Dear Student

We would like to welcome you to the PGCE Secondary Physical Education course with recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) 2017-18. This letter intends to provide you with the subject specific information you need prior to the start of the course along with the tasks you are requiredor recommended to complete: it builds on the information shared at interview. There is a checklist at the end of this letter to assist you in ensuring that you have completed all of the pre-course requirements and recommendations in the timescale required.

Your course begins officially on the 18th September 2017when you will receive an introduction to the University, the PGCE Secondary Education course, the PGCE Physical Education course and participate in an induction programme that week. You will receive confirmation of the exact date, time and location of our first meeting later this academic year. During the next few months you will also receive a welcome pack containing details from our Registry department about the arrangements for your official registration at the University. Please ignore any documentation received from the Central University or elsewhere which suggests that your start date is anything other than18th September 2017. If in doubt, please contact theDepartment of Education Taught Programmes Office(contact details at the end of this letter) and they will be able to clarify things for you.

Conditions of Offer

Your offer letter from our Admissions office will state specific conditions of offer which you will be required to evidence. These conditions may or will include:

1. Degree Classification:If stated as a condition of your offer, you will need to confirm your degree classification as soon as possible.

2. GCSE Maths and English or Equivalencies: If you have recently taken or are due to take Maths or English GCSEs, the results of these will need to be confirmed with our Admissions office as soon as possible once you have received them. If you need to sit any equivalencies for Maths and English, please contact our Taught Programmes Office as soon as possible to arrange a suitable date to take these.

3. Professional Literacy and Numeracy Skills Tests: You are required as a condition of entry to pass the professional literacy and numeracy skills test prior to enrolment on the PGCE Secondary programme. Information on how to go about accessing support materials and how to book to take these tests is available via the DfE’s ‘Get Into Teaching’ website and the following specific webpage. We would encourage you to begin practicing and take these tests as soon as possible.

If you do not intend to take up your place, or will not be able to meet the conditions of your offer, please let us know immediately. There are candidates who need to be notified promptly if a place has become available. Please contact Admissions (contact details at the end of this letter).

Requirements or recommendations associated to your offer

In your offer letter, we will have also stated some requirements for you to complete prior to starting the course and for some applicants made some recommendations in relation to preparing for the start of the course.

4. Primary School Experience: As part of the Teachers’ Standards for recommendation for the Award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), you have to engage in some Key Stage 2 work so that you can fully understand issues of continuity and progression between primary and secondary schools. This course component involves you in an independently negotiated three day primary school experience in a school of your choice. You are required to organise and undertake this before the end of the summer term 2016 (mid-July for most schools). You may negotiate this in blocks of time which suit your other commitments, but it must be the equivalent of three full days. You can choose a primary school yourself as long as it is a state funded school and offers KS2 experience. For those of you living locally you may wish to use the following link to Hillingdon Council: You will need to contact your selected school immediately to organise your Key Stage 2 experience as per the requirements detailed in the enclosed primary school task booklet which provides you with a framework to negotiate a relevant experience for these three days. A copy of the completed reflections needs to be brought with you on the first day of the course, along with the signed confirmation from the school that you completed the experience.

5.Student Information Form: You need to complete the PGCE SecondaryStudent Information Form.This information is used in order to arrange your school placements. This form can be found at the following link and can be submitted online to the Partnership Development Unit:

6. Evidence of School Based Observation:For some of you we have required or recommended that you undertake some school-based observation activities in specific activity areas in the curriculum n order to appropriately prepare you prior to starting the PGCE Physical Education course. For those of you with this specified in your offer letter, you need to forward the evidence that you have undertaken the requirements or recommendations specified directly to the Admissions Team (Brunel University, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH) as soon as possible. This needs to be in the form of:

  1. A signed statement from the Head(s) of Physical Education at the school where you undertook your observation and support, or team teaching role. This should detail the number of lessons per activity you contributed to (minimum of six with the same group of pupils) and the role you played in these lessons.
  2. Where relevant, a certificate to demonstrate that you have successfully passed a governing body award or attended a relevant course in the appropriate subject knowledge area, e.g. gymnastics.

