time
• Duration: 1 year
• Fees: £17,690 in 2025/26

Included in your course fees

• Access to computer equipment
• Printing
• Field trips
• Access to Microsoft Office 365
• Key software
• Key subscriptions
• DBS check
• Occupational health assessment

Not included in your course fees

• Placement expenses (mandatory)
• Excess printing (optional)
• Personal stationery and study materials (optional)
• Memberships (optional)
• Subscriptions (optional)
• Accommodation and living costs (optional)

Application deadlines

• We advise you to apply early to allow sufficient time for you to prepare to start your studies in September. Please apply by Friday 18 July to allow time to arrange accommodation, student finance and visas where required.
• Late applications will be accepted where places are still available, but please note that teaching begins on Monday 1 September 2025.

Personal statement

• You’ll need to submit a personal statement as part of your application for this course. This will need to highlight your passion for postgraduate study – and your chosen course – as well as your personal skills and experience, academic success, and any other factors that will support your application for further study.

Prior Experience

• It is not a requirement to obtain work experience in a school or education setting before applying for a teacher training course, so if you are unable to obtain work experience, this will not affect your application. However, if you would like to gain some experience to help prepare you for your course, The Department for Education offers a school experience service that you might want to consider.

Postgraduate funding

• The Department for Education provides support for those training to teach.
• Full details about funding for teacher training

Course in Depth

Modules

• Secondary Professional Studies 20 credits
• Secondary Subject Pedagogy: PE with Biology 20 credits
• Professional Enquiry 20 credits
• School Experience 1 0 credits
• School Experience 2* 0 credits

Download course specification

• Download now

Course structure

• This postgraduate course takes place over one year full-time. Note that all PGCE with QTS courses commence teaching in the first week of September.
• You’ll find that the Secondary PE with Biology PGCE is an intensive and demanding course which challenges people who are highly committed to teaching young people. It is an excellent way to prepare for a career within the profession.
• We’ll deliver the course using a combination of workshops, lectures and seminar groups, and by encouraging individual study.
• You’ll also complete a profile of evidence towards the achievement of the Teachers’ Standards required by the Department for Education for the award of Qualified Teacher Status.

Lead school partners

• The lead school partner approach enables multi-academy trusts, or groups of schools, to offer teacher education courses offered in collaboration with a university partner. You may prefer to apply to a lead school partner if, for example, the range of schools where you could be placed for your teaching practice, better suits your circumstances. You spend the same amount of time on school placements and will study on campus with us for most if not all your taught sessions. You will also have the same access to a personal development tutor and all the resources we offer.

Placement locations

• Our students are asked to complete some forms for placements around whether they will be living, access to private transport etc., however, you must be prepared to travel around 90 minutes. Where you have one placement that is around this 90-minute mark, we will always try to make your other placement much closer for you, depending on availability.

Employability

Employability

• This is an 11-16 years course, with post-16 enhancement, which offers a high degree of employability within secondary teaching.
• The high demand for our trained teachers and our consistently high employability scores mean that trainees who successfully complete the course to a high standard have very good employment prospects.

Placements

• Two-thirds of your course takes place in school and we ensure that you are offered a number of placements in a wide range of educational establishments.
• You will do work placements in at least two different schools and also visit others – including a primary. This all helps you to see how teachers are working in practice and gives you a wealth of experience.
• You will have the opportunity to do serial and block placements and you will also have trained mentors, who will guide and support your studies and provide you with feedback.

Facilities & Staff

Our facilities

• This course is primarily based at our City Centre Campus, in the Benjamin Zephaniah Building (formerly University House), however, for some practical activities, such as sport, cookery or science lab sessions, you may be based at our City South Campus in Edgbaston, or the Alexander Stadium and Doug Ellis Sports Centre in Perry Barr.

Our staff

• Kelly Davey Nicklin
  • PGCE Secondary Course Leader and Senior Lecturer in Music Education
  • Kelly has previously been a Head of Faculty for Performing Arts and taught music across three key stages in a secondary school where she was judged ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted for Key Stage 3 music teaching. During her time as a secondary school teacher, Kelly was also an international links coordinator and she organised a partnership with Mungu Basic School in Zambia.
• Kerry Taylor
  • Senior Lecturer
  • Kerry is currently leading the PGCE Science routes teaching on both the Professional Studies module and Subject Pedagogy module where she specialises in biology education.