BEd Secondary PE

We look forward to welcoming you to Plymouth Marjon University for your interview day and hope that you will gain much from the experience. The day is important for both you and for us, as it is important that we see if you are suitable for the course you have applied for, but equally that you find out if this is the place where you want to study. 

During the day you will have the opportunity to:

• look round the University
• find out more about the course and meet tutors and other trainees
• meet school leaders or teachers from our partnership schools who are also involved in the interview process

There are a number of different components to the day which will provide us with a full picture of your ability and skills. We want you to present yourself in the best light on the day and we aim to make you feel comfortable and welcome. Please read the information provided in the letter and on the website carefully so you come well-prepared for the different parts of the day. As this is a professional course, please come suitably dressed for interview. 

BEd Secondary Physical Education Interview

The Interview

The interview provides you with an opportunity to demonstrate your potential for training and the role of a teacher.  You will require a pen, in order to undertake some basic literacy and numeracy activities and appropriate sports kit (see below) for your practical assessment.  All applicants will be interviewed by staff who work within the Secondary Teacher Education Partnership.  Questions will explore your communication skills, subject knowledge, awareness of teaching and learning and commitment to equal opportunities. 

Practical Assessments

1. Practical assessments will involve candidates taking part in a range of physical activities in the sports hall to explore physical literacy, fundamental movement capabilities and personal characteristics. Part of this will be a leadership activity where you will be given an activity to plan and deliver on the day.
2. Subject Knowledge assessments – during the practical session you will be involved in aesthetic, athletic and game activities which will enable you to demonstrate your range of skills and understanding.

For these practical activities and subject knowledge assessments, you will need the appropriate sports kit.

• Men:   White sports shirt, white/black shorts, socks and trainers
• Women:   White sports shirt, white/black sports skirt/shorts, socks and trainers

These practical assessments are very important so it is essential that you are able to perform to the best of your ability.  We will not interview you if you have an injury which prevents you from undertaking these practical activities.  However, please inform us early if this is the case so that we can arrange an alternative interview date.

Literacy and Numeracy Assessment

During the day you will be given a literacy task to assess your reading and writing. You will be asked to write a short piece about the importance of Physical Education within the curriculum.

The numeracy task will focus on the type of mental arithmetic and ‘on-screen’ questions in the Skills Tests to support your preparation to take this test. 

Criteria for Assessment

You will be selected based on the following criteria:

1. Knowledge, skills, academic background and prior experience
2. Qualities, attitudes, ethics and values
3. Aptitude for teaching
4. Ability to communicate effectively

These criteria will be applied through all aspects of the day including the written activity, practical activity, leadership activity, formal interview and how your present yourself on the day.

In addition, judgements will be made on your health and physical capacity to teach as outlined by the National College of Teaching and Leadership ITT criteria 2017.

Preparation for Interview

In order to prepare for the interview, all applicants for BEd Secondary Physical Education are asked to:

1. Prepare for the activities stated above
2. Access /read the National Curriculum for Physical Education available here  
3. Complete the Subject Knowledge audit
4. Complete the Education audit

The documents listed above should be scanned and emailed to interviews@marjon.ac.uk at least 7 days before your interview date.

Professional Skills Tests

Entrants for Initial Teacher Education programmes should be aware of Government regulations regarding the mandatory Professional Skills Tests in Literacy and Numeracy.  Prior to being able to take up a place on an ITT course, applicants must successfully pass both the Literacy and Numeracy Skills Tests.  It is essential that you take the time to familiarise yourself with the skills test requirements, attempt practice tests and register for the tests at your local Test Centre.

Applicants should register here as soon as they have applied for an ITT programme, . The university will check the status of completed tests on 30 June. We would expect you to have passed the tests by this date unless there are exceptional circumstances, in which case a new date can be negotiated with the Admissions team. 

We look forward to meeting you!

A recent announcement by the Department for Education about changes to the Professional Skills Tests for QTS, which we hope is of help to everyone:

The changes, which are outlined below, will come into effect on 14 February 2018. If you have booked tests prior to the changes being made we want to encourage you to take those tests as planned. Below are some FAQs which we hope will address any queries you may have.

What are the changes?

The limit of 3 test attempts per subject is being removed. As of 14 February 2018 you will have unlimited attempts to achieve a test pass. This means that the 2 year lockout period will also be removed.

Currently all candidates have one test booking free of charge, per subject. From 14 February 2018, all candidates will be able to book three tests per subject, free of charge. A charge will be applied from the fourth test attempt per subject.

What happens if I have a test booked between the announcement and the start date for the new policy?

If you paid for and took a second or third attempt at a test on or after the 24 October 2017 and before 14 February 2018, you will automatically receive a refund for the cost of your test. Refunds will be paid to candidates by 31 March 2018 and funds will be returned to the credit or debit card used to pay for the test. If you have not received the refund by 31 March 2018 then please call the helpline on 0300 303 9613.

If you fail your test for a third time before 14 February 2018 then your account will lock, but it will unlock automatically on 14 February 2018 and you will be able to access your account and continue to book tests as normal. You will also be able to take up to three more test bookings, free of charge per subject.

I took tests before 24 October 2017. Why am I not getting a refund?

This change applies to all bookings placed after the start of the 2018 recruitment cycle. We are unable to issue or agree refunds for tests prior to this date.

I was locked out of my account after three failed attempts at the skills tests. I am still interested in training to teach, so what should I do next?

Once the 2-year lockout period is removed on 15 February 2018, candidates will be able to take unlimited tests. The key to passing is plenty of preparation and practice. You can complete a free, fully interactive online practice test, which will help you to familiarise yourself with the test format. Simply follow the instructions on this page.

If you have not yet registered with Get Into Teaching, sign up to receive free support throughout your Initial Teacher Training application.

The press release about the announced changes  is available here.

The entry requirements to access training remain unchanged; candidates will still have to pass the skills tests prior to starting their Initial Teacher Training course. These changes simply remove financial and administrative barriers. Please note that the skills test passes for applicants to ITT courses continues to be valid for three years. In the event that an ITT course starts after the three years have elapsed, the candidates will have to re-take the tests.