Physical Education

Rationale

Our intent in the Physical Education (PE) department is to provide an engaging curriculum based on five core values – enjoyment, creativity, leadership, respect and teamwork. We want PE to be fun, to promote enjoyment and encourage active healthy lifestyles at school and into the future. We aim to inspire our students by providing personal development opportunities within the local community and to engage and enjoy women’s sport, believing “you have to see it, to be it”. Our ambition is to provide opportunities throughout our curriculum to be creative and to create leaders. Through leadership opportunities we aim for our students to have the confidence to embrace their future and the possibilities within it. Our curriculum promotes respect – respect for themselves, for each other, for the sport or activity and to always show good sportsmanship regardless of the outcome. The PE curriculum develops teamwork in all that it does. We aim to encourage our students to work together to find the solution, to work with new people and step outside of their comfort zone to enable progression and achieve success.

Overview - Practical PE

Overview - Theory PE

Key Stage 3

Our KS3 curriculum aims to engage students and develop competence in a wide variety of sports and physical activity. Our curriculum includes opportunities for both individual and team sports and activities, to encourage enjoyment, healthy active lifestyles, and life-long participation.

In year 7, students will develop fundamental team building and leadership skills through OAA. These activities will allow students to get to know each other, to have fun, to problem solve, to take risks, and to ultimately build confidence. OAA will progress into the year 8 PE curriculum. Students will work with others, be encouraged to be creative and resilient when faced with more complex challenges to overcome. OAA within the PE curriculum will complement the skills required for FSGBacc activities and will provide the fundamental skills required for the Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Netball is taught throughout KS3. This time allows us to cover skills, knowledge of rules, tactics, and strategies. All school locally to us play netball and progression to playing netball within the local community is evident after leaving FSG. Teaching netball at KS3 equips our students with the confidence to potentially continue once they leave school.

Tag rugby is an inclusive and accessible sport which in KS3 will teach students fundamental knowledge of the game and the key skills required. Other competitive sports studied include football, handball and rounders. This variety aims to engage as many students as possible. At primary school some never play netball for example but do play rounders or football. The progression of these sports within the PE curriculum will have a positive impact on the development of key life skills beneficial for school life and the future. The variety in sports offered, requires and encourages teamwork, respect, resilience and confidence, essential skills within the school environment and beyond.

All KS3 students will be inducted in how to use the fitness suite equipment safely and effectively. From this point and throughout KS4, students will engage in health promoting physical activity discovering the role that it plays in establishing and maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle. In athletics, with such a wide range of running, jumping, and throwing activities, students will develop an understanding of the correct technique and how to maximise this in order to improve performance.

KS3 dance is taught in the PE curriculum, which focusses on the two components Choreography and Performance. A range of dance styles are experienced from a range of cultures and disciplines. Students are expected to experience a range of problem-solving activities, opportunities to improve fitness and to develop creativity with others. Each student will experience the role of a performer, choreographer, rehearsal director and critique.

Key Stage 4

Practical PE

As students’ progress into KS4, our curriculum enables students to deepen their knowledge of rules, strategies, and tactics within several core sports and activities. Students develop their understanding of the strategies required for success. Netball continues to be a focus, providing opportunities to practice essential skills, developing tactics and playing full sided games. Other competitive sports studied include rounders, handball, football, table tennis, tchoukball and dodgeball. Athletics lessons will focus upon technique and how to run faster, jump and throw further. These lessons again provide a wide variety to suit as many students as possible to keep students engaged and motivated to participate. In KS4, students will continue to have access to the fitness suite, to complete teacher led tasks working on certain aspects of fitness or develop their own programme using the cardio equipment and free weights.

At KS4, new opportunities are also integrated into the PE curriculum to continue to engage and ensure the curriculum remains varied. In a recent report by Sport England, it is suggested that almost a third of teenage girls say they haven’t found a sport or activity they enjoy. Our curriculum aims to challenge this. Badminton is the UK’s most played racket sport. The introduction of badminton into the curriculum at year 9 provides new opportunities for enjoyment, creativity, and teamwork. Students can use transferable skills learnt at KS3 to plan strategies and tactics to outwit an opponent.

Netball leadership is studied at KS4, which aims to enhance confidence, communication, and teamwork skills. These leadership lessons will complement the skills needed in FSGBacc activities, the Duke of Edinburgh Award, and will encourage the progression towards FSGBacc Sports Ambassadors at KS5. The officiating and organisational skills developed during these lessons will also allow for opportunities to assist the PE department in its interhouse programme.

