Physical Education

All students in year 10 will follow a Physical Education course of 3 lessons per fortnight. They will continue to develop work they have done in the lower school and may have the opportunity to follow one or two new activities or ventures such as sports leader’s awards involving coaching younger children.

In year 11 the pupils will have four compulsory lessons of PE per week. During this time, further opportunities for pupils to participate in games and activities will take place. There may be possibilities of engaging in activities off site if timetabling allows.

Any student not participating in activities because of illness or injury will none the less take a full part in the lesson by helping organise activities, such as taking the role of referee or umpire and evaluating the performance of the physically active participants, these all being facets of their assessment at Key stage 4.

We would like to remind parents that the students’ Physical Education Kit is part of their school uniform and remains as it is at Key stage 3.

BOYS

Boys require plain white shorts, plain white ‘T’ shirt, white socks and gym shoes/trainers for work in the gymnasium. For outside, plain black shorts, navy blue rugby jersey with reversible white stripe, navy blue football socks, football boots and a towel. We would like to emphasise that boys need rugby shirts, which are stronger than football shirts. They cost more than football shirts but they last much longer, whereas football jerseys are easily torn when playing rugby. Equally because of the extortionate cost of replacing branded clothing, we insist on plain white shorts and a plain white ‘T’ with no logos. A plain navy blue track suit is also advisable. It is essential that ‘screw in’ football and rugby studs carry the British Standards Kite Mark.

GIRLS

Girls require a plain white polo shirt, a plain navy-blue round-necked sweater (school jumpers are not permissible) and plain black shorts. Items with logos/brand names are not permitted. Students will be able to purchase both white polo shirts and navy-blue sweaters which are emblazoned with the school logo from Miss Higgins. Students will be expected to wear navy blue hockey / football socks for all outdoor lessons and may choose to wear sports socks which are either plain white or plain navy when participating indoors. It is essential that students wear shin pads for both hockey and football. It is strongly recommended that girls purchase a gum shield also to be worn for hockey. Students also require appropriate trainers and not “fashion” trainers. Students may need to purchase plain navy-blue tracksuit bottoms for use in inclement weather only. All students require a towel for showering after each lesson.

PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT ALL CLOTHING, SPORTS GEAR AND EQUIPMENT ARE CLEARLY MARKED WITH YOUR CHILD'S NAME.

We insist on plain kit because the replacement cost of branded kit is often as high as ten times that of unbranded makes. We are sure that you will agree that our insistence is sensible in order to reduce the cost of an already expensive item.

GCSE PE as an option:

We have chosen to use the EDEXCEL examining board for this subject, with their new syllabus, which was offered for examination for the first time in 2003. The course offers the student the opportunity to develop their own skills in a wide range of sports and activities and help them improve their own performance. They will learn about exercise, how the body works to help exercise and how, through training, performance can be improved.

The course involves participating in a range of practical activities and developing the knowledge to improve ability in these activities. The course will build upon what the student has already learnt in PE about skills, health and fitness and will develop the analytical skills necessary to look at and improve performance.

There is one theory exam at the end of the course of one hour and forty-five minutes and one practical assessment day, which will enable the student to apply their understanding of the factors affecting participation. The coursework element of the course is high (60%) and requires that the student choose four activities for assessment. This is not simply a physical assessment but requires a large amount of observational and analytical criteria to be produced in written form. If a pupil has serious health or fitness problems which preclude them from completing the full course, a decision can be made by the teacher in consultation with the parents/guardians in February of the year of the exam to enter them only for the half course which involves 2 activities and a multiple choice question paper but does not give them a full GCSE credit.

We have been concerned that prospective pupils do not always appreciate the academic or physical requirements of the course. Some of the material covered may be accessed on the school intranet for prior perusal and we would urge anyone considering this subject as an option to urgently refer to this material.

The practical element of the course can be very challenging and pupils need to be aware of the requirements. They need to perform in four activity areas as part of their practical coursework mark. The new GCSE also enables students to take on the role of a leader/coach and officiate in the same activity as part of their assessment.  Pupils choosing PE should either be part of their school team or attend practices showing that they have a commitment to the subject. They should also play sport outside of school or be involved with physical activities.

The nature and extent of the coursework is such that anyone with a large coursework requirement in other subjects would need to consider carefully whether they wish to take this course. The course is not a vocational one and not taking GCSE PE in no way precludes students from taking AS/A Level PE at a later time.