The Physical Education Department

Aims and purposes of PE

PE offers opportunities for pupils to:

Become skilful and intelligent performers;

Acquire and develop skills, performing with increasing physical competence and confidence, in a range of physical activities and contexts; Learn how to select and apply skills, tactics and compositional ideas to suit activities that need different approaches and ways of thinking; Develop their ideas in a creative way; Set targets for themselves and compete against others, individually and as team members; Understand what it takes to persevere, succeed and acknowledge others' success; Respond to a variety of challenges in a range of physical contexts and environments; Take the initiative, lead activity and focus on improving aspects of their own performance; Discover their own aptitudes and preferences for different activities; Make informed decisions about the importance of exercise in their lives; Develop positive attitudes to participation in physical activity.

PE helps pupils acquire the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to participate successfully in, and enjoy, physical activities both now and in the future. Pupils develop analytical and evaluation skills by deciding how to improve the quality of their own and others' work. This is essential in developing learners who are creative, resourceful and able to solve problems. It also helps them to understand how they learn and how to set themselves targets based on their mistakes and successes.

Key Stage 3 Curriculum

The PE Curriculum at KS3 covers years 7 & 8, Year 9 pupils start on an examination course (more to follow) and consists of at least 4 of the following:

Outwitting opponents, as in games activities; accurate replication of actions, phrases and sequences, as in gymnastic activities; exploring and communicating ideas, concepts and emotions, as in dance activities; performing at maximum levels in relation to speed, height, distance, strength or accuracy, as in athletic activities; identifying and solving problems to overcome challenges of an adventurous nature, as in life saving and personal survival in swimming and outdoor activities; exercising safely and effectively to improve health and wellbeing, as in fitness and health activities.

During the key stage pupils are offered the following opportunities that are integral to their learning and enhance their engagement with the concepts, processes and content of the subject.

The curriculum provides opportunities for pupils to: get involved in a broad range of different activities that, in combination, develop the whole body; experience a range of roles within a physical activity; specialise in specific activities and roles; follow pathways to other activities in and beyond school; perform as an individual, in a group or as part of a team in formal competitions or performances to audiences beyond the class; use ICT as an aid to improving performance and tracking progress; make links between PE and other subjects and areas of the curriculum.  Programmes of study last 6 or 7 weeks and House Competitions are undertaken at the end of these blocks of work.  Students are assessed in each activity and are given a Level of attainment.  Levels of attainment range between Level 3 and Level 8, with the national average being Level 5 at the End of Key Stage 3.

Pupils are setted into ability groups for PE within Years 7 & 8, and are taught in single gender groups.  Each ability group is reviewed at the end of an academic year.

Year 9 Physical Education 2009 onwards

With the Government relaxing KS3 curriculum orders we have been able to introduce examination courses from the start of Year 9.  Pupils are given the opportunity to choose between GCSE PE; BTEC (First) Certificate in Sport or BTEC (First) Certificate in Dance.  The time allocated to physical education has increased within Year 9 to facilitate this change.  Pupils now receive 5 hours of physical education over the 10 day timetable.  Pupils have two 2 hour practical lessons and a 1 hour theory lesson every two weeks.

Pupils have the opportunity to opt for the practical activities they would like to undertake for each of the courses on offer, and they do this at the end of Year 8.  Programmes of study last 8 - 10 weeks giving pupils a greater insight into the activity they have chosen.  At the end of Year 10 pupils will either sit the external examination for GCSE PE or submit three pieces of coursework for the BTEC Courses.  The Year 11 curriculum will then be unveiled.

If parents would like further information on each of these courses then please just open one of the links below;

BTEC Parent Guide; A Guide to GCSE PE; Key features of BTEC Dance

Current KS4 Physical Education

Currently students have a number of different opportunities to undertake a range of examination courses within physical education.  Firstly within the core entitlement of 2 hours a week students study GCSE Physical Education.  This involves them undertaking 5 practical activities of their choice over the 18 month course, which constitutes the coursework element of the course and then undertake a written examination.  Programmes of study last 10 weeks and at the end of each programme of study students sit a written examination and undertake a controlled practical assessment.  Students are marked out of 10 for practical performance and have to undertake a Personal Exercise Programme and Analysis of Performance in one of their chosen activities.  This coursework element is worth up to 60% of the final mark.  Students can use our VLE at any time to help them with homework and preparation for written examinations.

KS4 Options

Students also have the opportunity to opt to undertake additional qualifications within physical education and dance within the options programme.  Additional options include BTEC (First) Diploma and Certificate in Sport and GCSE Dance. 

If you would like further information regarding GCSE Dance then please open this document.

Post 16 Physical Education and Dance

Opportunities exist for students to continue with further study within physical education and dance within the Sixth Form.  We offer a mixture of traditional "A" Level Courses and Level 3 Applied courses.  Students need to meet the entry requirements for the Sixth Form in order to access these courses.

GCE Physical Education is a mixture of theoretical and practical work.  Students study exercise physiology, sports psychology and a range of socio-historical factors that relate to participation and involvement in sport.  They sit 1 written paper for AS and 1 for A2.  They are also assessed practically in a sport of their choice and have the opportunity to be assessed as a referee, umpire or coach.  At A2 they are assessed as a performer.  For more information regarding AS and A2 please follow the links.

GCE Dance is a mixture of practical performance and theory work.  In the first year you’ll sit a written paper on ‘Understanding dance’. This paper will account for 40% of your AS marks. The remaining 60% of your marks arefor the practical coursework from your ‘Choreography and performance’ study. The second year assessment is in two parts as well. The 90 minute paper you’ll sit on ‘Dance appreciation’ accounts for 50% of your marks. A practical examination on group choreography and solo performance accounts for the remaining 50% of your A2marks.

BTEC National Awards are also on offer to Post 16 students.  Students have the opportunity to study for one, two or three Level 3 qualifications by following the BTEC National Award in Sport and Exercise Science, the BTEC National Certificate in Sport and Exercise Science and the BTEC National Diploma in Sport and Exercise Science.  Each of the awards is completed by the production of coursework with the Award requiring 6 completed units, the Certificate 12 completed units and the Diploma 18 completed units.  Each unit is graded at Pass, Merit or Distinction and are equivalent to passing "A" Level courses.

Extra Curricular Activities

The department organises a range of activities for students to particiapte in for pleasure or for competitive experiences.  For a current timetable of events please go to the extra-curricular page in the parent information section of the site.

The Sport and Active Leisure Diploma

The Diploma is a new qualification for 14 to 19-year-olds. It is made up of several parts, combining subjects like English, mathematics, and information and communication technology (ICT) with practical learning, including project work and work experience. It was introduced to provide a flexible but challenging qualification. If you learn best through applying your knowledge and skills in real world situations, then it could be for you. By 2011 the Diploma will be available across 17 broad subject areas, or lines of learning, from creative and media to manufacturing and product design, so there are plenty of options available.  The school is the Lead Organisation for the development of the Sport and Active Leisure Diploma throughout the authority and will be offering this new qualification for the first time from September 2010.  For more information then please visit the Diploma Web site.