Undergraduate degree

You can do a sport and fitness, physical education or sports coaching degree with qualified teacher status (QTS).

Postgraduate certificate

You can complete a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE), if you have a first degree without QTS. This can be done at university or on a school-based training programme.

You need QTS to teach in most primary and secondary schools in England but you do not need a PGCE to teach.

Find out more about QTS from Get Into Teaching.

Change careers to teaching

Find out about the support available if you want to change to a career in teaching.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths
• GCSE science at grade 9 to 4 (A* to C) for primary school teaching
• 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
• a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study

You may be able to apply to do an Undergraduate or Postgraduate Teacher Level 6 Apprenticeship.

The undergraduate option takes up to 4 years to complete. The postgraduate route takes around 1 year, with both leading to qualified teacher status (QTS).

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths
• GCSE science at grade 9 to 4 (A* to C) for primary school teaching

• a degree for a postgraduate teaching apprenticeship

If you're a PE or sports graduate, you may be able to get into teaching by working as a sports coach in a school or college, then move onto a teacher training programme.

You'll need coaching qualifications in your specialist sport to do this.

You'll find it helpful to get some experience of working with young people though this is not essential. You can do this through paid work or by volunteering at a school, doing youth work or coaching at a sports club.

You'll need:

• knowledge of teaching and the ability to design courses
• be able to motivate and inspire pupils of all abilities to take part and learn new skills
• the ability to use your initiative
• the ability to work well with others
• excellent verbal communication skills
• leadership skills
• knowledge of English language
• patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

You'll need to:

• pass enhanced background checks

A driving licence would be useful, as you may be expected to drive a minibus to take school teams to sporting fixtures and competitions.

As a PE teacher, you could:

• plan lessons and coaching sessions
• teach a range of sports and physical activities to students of different ages and abilities
• motivate students to fulfil their potential
• set and mark assignments, and update school records
• talk to parents and carers about their children's progress
• work with other professionals like mentors, educational psychologists and social workers
• organise sports days, field trips and matches with other schools and colleges

You could work at a school or at a college.

Your working environment may be outdoors in all weathers.