Additionally, you are required to write a reflective statement detailing how you feel the school experience, courses or other taskshave contributed to the development of your Physical Education subject knowledge. This statement should be word processed and approximately 750 words long, and submitted to Admissionsalong with the evidence in point 5 above.

7. Subject Knowledge Audit:Following on from the audit you completed at interview, included in this letter is a further Subject Knowledge Audit, which requires you to detail and rate your subject specific knowledge just prior to starting the course after you have potentially completed any requirements or recommendations. This audit will be used to help shape your negotiated learning experiences during the course of the PGCE year. Please complete and return this to the Physical Education Coordinator on the first day of the course. This form will also be made available to you electronically.

Other Useful Information

8. Subject Knowledge Enhancement:During the year we may offer additional opportunities to enhance your experience. As outlined at interview, these are in addition to course provision and voluntary, thus incur a cost. In recent years these opportunities have included a Health and Safety course, a dance course run by Rambert Dance Company and a residential trip to Outdoor Adventure in Bude ( to undertake a range of land and water based activities. We will provide you with information as any opportunities arise.

9. Physical Education Kit:Due to the nature of the course you have chosen to undertake, you are required to wear smart professional clothing for all practical activities, including school based work. As outlined at interview, we do not require you to purchase a Brunel branded kit however you must ensure that you have the following available from the start of the course:

  • Navy Tracksuit
  • White Polo Shirt
  • Navy Long Sleeve Sweatshirt (non-hooded)
  • Navy Shorts

Please note ensure that any brand logos need to be white or navy, small and discrete.

10. Background Reading:We would like to suggest the following texts to you as valuable background reading in preparation for the course. Those marked with an asterix identify the core texts:

Armour, K. (ed) (2011) Sport Pedagogy: An Introduction for Teaching and Coaching. London: Prentice Hall/Pearson.

Association for Physical Education (2008) A manifesto for a world class system of physical education. Worcester: afPE.

Association for Physical Education (2012) Safe Practice in Physical Education(8th edition). Leeds: Coachwise Ltd.

Bailey, R. (2010) (Ed.) Physical Education for Learning: A Guide for Secondary Schools. London: Continuum.

Bailey, R. and Kirk, D. (2008) The Routledge Physical Education Reader. London: Routledge.

Capel, S. and Whitehead, M. (2012) Debates in Physical Education. London: Routledge.

*Capel, S. and Whitehead, M. (Eds.) (2015) Learning to Teach Physical Education in the Secondary School(4thedition). London:Routledge Falmer.

*Capel, S., Breckon, P. and O'Neill, J. (Eds.) (2013) A Practical Guide Teaching Physical Education in the Secondary School (2nd edition). London: Routledge/Falmer.

Capel, S., Leask, M. and Turner, T. (Eds.) (2009) Readings for Learning to Teach in the Secondary School: A Companion to M Level Study. London: Routledge.

Capel, S., Leask, M. and Turner, T. (Eds.) (2009) Learning to teach in the secondary school: A companion to school experience (5thedition). London: Routledge.

Dowling, F., Fitzgerald, H. And Flintoff, A. (2012) Equity and Difference in Physical Education, Youth Sport and Health: A Narrative Approach. London: Routledge.

Kirk, D. (2009) Physical education futures. Abingdon: Routledge.

Stidder, G. and Hayes, S (Ed.) (2012, 2nd edition) Equity and Inclusion in Physical Education and Sport. London: Routledge.

Please also access the following websites to view otherrelevant information:

  • for Education website which you can browse for a range of relevant information about schools, education and physical education)
  • (Department for Education National Curriculum for Physical Education Programmes of Study)
  • (archived National Strategies information)
  • (contains Schemes of Work for key stages 1 to 4)
  • about the Government’s Every Child Matters programme and links to other relevant policies).

You may also wish to find out about membership of the Association for Physical Education (afPE), the main professional body for Physical Education in this country. Their website is:

We look forward to seeing you in September, but please do not hesitate to contact usas follows if you have enquiries in the meantime:

PGCE Secondary Physical Education issues: Taught Programmes Office() Telephone: 01895 267019)

Admissions issues: FAO Education Admissions Team ()Telephone: 01895 274000)

Yours sincerely,

Elizabeth Harris

PGCE Secondary Education Physical Education Coordinator

Lecturer in Education and Physical Education