Career Advice for a PE Teacher

Being a PE Teacher means promoting physical activity and healthy lifestyles among students, while also teaching them various sports and organizing sports events.

Quick Links

How to Become a PE Teacher

Choosing your career path and learning how to become the person you aspire to be is not always straight forward; getting a job in your chosen industry will take dedication, focus and the right qualifications.

When you have chosen the career path you wish to follow, you will need to learn how to become a PE Teacher

Should you wish to work as a PE Teacher you will need to evaluate what courses are required, their cost and what qualifications you need. It is important that you also assess whether you have the right credentials from a personality point of view, what the demands of the job are and whether they complement the lifestyle that you desire.

Another factor to consider, should you wish to fulfil your career aspirations, is the number of jobs you will need to have to reach your ultimate job, and the length of time it will take to reach this goal.

Common Qualifications for a PE Teacher

  • A Bachelor's degree in Physical Education or a related field.
  • Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) or completion of a PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) in Physical Education.

Key Responsibilities for a PE Teacher

  • Planning and delivering engaging PE lessons that cater to students' abilities and interests.
  • Teaching a range of sports and physical activities, ensuring safety and proper technique.
  • Assessing students' progress and providing constructive feedback.
  • Organizing and supervising sports events, competitions, and extracurricular activities.
  • Promoting teamwork, fair play, and sportsmanship among students.
  • Collaborating with colleagues and parents to support students' overall development.

What to expect as a PE Teacher

As a PE Teacher in the UK, you can work in schools, colleges, or sports clubs, helping students develop their physical fitness and sports skills.

Recommended PE Teacher Jobs

Loading Jobs...

How to get PE Teacher Jobs

Our advice on how to get a PE Teacher job is to focus on preparation and personalisation.

Preparation

This occurs before you write a CV cover letter or complete a PE Teacher application. If you have not held a PE Teacher position before, it will help to research the industry and review what a typical career path might look like. If you have held a PE Teacher role, focus your research on the company where you are seeking employment.

Valuable resources that will help you learn about the employer include the company’s career page, social media page, blog, job ad, and job description. Helpful information will consist of the company’s mission statement, values, and vision. You could also use an employer review site to gain insights on average salaries, what current employees say about the company culture, and what it is like to work for the organisation.

Personalisation

You are now in a position to use what you have learned in your PE Teacher CV, cover letter, and application. You should personalise each PE Teacher application, cover letter, and CV; prioritising job skills and relevant experience and providing examples that show you have similar values and goals.

This pre-application stage is a crucial step in how to become a PE Teacher in the UK. It puts you in a superbly informed state, ready for forthcoming telephone, video, or in-person interviews.

Students: How to Become a PE Teacher 

As with all professions, choose your study topics carefully. Review the qualifications needed to be a PE Teacher and the subjects you will need to enrol in certification courses, higher education, or online courses. 

Aligning your study subjects

The more closely you align your study subjects with your career path, the more likely you will be to have projects and modules that you can refer to and show a prospective employer that you have practical or theoretical PE Teacher experience.

How to get PE Teacher Experience

What does it take to be a PE Teacher? The best way to find out is to get work experience, which will be invaluable when applying for PE Teacher jobs. You can learn how to be a successful PE Teacher through internships, apprenticeships, or volunteering for a local business.

How to be a PE Teacher Part-Time 

If you are wondering how to get into PE Teacher part-time, there are several possibilities. You might find a new employer looking for a part-time PE Teacher or find your existing employer is amenable. Often companies recognise the value of flexible hours and having more staff at work during busy times of the day. 

PE Teacher freelance work

If you have impressive PE Teacher qualifications and experience, you could take on the challenges of working freelance with control over your schedule.

Making a Career Change

How to start a career in this profession if you work in another industry may require studying for qualifications online and focusing on transferable skills when writing your CV and attending job interviews.