Program Overview

Leading directly on to our highly-regarded sports degrees, the one year sport foundation programme will equip you with the skills you’ll need to progress on to a full degree. Studying this foundation year could give students an opportunity to extend previous experience gained, or provide a route back into education, and will help develop the key academic skills required to make the transition to studying the BA (Hons) Physical Education degree.

Designed to reflect the needs of the sports industry, students studying the sport foundation year before embarking on the physical education degree will explore a variety of subjects from leadership to fitness foundations, sports business management, sport in the contemporary world and volunteering.

Designed to reflect the needs of the sports industry, students explore a variety of subjects from leadership to fitness foundations, sports business management, sport in the contemporary world and volunteering.

The full physical education degree itself has been specifically developed to help prepare you for a career in teaching. You will gain first-hand experience of teaching physical education across a variety of schools, the latest child development practices, and issues facing the education sector. Work placements spread across all three years of study ensure that you will graduate feeling fully prepared to undertake your initial teacher training with either a PGCE or School Direct training provider.

The curriculum has been put together based on feedback from a panel of postgraduate teacher training providers. This means that you’ll be in the strongest possible position when it comes time to apply for training opportunities. Course themes include physical education, teaching and learning, child development, physical and motor movement in young people, educational psychology, and research methods. You’ll also have the opportunity to specialise your knowledge and prepare to work with age groups that match your personal career ambitions.

We are proud to manage the Southampton School Sports Partnership, a scheme that was introduced to improve the quality of sports education within the city. Our involvement in the partnership gives sport development, coaching and physical education students access to 72 primary schools, 15 secondary schools and six further education colleges in and around the Southampton area. Working alongside these partner institutions will help you to put the theory you’ve learnt into practice. This practical work forms an essential part of your assessment.

We are proud to be an associated partner with the Association for Physical Education (afPE). This partnership demonstrates the courses aim to develop critical practitioners who may wish to progress into teaching roles.

As a physical education student, you’ll work closely with our expert course team. Tutors hold a wealth of experience gained from time spent working across the whole of the education sector, and you’ll benefit from their first-hand knowledge of each discrete population group. Their insight will allow you to better understand the specific pedagogies of child development, and see how proper intervention during childhood can help to create the next generation of physically active adults.