Physical Education Teacher

Also known as:

PE Teacher
Sports Teacher - Schools
Teacher, Physical Education

Introduction

Physical education (PE) teachers teach a wide range of indoor and outdoor sports and physical education to young people of mixed abilities. They organise and supervise groups and encourage young people to take part in activities. They prepare students for national exams.

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Work Activities

Physical education (PE) teachers encourage young people to take part in physical activities and sport. They must be able to organise and supervise groups, coach in various skills and motivate young people to improve their performance.

Other activities may include coaching individuals, refereeing matches, travelling with school teams or taking groups to outdoor activity centres.

Most schools offer a number of activities, ranging from indoor gymnastics and human movement to outdoor team sports, and sometimes pursuits such as sailing, canoeing and orienteering. It is, therefore, important to maintain a wide range of interests rather than specialise in only one area.

School classes usually contain students with a wide range of abilities and interests. Encouraging young people to take an interest in sport and keep fit is not always easy.

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Personal Qualities and Skills

As a PE teacher, you have to be aware of differing abilities and be sensitive to physical limitations.

You also need to be able to communicate well with students, so that you can establish a good working relationship with them. However, not all students will respond positively so you will need to use discipline to maintain order.

Students who are not good at sports, or who do not enjoy sporting activities, should be encouraged to progress at their own pace.

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Pay and Opportunities

Teachers in Scotland are paid on a national scale. The starting annual salary for a probationer teacher in 2007 will be £19,878. The top of the scale for unpromoted teachers will be £31,707 There is an additional allowance if you teach in a remote area.

A chartered teacher will earn up to £38,868 and a head teacher will earn from £39,207 - £76,527, depending on the size of the school.

In the private sector, salaries are similar or higher, though they are sometimes linked to state sector pay scales. Teachers normally work a 35 hour week. However, most teachers work extra hours: marking work, preparing lessons and so on. In Scotland, a maximum class contact time of 22.5 hours a week is being phased in.

There are opportunities throughout the UK in both the state and private education sectors. There may also be opportunities to teach overseas.

Vacancies are advertised on local authority vacancy sheets and websites and in the local and national press: The Scotsman, The Herald, The Guardian, The Times Educational Supplement Scotland and The Teacher.

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Adult Opportunities

It is now illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

Relevant work experience is frequently expected, either in sport and fitness or work with children or young people.

There are a number of training options:

If you don't have the qualifications needed to enter your chosen degree course, a college or university Access course (eg, Access to Teaching) could be the way in.

These courses are designed for people who haven't followed the usual routes into higher education. No formal qualifications are usually needed, but you should check this with individual colleges.

They can lead to relevant degree courses.

• 14% of secondary teachers work part-time.
• Less than 1% have flexible hours.
• 5% work on a temporary basis.

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