Introduction to the subject

GCSE Physical Education gives you the opportunity to learn about how the body and mind works in relation to sport and physical activity as well as the role of sport within our society. To successfully obtain a GCSE in Physical Education, you have to work hard at both the theoretical and practical elements of the course. 

What will you learn?

Theory Units - worth 60% of the overall grade:

• Applied anatomy and physiology 

• Movement analysis 

• Physical training 

• Health, fitness and well-being

• Sports psychology

• Socio-cultural influences 

Practical - worth 30% of overall grade: 

You must be assessed as a performer in three different activities. One of which must be a team activity, one must be an individual activity and the third can be from either category. 

Coursework - Personal Exercise Programme (PEP) - worth 10% of the overall grade: 

Students will be required to assess and analyse their own personal fitness and evaluate the impact their fitness has on their performance in a chosen activity. Students must then plan and carry out a six-week training programme to improve a selected area of their fitness in order to improve their performance. Students are then assessed on their ability to evaluate the process that they have carried out. 

After the course

This course gives students who wish to study Physical Education at a higher level a great opportunity to cover a wide range of topics in depth. Therefore, it is highly recommended that students wishing to study Physical Education at A Level or degree level should choose GCSE Physical Education as an option. 

Previous students who have obtained the GCSE PE qualification have gone on to a range of jobs including:

• Teaching

• Sports scientist

• Physiotherapist

• Sports coach

• Sports development officer

• Personal trainer

• Sports psychologist

• Sports analyst

• Sports journalist

• Cardiologist

• Nutritionist

Subject Content - What will you be doing? 

• OCR LEVEL 2 in Sport has been designed to provide an engaging and stimulating introduction to the world of sport.

• The qualification builds on learning from Key Stage 3 for those who may wish to explore a vocational route throughout Key Stage 4. 

• It also provides a good introduction to Sport for students in Post-16 education, and brings together learning at Level 2 to ensure that every student taking the qualification completes it with a level of understanding and skill on which to build at a later date. 

• You will study a total of 3 units, with one being assessed externally via an online examination. The remaining 2 units will be assessed via written coursework and practical performances which will be marked and assessed internally by staff members. The units studied are outlined here:

Key Points about the Subject - 

Unit 1: Contemporary Issues in Sport - Online Examination

• Different user groups, barriers & overcoming barriers.

• Factors affecting participation. 

• Sporting values. 

• Olympic & Paralympics. 

• Sporting values & initiatives. 

• Sporting behaviour & performance enhancing drugs. 

• Hosting major sporting events. 

• The role of NGB’s in developing sport. 

• The use of technology in sport 

Unit 2: Performance and Leadership in Sports Activities - Coursework

• Performance in 2 activities 

• Applying practice methods to improve sports performance 

• Organisation of a sporting activity 

• Delivering a sporting activity 

• Reviewing delivery of sporting activity

Unit 3: Sport and the Media - Coursework

• The different sources of media that cover sport

• Positive effects of the media in sport

• Negative effects of the media in sport