Students in years 9 and 10 will have a double lesson a fortnight in which FSGBacc activities will be scheduled. Use of the climbing wall provides opportunity for personal growth and individual challenge. It also teaches valuable life skills, such as setting and achieving goals, problem solving, self-awareness and self-confidence. Mountain biking has many health benefits and provides an opportunity to get outdoors and enjoy the environment and learn new skills. Mountain biking is a social activity that will develop confidence and resilience. Students will re-visit self-defence at KS4. This will continue to develop important life skills, to teach students to avoid dangerous situations and to be more self-aware. First aid will be taught at KS4. This will teach and encourage students to evaluate risk, to improve decision making skills and empower students to have the necessary tools to respond in an appropriate manner to an emergency. Geocaching is an enjoyable activity that can have many educational benefits. At KS4, geocaching is part of the PE curriculum. Key skills will be developed including navigation, problem solving, teamwork, and respect for the environment. Geocaching will build on the knowledge and skills gained in OAA lessons at KS3.

NCFE Health and Fitness

Content:

• Structure and function of body systems
• Effects of health and fitness activities on the body
• Health and fitness and the components of fitness
• 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 of a health and fitness programme and how to prepare safely

Examined assessment:

Externally Assessed: Written Examination (externally marked) 40% weighting

Non-exam assessment (NEA):

Internally Assessed: Synoptic Project (externally quality assured) 60% weighting

Approach:

The course is taught using a wide variety of methods to interest and engage. Practical lessons reinforce theoretical topics and aim to be fun, competitive, challenging, and physical in nature. Theoretical lessons require students to discuss opinions, use resources to good effect and be able to work both collaboratively and independently to produce a varied portfolio of classwork.

In Year 10, students will be preparing to write the synoptic project from term 1 in September of year 11. Students will also be working towards taking the written examination in May/June of year 11.

In Year 11 students start writing their Synoptic Project. This is set in September by the NCFE and comprises of 22 hours of independent work. An individual learner log will need to be kept, to record how the student approaches her work tasks, the resources that were used and how time was managed. The learner log will also be assessed. This work is carried out in lesson time. In year 11, students will also revise for the written examination that will be taken in May/June. This is a 1 hour 30 minute assessment. A variety of assessment questions will be used, including multiple-choice, short-answer and extended response questions. This will enable learners to demonstrate their breadth of knowledge and understanding of the subject.

Post 16

Course content: Unit 1 Anatomy and Physiology (externally assessed, year 12)

Learners explore how the skeletal, muscular, cardiovascular and respiratory systems function and the fundamentals of the energy systems.

Unit 2 Fitness Training and Programming for Health, Sport and Wellbeing (externally assessed, year 13)

Learners explore client screening and lifestyle assessment, fitness training methods and fitness programming to support improvements in a client’s health and well-being.

Unit 3 Sporting industry (internally assessed assignment, year 12) Learners explore the knowledge and skills required for different career pathways in the sports industry.

Learners will take part in, and reflect on, a personal skills audit, career action plan and practical interview assessment activities.

Unit 6 Sports Psychology (internally assessed assignment, year 13)

This unit covers the psychological dimensions of sport and introduces psychological techniques that can be used to enhance performance.

Assessment: Units 1 and 2 are externally assessed through written examination. Unit 1 is 1 ½ hours long and unit 2 is 2 ½ hours long. The external assessment carries a weighting of 67%. Units 3 and 6 are assessed through internally marked assignments and carry a combined weighting of 33%. In both year 12 and year 13, you will study one internally assessed unit and one externally assessed unit.

Extra Curricular Opportunities

Students have the opportunity to attend weekly extra curricular clubs in a range of sports throughout the year - netball, football, cheerleading, tennis, fitness suite, handball, basketball, athletics, cricket and rounders. Across the year, students have opportunities to represent the school in fixtures in the Shepway and Ashford districts in friendly matches, leagues and tournaments. A number of personal development opportunities in the local area are also provided for students across the year for all year groups. For example, year 7 students have the opportunity to complete the Boonies obstacle course at Betteshanger Park to link with our OAA lessons in term 1. Year 8 have the opportunity to take part in rugby training as part of a visit and tour of Twickenham Stadium. Year 9 students will have the opportunity to attend Clip n Climb as progression from climbing lessons in KS3 FSGBacc, and KS4 Health and Fitness students will have the opportunity to attend a lab based fitness training workshop at Canterbury Christ Church University.

Exam Boards

NCFE Health and Fitness

BTEC National Extended Certificate in Sport

If you would like to know more about our curriculum, please do not hesitate to contact the school.