My 12 year old son told me he would like to be a p e teacher, does anybody know what qualifications are needed? I dont want to build up his expectations. He.s not very academic,however he does excell in all sports.He is in a football academy, but he knows that not many make it to being proffesional. He,s also the teachers pet (the p e teacher).
He will need enough GCSE's to get into a sixth form (often 5 A*-C) then A levels to get to college/uni for a degree (e.g. B.A. 3years) and teaching qualification (P.G.C.E) or he can do a 4 year degree (B. Ed) - in other words, the same as to qualify to teach any subject
Those GCSEs will need to include Maths, English and Science, and he'll have a better chance of a university place if the A levels are related to the degree.
I'm sure his own PE teacher would be very flattered to be asked for advice on this.
My son has gone down this academic route and found it extremely difficult at college, he excells at all sports and is a great tactician and trainer, but the huge amount of human physiology involved has totally stunned him, what i suggest is you buy your son a huge poster for his room showing muscles and bones etc, he can keep referring to it, he then needs to start to read up on this side as soon as possible as it will come as quite a shock
Could be worth him looking at other jobs that involve sport - maybe youth work, play work, community sports leadership - that sort of thing.
There are college courses that he could get onto with slightly lower grades. A friend's son did this, got himself some casual work at a local council leisure centre, and now teaches swimming and weight training there (he's about 21, I think).
Like I said, if he's teacher's pet, the teacher won't mind giving him advice, will he?
i dont think it would be difficult to do well in a subject you enjoy... so lets say he gets some GCSE's and scrapes into uni (3 yr degree) he could do sports studies and human biology or health. they are very interesting subjects and if he is keen on sports he will be keen on the effects of the human body etc. dont worry about getting his hopes up, just back him up, i'm sure he'll do it if he really wants to. Then all that would be needed to be a teacher is a PGCE (1 yr course)
your sons sounds exactly how i was at school i wanted to become a p.e teacher but did not think i could acheive it due to my lack of knowledge bar sports. But as i have moved from school to college and now university it has shown me there is so much more to sport careers. i left school at 16 and went to college and done a sports course instead of A levels. i found myself achieving better grades than at school due to my interest in the subject, which also helped me acheive the grades i needed to get to university. im only 21 and still in the middle of my sports degree at uni and i believe what is best is to encourage him to carry on with the interest of persuing a sports carrer but to keep his doors open to the many different sports options that become avaliable in later life