GCSE PE

Intent

The Physical Education Department aims to deliver a broad and balanced curriculum that challenges all students, regardless of their sporting ability. We believe that sport and physical exercise are for everyone, and our curriculum enables all our students to achieve in a supportive and rigorous environment. Our ethos is to encourage a positive mindset that fosters resilience, confidence, and self-belief in a way that supports their health and fitness. We strive to inspire students to develop a lifelong love of physical exercise and participation in sport. Our goal is to create learners who are determined and motivated both on the field and in the classroom, contributing to whole-school excellence.

Knowledge and Skills

Physical Education encourages the development of a wide range of transferable skills. Students of PE should be capable of doing all of the following:

Students are taught how to communicate effectively with one another, making them effective coaches and more effective team members when playing competitive sports.
Students will confidently use specialist physical education vocabulary throughout KS3 and KS4.
Students will develop skills in self-reflection, teamwork, leadership, and organization.
Students will learn how to select and apply appropriate tactics and strategies, applying them to the sport or situation they are in.
Students are taught how to officiate their own games and understand the rules governing these sports, with some even officiating fixtures for younger year groups.
Students will use specialist equipment and ICT when participating in fitness tests.
Students will understand the benefits that a healthy, active lifestyle can have on physical, mental, and social well-being.
Students will develop their analytical abilities, allowing them to identify strengths and areas for improvement in themselves and others, offering effective advice to improve performance.

Curriculum Overview

Key Stage 4

At Key Stage 4, students complete a full GCSE qualification in Physical Education, which consists of 60% theory and 40% practical work. Examinations take place at the end of Year 11, and students will sit two examinations:

Paper 1: The Human Body and Movement in Physical Activity and Sport
Paper 2: Socio-Cultural Influences and Well-Being in Physical Activity and Sport

The 40% practical component includes each student being assessed in either two team activities and one individual activity, or two individual activities and one team activity. Additionally, students complete an analysis of performance in one of their chosen sports.

Career Opportunities in GCSE PE

The study of Physical Education allows you to develop skills that could lead to pursuing many different career choices. Some examples of careers you could choose from include PE teaching, sports science, physiotherapy, sports coaching, sports lecturing, sports psychology, personal training, sports nutrition, and many more. Physical Education lessons teach students how to look after their well-being—physically, mentally, and socially. The good practices learned in looking after yourself will stay with you for the future, regardless of whether PE is specifically related to your chosen career.

Year 10 Curriculum Overview

What are we learning?	What knowledge, understanding and skills will we gain?	What will excellence look like?	How will this be assessed?
Paper 1 completion	Building their knowledge and to embed theory content on the following topics: Applied anatomy and physiology. Movement analysis. Physical training. GCSE AQA specification will be followed: https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/physical-education/gcse/physical-education-8582/specification-at-a-glance	Students able to discuss topics and apply their knowledge, A01 should be answered instantly as the content is embedded whilst A02’s and AO3’ will be practised to help gain higher marks.	All content assessed cumulatively through a 25 mark unit test. The unit test will focus on every aspect from a regular test on a smaller scale. AO1 - Definitions/Descriptions. AO2 - Explanations & Sporting examples. AO3 - Discussion/Analysis of content covered.
Netball	Students will use the skills that have been taught in KS3 and perform them in advance drills, getting them prepared for GCSE moderation in Year 11. Opportunities to lead warm ups, specific activities, score and umpire will be available every lesson. Specifications from the AQA GCSE PE board will be used and often referred back to. GCSE Physical Education Specification Specification for first teaching in 2016 (aqa.org.uk)	All students engaged in taking on roles and responsibilities within the lesson; scoring, referring or coaching for example. Students will also be performing the skills learned in KS3 in a more challenging environment. Effort and participation is fundamental.	Students to be continually assessed for their practical ability, with the focus being on group specific activities. Practical marked out of 25. Active engagement, effort and discussions will take place between peers and teachers to highlight understanding of the importance of an active healthy lifestyle. Understanding of performance and implementing feedback will be vital to get the best grade.
Rugby	Students will use the skills that have been taught in KS3 and perform them in advance drills, getting them prepared for GCSE moderation in Year 11. Opportunities to lead warm ups, specific activities, score and umpire will be available every lesson. Specifications from the AQA GCSE PE board will be used and often referred back to. GCSE Physical Education Specification Specification for first teaching in 2016 (aqa.org.uk)	All students engaged in taking on roles and responsibilities within the lesson; scoring, referring or coaching for example. Students will also be performing the skills learned in KS3 in a more challenging environment. Effort and participation is fundamental.	Students to be continually assessed for their practical ability, with the focus being on group specific activities. Practical marked out of 25. Active engagement, effort and discussions will take place between peers and teachers to highlight understanding of the importance of an active healthy lifestyle. Understanding of performance and implementing feedback will be vital to get the best grade.
Climbing	Students will use the skills that have been taught in KS3 and perform them in advance drills, getting them prepared for GCSE moderation in Year 11. Opportunities to lead warm ups, specific activities, score and umpire will be available every lesson. Specifications from the AQA GCSE PE board will be used and often referred back to. GCSE Physical Education Specification Specification for first teaching in 2016 (aqa.org.uk)	All students engaged in taking on roles and responsibilities within the lesson; scoring, referring or coaching for example. Students will also be performing the skills learned in KS3 in a more challenging environment. Effort and participation is fundamental.	Students to be continually assessed for their practical ability, with the focus being on group specific activities. Practical marked out of 25. Active engagement, effort and discussions will take place between peers and teachers to highlight understanding of the importance of an active healthy lifestyle. Understanding of performance and implementing feedback will be vital to get the best grade.

Year 11 Curriculum Overview

What are we learning?

What knowledge, understanding and skills will we gain?

What will excellence look like?

How will this be assessed?

NEA-Coursework

Using knowledge gains from Paper 1 and 2 students will start their coursework; this involves analysing themselves in a sport of their choice. Two weaknesses and 2 strengths are justified, and an evaluation plan is created to better their weaknesses.

GCSE AQA specification will be followed: https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/physical-education/gcse/physical-education-8582/specification-at-a-glance

Students will be able to take content 1 and use it to write about themselves in a chosen sport, students will be able to justify their reasons and link content to the sport of their choice.

Students will be recalling paper 1 and make links where possible to coursework and paper 2.

Coursework will be marked using the AQA assessment grid out of 25.