Physical Education

Years 7 and 8

Lessons in Key Stage 3 follow a course which emphasises skill development and tactical approaches to a variety of sports as well as developing knowledge and understanding of health & fitness. 

 Activities Studied

Year 7	Year 8
Netball	Netball
Gymnastics	Gymnastics
Outdoor & Adventurous Activities	Badminton
Football	Football
Fitness	Fitness
Dance	Dance
Basketball	Basketball
Orienteering	Volleyball
Touch Rugby	Touch Rugby
Table tennis	Table tennis
Handball	Handball
Tennis	Tennis
Invasion games	Invasion games
Athletics	Athletics
Striking & fielding	Striking & fielding
Golf	Golf

What skills students develop

• The ability to perform a wide range of sporting techniques and tactics with precision, fluency and control.
• The ability to make and apply decisions in different sporting situations.
• Mental determination to succeed and the physical capacity to cope with the demands of different activities.
• The ability to evaluate performance and suggest areas for improvement.
• The ability to make informed choices about the types of activity they are suited to and the roles that they can take on.

How students are assessed

Students are taught in their tutor groups and are assessed on a lesson by lesson basis with clear guidance given on how to achieve the expectations for each level. There are three strands of assessment to allow all students to succeed; head (knowledge & understanding), heart (communication) and hands (physical development). Formal assessment lessons are also conducted during the last week of each sport where students are given an attainment level for each activity they study. 

How parents can help

Ask questions about what your child has learnt in Physical Education. Talk to them about the importance of practice and hard work to achieve success. Make sure they have the correct PE kit for every lesson. Encourage them to attend as many different extra-curricular clubs as possible; it will help improve their all-round sporting ability. 

If your child has a passion for an activity take them to a club outside school to receive specialised coaching and meet new people. Advice can be given by the Physical Education department on suitable local clubs in the area. Make sure your child is aware of the importance of exercise and diet for maintaining health. Finally go and play some sport with your child, its great fun!

Core Physical Education Lessons

All students, regardless of whether they select PE as an option subject, will have two lessons per week of Core PE. These lessons give students the opportunity to continue to engage in physical activity over a wide range of different sports. 

Physical Education GCSE

AQA Physical Education GCSE

Full course specification

Link to Personal Learning Checklists

Course Details

GCSE Physical Education is probably the most varied course that can be taken in KS4 meaning that in every single lesson there is something new to learn from the wide world of sport, exercise and health.

There is very strong scientific content and students should be achieving grades 4+ in current Key Assessments in Science if considering this course. It is compulsory for GCSE Physical Education students to be involved in club sports teams or extra-curricular club.

Topics studied include anatomy, detailing how body systems work and how they are affected by exercise, and psychology, covering the effects of motivation, personality, arousal and aggression on sports performance.

Students studying GCSE Physical Education will also gain insight into how to train to improve fitness, the importance of health and nutrition, the impact of media and technology on sport, and social and ethical sporting considerations such as sportsmanship and the use of performance enhancing drugs.

Having such a broad theoretical content means that GCSE Physical Education is an ideal stepping-stone into a wide range of careers concerned with Sport, Fitness and Health. This course is ideal for anyone considering post-16 qualifications in Physical Education, Human Biology, Psychology, Sports Coaching or Fitness.

If students have an interest in sport and exercise and want to know more then this course is ideal. GCSE Physical Education has a significant amount of theoretical content but the course is not wholly assessed by examination performance as the practical performance in sport also counts towards the grade.

How students are assessed

Exam  (1.25 hrs)	The human body and movement in physical activity and sport	36% of the qualification
Exam  (1.25 hrs)	Socio cultural influences and wellbeing in physical activity and sport	24% of the qualification
Non exam assessment	Practical Performance and analysis and evaluation of performance	40% of the qualification

Additional activities can also be assessed provided the exam board recognise the activity. In previous years this has meant that students who have regularly participated in swimming, cycling, skiing, and golf outside of Blenheim, have been able to use their ability in these activities to count towards their GCSE grade. In order to support the two summative assessments, each topic is evaluated with a formal written assessment in the form of a unit test key assessment. This allows us to monitor a student’s ability in that area of the course. 

The topics studied for the theory exam are:

Applied Anatomy and Physiology	Sports Psychology
Use of Data	Socio-cultural Influences
Movement Analysis	Health Fitness & Wellbeing
Physical Training

Homework

Students have 2 hours of homework per week. One hour is spent on a theoretical based task while during the other hour students are expected to participate in extra-curricular sport. All homework tasks are planned to build on the knowledge learnt in lessons and frequently these tasks make use of student iPads.

How parents can help

It is vital that parents actively encourage students to be participating in sports activities both in and outside of school. For the theory side of the courses a simple analogy can be used; ‘practice makes perfect.’ To achieve the best grades, students must use the knowledge gained in theory lessons and be able to apply it. Therefore, please encourage your child to regularly practice the material learned, through discussion and analysis of their own performances in sport, and the performances of others. Just like in sport the more you get your child to practice, the better they will be!

Exam Board

NCFE Level 1-2 Technical Award in Health and Fitness

Link to course specification

Link to Personal Learning Checklists

Course Details

This qualification is appropriate for students who are looking to develop a significant core knowledge and understanding in health and fitness. The qualification appeals to students who wish to pursue a career in the health and fitness sector or progress to further study. This qualification is designed to match the rigour and challenge of GCSE study.

Key Content areas:

• Structure and function of body systems
• Effects of health and fitness activities on the body
• Health and fitness and the components of health and fi tness
• Principles of training
• Testing and developing components of fitness
• Impact of lifestyle on health and fitness
• Applying health and fitness analysis and setting goals
• Structure

What skills students develop

Throughout the course learners will develop skills and knowledge in adapting their own ideas and responding to feedback by evaluating their own work, analysing data and making decisions that are essential for the health and fitness sector, such as evaluation skills, responding to data, independent working, working to deadlines, and efficient use of resources as well as an ability to reflect upon their preferred learning style and identify relevant study skills. Successful completion of this qualification will enable learners to progress to level 2 or 3 qualifications in related subjects. The knowledge and skills gained will provide a secure foundation for learners to progress into career opportunities in the health and fitness sector and provide a valuable platform for further study.

How students are assessed

Exam  (1.5 hrs)	Health and Fitness.	40% of the qualification
Non exam assessment	Portfolio of evidence generated from assessment tasks	60% of the qualification

The exam is 100% written and the non-exam assessment synoptic project is 88% written and 12% practical completed in 22 hours under controlled assessment conditions. Therefore, a high standard of literacy and focus is needed to be able to cope with the demands of the course. The qualification is graded at Level 1 Pass/Merit/Distinction and Level 2 Pass/Merit/Distinction/Distinction* (equivalent to GCSE grades 8.5-1). A minimum of a level 1 Pass must be achieved in both assessments to pass the course or a grade U is awarded. Due to the nature of assessment, students need to achieve a minimum standard of a 4 in PE, Science and English at the end of year 8 to gain the most out of the course.

Student quotes

“This course is ideal if you have an interest in sport and fitness!”

“I have really enjoyed learning about body systems and applying knowledge to my training programme”.

“I like working with clients and helping to improve their health and lifestyle”. 

Enrichment

As well as the potential to assist with Sixth Form sports teams and House events, there is the opportunity to assist with the development of lower school sport by assisting teachers in lessons or with extra-curricular sport.

Progression

Learners who achieve well at level 2 might consider progressing onto Level 3 BTEC Sport or A Level PE, employment or an apprenticeship in the health and fitness sector in occupations such as health, fitness or personal training.