Primary PE asks a lot of school staff. Beyond teaching a well-structured curriculum, they often adapt activities for pupils with SEND, manage behaviour during lessons, assess physical development, and find ways to keep pupils active outside PE classes.
Schools are planning for PE and school sport during a time of change. Even though some details about future funding and delivery are still being worked out, schools can keep building their staff’s knowledge, confidence, and skills. The next step is to review what skills are already in place and identify where more development is needed.
No single training route fits everyone. Begin by looking at the skills your staff already have and where they might need more support.
Before choosing any training, schools should consider what their staff do well and where they need to grow.
A Skills Gap Analysis helps staff think about their strengths and needs in areas like curriculum knowledge, inclusion, behaviour management, safeguarding, delivering physical activity, assessment, and professional growth.
Schools can use the findings alongside staff discussions and lesson observations to:
Treat the analysis as a way to start conversations, not as the only way to measure performance.
Download the free PESSPA Skills Gap Analysis.
There are four broad approaches to developing a primary PE workforce:
|
Development route |
May be appropriate when |
May not be appropriate when |
|
Apprenticeship |
An employee needs substantial development within a genuine job role |
The employee only needs a short course or cannot apply the full apprenticeship in their role |
|
Specialist qualification |
A member of staff needs deeper knowledge in a defined area such as primary PE |
The main need is practical help applying existing knowledge |
|
Mentoring and curriculum support |
Teachers need guidance, feedback and time to build confidence |
The employee requires a nationally recognised qualification |
|
Focused CPD |
A specific skills gap can be addressed through a workshop or short course |
The need is broad, complex or linked to significant role progression |
You can combine these options, as each serves a different purpose. For example, a school might use mentoring for class teachers, offer an apprenticeship to help an experienced teaching assistant grow, and use focused CPD for a specific school-wide need.
An apprenticeship is a structured training programme that staff complete while working in a paid job. It can help new recruits or current employees, as long as it offers significant new learning and fits their role.
The employee must have opportunities to develop and apply the knowledge, skills and behaviours set out in the apprenticeship standard. They must also receive paid training during their normal working hours.
Don’t choose an apprenticeship just because funding is available. Make sure the role is a good fit, the employee will get the right support, and the learning can be used on the job.
The Level 5 Specialist Teaching Assistant apprenticeship is designed for experienced support staff developing specialist responsibilities.
Aspire Training Solutions’ SEND and PE specialism focuses on advanced support practice, inclusive PE and physical activity. It may suit teaching assistants, HLTAs, sports coaches and other staff supporting SEND, curriculum learning or pupil wellbeing.
As a substantial development programme, it may not suit someone who only needs focused PE training. It does not lead to qualified teacher status.
Contact Aspire Training Solutions for further details
A specialist qualification might be the best choice if the main goal is to build deeper knowledge and understanding of primary PE.
The afPE Primary School Physical Education Specialism Course at Level 5 is a nationally recognised qualification accredited by the Leadership Skills Foundation.
This course suits PE subject leaders, teachers, higher-level teaching assistants, and coaches who work with a qualified teacher. It covers topics like high-quality PE, assessment for learning, observing practice, and planning lessons in a purposeful order.
Although both routes are at Level 5, they serve different purposes and suit different development needs.
|
Level 5 route |
Main focus |
Likely audience |
|
Advanced occupational development across a specialist support role |
Experienced teaching assistants and support staff |
|
|
Specialist knowledge and practice in primary PE |
Teachers, PE leads, HLTAs and coaches supporting PE |
Both routes are at Level 5, but they have different goals and suit different needs. The apprenticeship is a work-based programme, while the afPE course is a specialist PE qualification.
Neither option gives qualified teacher status, so don’t choose based on level alone. Look at the role, experience, and development needs to decide which is the best fit.
Getting a qualification isn’t always the best way to address a skills gap.
A teacher may understand the principles of effective PE but need support applying them in lessons. This might include help with curriculum planning, assessment, adapting activities for pupils with SEND or teaching areas such as gymnastics and dance.
In these cases, ongoing mentoring can offer practical advice, model good practice, provide observation, and give feedback in the school setting.
The PE Curriculum Support Programme is one example of this approach. It provides in-school mentoring to develop teachers’ confidence, subject knowledge, planning, assessment and reflective practice.
If schools use outside specialists, they should think about how to pass that knowledge on to their own staff. External experts can help, but they should also help the school build its own skills and confidence.
Focused CPD works well when there’s a specific, clearly defined development need.
This might include improving SEND and inclusion practice, strengthening behaviour management, developing confidence in a particular activity or increasing the use of physical activity across the school day.
Schools can pick either individual courses or broader staff development programmes.
The Aspire:ED course library includes focused learning in areas such as inclusion, behaviour management, gymnastics, dance, playground activation and physically active learning.
Aspire:ED Schools provides a wider option for schools seeking flexible learning pathways, school-wide training and ongoing access to professional development resources.
Other providers and professional bodies also offer PE-related CPD. When comparing options, schools should consider:
Short courses work best when they meet a real need. Taking lots of unrelated courses doesn’t automatically make a strong workforce development plan.
These four questions can help schools go from spotting a skills gap to picking the right way to address it.
1. What does the employee’s role require?
Start by looking at the role, not just the course. Think about what the employee does now, any changes coming up, and the specific skills they need to build.
A class teacher seeking greater confidence in gymnastics will have different needs from an experienced teaching assistant preparing to take on specialist inclusion responsibilities.
2. How much development is needed?
Consider whether the employee needs:
Workshops, mentoring, qualifications, and apprenticeships all offer different kinds and levels of development. Compare each option to the need before choosing.
3. Can the learning be applied?
Training is most useful when staff can put what they learn into practice.
Schools should consider what chances employees will have to use their new skills, who will support and give feedback, whether they need set time for learning, and how they’ll share knowledge with others.
4. What should improve as a result?
Finishing training alone doesn’t prove that practice has improved.
Schools should identify the intended outcomes. These might include greater staff confidence, more inclusive lesson planning, stronger curriculum sequencing, more consistent assessment or less reliance on one individual or external provider.
Clear goals make it easier to see whether the chosen development route has made a difference.
Workforce planning during a period of change
Schools don’t have to wait for every detail of future PE and sport plans before reviewing their workforce.
They can assess current skills, identify where provision depends too heavily on one person, review how well staff meet the needs of pupils with SEND and consider progression or succession planning.
This doesn’t mean every employee needs to join a formal programme. It’s about making smart choices on who needs development, what kind, and how it fits with the school’s bigger goals.