CPD for PE Teachers: Developing Skills, Confidence and Inclusive Practice

CPD for PE Teachers: Building Confidence, Skills and Impact

Continuing professional development (CPD) helps physical education (PE) teachers keep their knowledge and practice up to date. It can support better teaching, improve pupils’ experiences and help staff respond to changes in the curriculum, research and the needs of their school community.

Effective CPD is more than attending a one-off course. It is an ongoing process of identifying a learning need, exploring new ideas, applying them in practice and reflecting on what has changed.

Why CPD matters in physical education

PE is a broad and evolving subject. Teachers may need to teach different sports and activities, develop pupils’ physical literacy, promote health and wellbeing, and create positive experiences for pupils with a wide range of abilities and backgrounds. CPD can help teachers strengthen both their subject knowledge and their confidence in meeting these demands.

Professional learning can also help PE departments review their curriculum and ensure that lessons are purposeful, inclusive and engaging. The aim is not simply to introduce new activities, but to improve what pupils learn and how they experience the subject.

Useful areas for professional development

The most relevant CPD will depend on a teacher’s role, experience and school priorities. Common areas include:

• Curriculum design: planning a coherent programme that builds skills, knowledge and confidence over time.
• Inclusive teaching: adapting activities, equipment, rules and instruction so that pupils with different needs can participate meaningfully.
• Assessment: checking pupils’ progress and giving feedback that helps them understand how to improve.
• Subject knowledge: developing confidence in teaching a wider range of sports, movement activities and outdoor learning.
• Health and wellbeing: supporting pupils to understand the benefits of physical activity and develop positive, sustainable habits.
• Safeguarding and safety: refreshing knowledge of risk assessment, safe practice and appropriate supervision.
• Behaviour and motivation: creating supportive learning environments in which pupils feel safe to participate and take appropriate risks.

Choosing the right CPD

Start by identifying a clear learning need. This might come from lesson observations, pupil feedback, curriculum reviews, assessment information or discussions with colleagues. A specific question—such as how to increase participation among less-confident pupils—can make professional learning more focused than a broad aim to “improve PE”.

Consider how the learning will be used in practice. A course or workshop may offer useful ideas, but lasting improvement often depends on what happens afterwards: trying an approach, discussing the results with colleagues and adapting it to suit pupils and the school context.

CPD can take many forms. Alongside external courses and conferences, teachers can learn through peer observation, team planning, coaching, professional reading, online sessions and sharing practice within a department. Practical workshops can be especially helpful for developing subject knowledge, while collaborative enquiry can support changes to teaching or curriculum design.

Making CPD inclusive and relevant

Professional learning should help teachers consider who is taking part in PE, who may be finding it difficult to engage, and what barriers might be affecting participation. These barriers can relate to confidence, prior experience, disability, culture, changing facilities or the way activities are taught.

CPD in inclusive practice can encourage teachers to make thoughtful adaptations without lowering expectations. Small changes to grouping, communication, equipment or task design may help more pupils take part and make progress. It is also valuable to involve pupils in conversations about their experiences and to use their feedback when reviewing provision.

From learning to impact

To make CPD worthwhile, set a manageable goal and decide how its impact will be reviewed. After trying a new approach, consider questions such as:

• Did pupils understand the purpose of the activity?
• Were more pupils able to participate successfully?
• What evidence showed progress or increased confidence?
• What would need to change before using the approach again?

Evidence does not need to be complicated. Teacher reflection, pupil voice, lesson observations and examples of pupils’ work can all help show whether a change is making a difference. Sharing findings with colleagues can extend the value of CPD across the department.

Making CPD part of school life

Professional development is most effective when it is supported by time for discussion, experimentation and reflection. PE teachers and school leaders can help by linking CPD to departmental priorities, making space for collaborative planning and recognising the value of subject-specific learning.

For PE teachers, CPD is an opportunity to keep learning alongside their pupils. With clear goals and a focus on classroom practice, it can strengthen teaching, support inclusion and help more young people build positive relationships with physical activity.

 

Seven Benefits of CPD for PE Teachers: Enhancing Knowledge, Confidence, and Student Engagement

1. Keeps subject knowledge up to date.
2. Builds confidence in teaching diverse activities.
3. Supports inclusive lessons for all pupils.
4. Improves curriculum planning and progression.
5. Strengthens assessment and feedback.
6. Promotes pupil engagement and wellbeing.
7. Encourages reflection and career development.

 

Challenges of CPD for PE Teachers: Balancing Costs, Time, and Practicality

1. CPD can be costly.
2. Courses may take teachers away from lessons.
3. Cover can be difficult to arrange.
4. Some training may not suit school needs.
5. New ideas can be hard to apply without resources.
6. Follow-up support may be limited.
7. Busy workloads can leave little time for reflection.

Keeps subject knowledge up to date.

