Physical Education
Physical education for secondary-age learners is a discipline concerned with how sport and physical activity are taught, experienced, and valued by children and young people in the secondary school years. It draws on exercise science, sport psychology, pedagogy, and curriculum theory to understand how young people develop physically, socially, and emotionally through structured physical activity, and how effective teaching in physical education can make a lifelong difference to health, confidence, and wellbeing. For those who want to work with young people and use sport and exercise as a medium for positive development, this is a programme with real purpose.
At the University of Chichester, this three-year BA develops the practical, professional, and academic skills needed to prepare you to work with children and young people in sport and exercise, both within and outside a school setting. You will study the theory and practice of physical education, developing your understanding of movement, coaching pedagogy, curriculum planning, and assessment. The programme addresses the full range of activities that secondary physical education encompasses, from team sports and athletics to dance and outdoor education, and develops your skills as a teacher, coach, and facilitator of young people's physical development.
The programme is taught full-time and includes substantial school-based and practical learning alongside academic study, ensuring you develop both the theoretical foundation and the practical confidence that working with secondary-age learners requires.
Graduates from physical education programmes pursue careers as PE teachers, sports coaches, sports development officers, youth workers, and community sport and health promotion professionals. Those who wish to teach in schools will typically need to complete a postgraduate teacher training programme after their degree. Others move into sports development, health promotion, outdoor education, and coaching roles in clubs, local authorities, and national governing bodies.
Postgraduate study in education, sport and exercise science, or coaching is a common route for those wishing to specialise.