Physical Education: Teachers

(asked on 14th July 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what their Initial Teacher Training recruitment targets were for secondary physical education in each of the last five years; and what the actual recruitment level was in each of those years.


Answered by
Baroness Berridge Portrait
Baroness Berridge
This question was answered on 27th July 2021

The table below shows the number of new postgraduate trainee teachers recruited compared to the corresponding Teacher Supply Model (TSM) target in each of the last five years for physical education (PE).

Academic Year1

2016/17

2017/18

2018/19

2019/20

2020/21

TSM target

999

999

1,078

1,222

1,200

Postgraduate new entrants2

1,087

1,103

1,242

1,281

1,615

Percentage of TSM target reached

109%

110%

115%

105%

135%

Source: Department for Education initial teacher training (ITT) Census statistical publications
Footnote:

  1. Refers to the ITT Census year.
  2. Figures for 2020/21 are provisional and are subject to change.

Information for the number of individuals employed by private providers to teach PE in primary schools is not available as data is only collected from a sample of state-funded secondary schools with electronic timetabling.

The number and proportion of hours of PE taught by a teacher without a relevant post-A level qualification, in state funded secondary schools, in each of the last five years for which data are available, is provided in the table attached. A relevant post-A level qualification is a level 4 qualification or above in PE, sports science, sports physiology, sports psychology, or dance (including ballet).

Data for 2020 is not available because, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, schools and local authorities were not required to provide information on teacher qualifications during the November 2020 school workforce census.

Data for 2019 is published in the ‘School Workforce in England’ statistical publication found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england/2019.

All entrants to teaching must hold a first degree from a United Kingdom higher education institution or equivalent qualification. Legislation does not specify that teachers must have a degree in a particular subject of discipline. There is no specific qualification required for physical education.

In further education, there is no minimum qualification requirement for anyone employed to teach PE or any specific sport or activity. It is for employers to determine the best qualifications and experience required to meet the needs of their pupils. A number of organisations have developed specific qualifications that provide an individual with recognition that they can coach or teach an activity safely.

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