CPD helps PE teachers keep their subject knowledge up to date as sports, activities, teaching approaches and curriculum expectations evolve. By engaging with current research and learning from other professionals, teachers can refresh their understanding, develop confidence in unfamiliar areas and provide pupils with accurate, relevant learning experiences.

Builds confidence in teaching diverse activities.

CPD can build PE teachers’ confidence in teaching a wider range of activities, including sports and movement practices that may be less familiar. Practical training and opportunities to share ideas with colleagues can strengthen subject knowledge and provide new teaching strategies. This helps teachers deliver activities with greater assurance, adapt them to suit different abilities and interests, and create engaging lessons where more pupils feel able to take part.

Supports inclusive lessons for all pupils.

CPD helps PE teachers develop the knowledge and practical strategies needed to make lessons inclusive for all pupils. By learning how to adapt activities, equipment, instructions and ways of grouping, teachers can reduce barriers to participation and respond to different abilities, needs and levels of confidence. This helps every pupil feel welcome, take part meaningfully and make progress in physical education.

Improves curriculum planning and progression.

CPD can help PE teachers plan a more coherent curriculum, with learning that builds progressively from one year group to the next. By deepening their subject knowledge and exploring effective teaching approaches, teachers can identify the skills, knowledge and movement experiences pupils need at each stage. This makes it easier to sequence activities, revisit important learning and set suitable next steps, so pupils can develop confidence and competence over time.

Strengthens assessment and feedback.

CPD can help PE teachers strengthen assessment and feedback by developing practical ways to recognise pupils’ progress in skills, knowledge and confidence. Teachers can learn to use clear success criteria, observe performance more effectively and give specific, timely guidance that pupils can act on. This helps learners understand what they are doing well and what to work on next, while enabling teachers to adapt activities to meet different needs and track progress over time.

Promotes pupil engagement and wellbeing.

CPD can help PE teachers create lessons that are more engaging, inclusive and responsive to pupils’ needs. By developing new teaching strategies and adapting activities to suit different abilities and interests, teachers can encourage more pupils to take part with confidence. Positive, enjoyable experiences of PE can support pupils’ physical and emotional wellbeing, strengthen their sense of belonging and help them build lasting, healthy relationships with physical activity.

Encourages reflection and career development.

CPD encourages PE teachers to reflect on their teaching, recognise what is working well and identify areas for growth. By considering feedback, trying new approaches and reviewing their impact on pupils, teachers can make informed improvements to their practice. This ongoing learning can also support career development, helping teachers build expertise, take on new responsibilities and explore future opportunities within education.

CPD can be costly.

One potential drawback of CPD for PE teachers is the cost. Course fees, travel, accommodation and cover for lessons can place pressure on both individual teachers and school budgets. This may limit access to high-quality training, particularly for staff in schools with fewer resources, and make it harder for departments to provide development opportunities consistently.

Courses may take teachers away from lessons.

CPD courses can require PE teachers to spend time away from their usual lessons, which may disrupt pupils’ learning and create extra work for colleagues covering classes. The impact can be reduced by choosing relevant training, planning cover in advance and sharing key learning with the department afterwards.

Cover can be difficult to arrange.

Arranging cover can be a significant challenge when PE teachers attend CPD. Finding a suitable colleague to take lessons at short notice may be difficult, particularly in busy schools or departments with limited staffing. Cover arrangements can also disrupt pupils’ learning and add to the workload of colleagues, while the cost of supply staff may put further pressure on school budgets. As a result, teachers may miss valuable professional development even when it would benefit their practice.

Some training may not suit school needs.

Some CPD training may not suit a school’s specific needs, priorities or pupils. A course can offer useful ideas in theory but feel difficult to apply if it does not reflect the school’s facilities, resources, curriculum or local context. Teachers may therefore spend valuable time on training that has little practical impact, unless they can adapt what they have learnt to their own setting.

New ideas can be hard to apply without resources.

New ideas introduced through CPD can be difficult to put into practice if a school lacks the necessary resources. Activities may require specialist equipment, suitable facilities, additional staff or time for planning and training. Without this support, PE teachers may struggle to adapt what they have learnt, meaning that valuable professional development does not always lead to lasting changes in lessons.

Follow-up support may be limited.

A potential drawback of CPD for PE teachers is that follow-up support may be limited. A course or workshop can introduce useful ideas, but teachers may have little time or guidance to put them into practice, discuss challenges or receive feedback. Without ongoing support from colleagues, mentors or school leaders, new approaches can be difficult to sustain and may have less impact on pupils’ learning.

Busy workloads can leave little time for reflection.

Busy workloads can make it difficult for PE teachers to find time to reflect on their professional development. Teaching, planning, assessment, extracurricular activities and wider school responsibilities can leave little space to consider how new ideas are working in practice. Without time to review successes and challenges, it may be harder to adapt what has been learnt or make CPD lead to lasting improvements in teaching.