How to become a PE teacher

To become a PE teacher in England you need a degree and qualified teacher status (QTS). You get QTS through a one-year postgraduate route such as a PGCE, School Direct or SCITT, or through an undergraduate degree in PE with QTS. There is no training bursary for PE, and places are competitive because many applicants want to teach it. Once qualified, you start on the main pay range, which runs from £34,069 at M1 to £46,940 at M6 outside London from September 2026.

Routes into PE teaching

The main ways in are:

1. An undergraduate degree with QTS, such as a BA or BSc in physical education with QTS, usually three years.
2. A postgraduate route after a relevant degree: a university-led PGCE, a school-led SCITT or School Direct course, or a salaried route where you earn while you train.
3. A postgraduate teaching apprenticeship, where a school employs you and you train on the job.

Teach First and some salaried routes take PE trainees in some years and not others, depending on demand. The teacher training routes guide compares them in more detail.

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own training systems and registration bodies. In Scotland, for example, you register with the General Teaching Council for Scotland and complete a probation year.

What providers look for

PE is one of the most popular secondary subjects with applicants, and training providers can be selective. Expect them to look for:

• a degree with substantial PE or sport content
• GCSEs at grade 4 (C) or above in English and maths
• experience working with young people in schools or sports clubs
• coaching or officiating qualifications in more than one sport
• an understanding of the theory side of the subject

That last point matters more than it used to. Many schools teach GCSE PE, A level PE and vocational sport courses, which include anatomy, physiology, psychology and sociology of sport. Interviews often include a task that tests whether you can explain theory to a teenager, as well as a practical teaching activity.

The job beyond timetabled lessons

PE teachers teach core PE to every year group plus exam classes. Practical lessons run outdoors in all weather, often with large groups, and you are responsible for safety throughout.

The extra-curricular programme sets PE apart. Schools expect PE departments to run clubs at lunchtime and after school, take teams to fixtures in the evenings and on Saturdays, and organise sports days and residential trips. Some of this falls within the 1,265 hours of directed time a full-time teacher can be asked to work over 195 days, and much of it is goodwill on top. Ask at interview what the department expects and whether fixtures are shared on a rota. Residential trips and evening fixtures also bring extra responsibility for safeguarding and transport, so find out who drives the minibus and what training the school provides for it.

The physical side catches some people out. Standing on cold fields, demonstrating and carrying equipment add up over a week, and long-term injuries can make the practical side harder later in a career. Some PE teachers move into pastoral roles such as head of year for that reason as well as for progression.

Pay and progression

Teachers in maintained schools in England are paid under the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document. The government accepted a 3.5 per cent rise from 1 September 2026. The new figures are in the draft 2026 document, which was expected to be finalised around early November 2026 and backdated.

Point	England excl. London	Inner London
M1	£34,069	£41,729
M3	£38,400	£45,787
M6	£46,940	£54,131
U3	£52,835	£64,684

Academies set their own pay, though most follow these figures closely. A head of PE usually gets a TLR payment on top, worth £3,651 to £8,913 for a TLR2 from September 2026. See teacher pay scales in England for every point and area.

Teachers in maintained schools and most academies join the Teachers’ Pension Scheme. Contributions depend on your actual salary: from 1 April 2026 a teacher on M1 outside London pays 7.4 per cent, and one on M6 pays 8.9 per cent. The employer adds 28.68 per cent until 31 March 2027, which is one of the more generous parts of the package. The take-home pay calculator shows what M1 comes to each month once tax, National Insurance and pension are taken off.

Your first two years are statutory induction as an early career teacher, the full-time equivalent of two school years. From there, typical routes are second in department, head of PE, director of sport or a pastoral leadership post.

Before you apply

Get recent experience in a secondary school PE department if you can, ideally in both practical and theory lessons. Applications for postgraduate teacher training in England go through the DfE’s Apply for teacher training service, and the Get Into Teaching website has advisers who can check your degree and experience. Popular PE courses fill early in the cycle, so applying in the autumn gives you more choice than waiting until spring.