Students cover five curriculum areas of games, gymnastics, dance, athletics and outdoor and adventurous activities. Within these activities students link skills, techniques and apply them accurately and appropriately. When performing they show precision, control and fluency. They show that they understand tactics and composition. They compare and comment on skills, techniques and ideas used in their own and others' work.

Throughout Key Stage 3, students gain an understanding of four key concepts in order to deepen and broaden their knowledge, skills and understanding.

• Competence: developing physical and mental skills, selecting applying tactics/strategies and compositional ideas.

• Performance: analysing, evaluation and finding ways to improve performance. 

• Creativity: experimenting with and expressing ideas through movement.

• Healthy active lifestyles: understanding the importance of physical activity to well being.

Outdoor and adventurous activities are carried out during the Year 8 residential trip.

GCSE Physical Education (9-1)

The course is part theory, part practical.

• 60% written examination; content including: anatomy and physiology, movement analysis, health fitness and a healthy active lifestyle, training, diet, social and cultural factors.

• 30% practical: performing - developing physical skills, being creative and making decisions, and evaluating and improving performance.

10% coursework: Personal exercise programme.
 

Cambridge National - Sports Science

Students complete three units.

R180: Reducing the risk of sports injuries – Written examination summer Year 11 (40%)

The assessment consists of:

• Multiple choice questions
• Short answer questions
• Extended writing questions

R181: Applying principles of training:  fitness and how it affects skill performance – Centre assessed tasks; OCR moderated, completed January Year 11 (40%)

R182: The body’s response to physical activity and how technology informs this Centre assessed tasks; OCR moderated completed, summer Year 11 (20%)

A level Physical Education

The content of this course has been designed to allow students to study PE in an academic setting, enabling them to critically analyse and evaluate their physical performance and apply their experience of practical activity in developing their knowledge and understanding of the subject.

Paper 1 - (30%) - Physiological factors affecting performance 90 marks - 2 hour written paper

Paper 2 - (20%) - Psychological factors affecting performance 60 marks - 1 hour written paper

Paper 3 - (20%) - Socio-cultural issues in physical activity and sport 60 marks - 1 hour exam 

Non-exam assessment -  (30%) - Performance in physical education  60 marks

Cambridge Technical level 3 Sport and Physical Activity

This course is suited to those students who are interested in further studies or a career in sports. Through a combination of both practical and theory elements, students will gain a deeper understanding of Anatomy and Physiology, Fitness Training and Programming for

Health, Sport and Wellbeing, Professional Development in the Sports industry. The course has a mixture of both internal and external assessments over the two years.

Three mandatory units (two of which are exams) and two optional units (coursework). Examples of some of the units are:

Unit 1: Body systems and the effects of physical activity - written examination.

Unit 2: Sports coaching and activity leadership - centre assessed, exam board moderated.

Unit 3: Sports organisation and development - written examination

Optional units:

Unit 8 Organisation of sports events - centre assessed, exam board moderated.

Unit 17 Sports injuries and rehabilitation - centre assessed, exam board moderated.

Both courses lead onto one of many sports-related degree courses or apprenticeships available. However, the real benefit of studying Sport and PE is that it enables you to grasp a wide range of skills – from scientific research through to debate. It also develops an organised well rounded student that can cope with the demands of the workplace or university life. This wide variety of skill sets will stand you in good stead for most university courses. The same applies to the workplace.

For more information about this subject at KS5, please click here and go to the relevant subject leaflet.