Key Stage 4
CORE PE
In Year 10, students will have an opportunity to choose a Physical Education pathway that suits their individual needs, whether that be a competitive based team sport route, a creative and individual pathway or an alternative sports pathway. By giving students this ownership over their learning journey, this enables success and progress at all levels and sustains high levels of motivation amongst peers.
By the end of Year 11, we endeavour to have sustained and further developed student engagement in Physical Activity, with increasing experience and reflection upon the benefits of participation as they progress in their lives.
Examinational PE
At key stage 4 you will have an additional option to select PE as one of your option choices. We currently provide two contrasting options for pupils to select – GCSE PE and Sport Studies. Whichever option is chosen, a love for sport and physical activity is essential. Both qualifications offer a mixture of practical and theoretical elements and enable students to continue studying sport at level 3, following the successful completion of the course.
GCSE PE - OCR
A great option if you enjoy all facets of sport from studying the science behind how the human body performs, the psychology that enables excelling in sport and the social aspects of who and why people participate in sport in the first place. This is a linear course that culminates in two exam papers at the end of year 11; plus an additional non-examined element comprising of performance in three sports and a coursework based task analysing and evaluating performance.
SPORT STUDIES – Cambridge National
A more ‘vocational’ sporting option that aims to link the study of sport with specific careers in the industry. Your study will be split into three units – the contemporary issues in sport unit is an examined component, although a resit is allowed and the exam windows sit outside the conventional summer exams of year 11. There is also an assignment based unit studying the media’s involvement in the sports industry, as well as a performance and leadership unit whereby you will be internally assessed playing in two sports, plus designing and leading a sporting activity.
How we IMPLEMENT this:
We endeavour to implement our intentions through three lessons per fortnight at key stage three and two at key stage four. Students will therefore study and participate in one sport for a period of four weeks before rotating onto another activity. All students will get equal opportunities and study the same blocks of work on a rotational basis.
At the end of each block, students will be assessed using our ‘Head, Heart, Hands’ assessment method, enabling students to develop through a whole range of criteria and not just physical performance alone. This helps us to build well-rounded individuals that improve their skill set, their fitness levels, their understanding of the tactical components as well as the developing of key character building skills such as teamwork, communication, resilience and many more.
Students are currently divided into two higher ability sets, one male group and one female. There is then a third, mixed ability and mixed gender group. This allows for stretch and challenge of pupils at the appropriate levels. These groupings however are fluid and can therefore change at the end of each block of work should the teacher see fit. A setting period begins at the start of year 7 to assess the start point of each individual student.
