"GCSE PE at Riddlesdown was my favourite subject! The theory was really interesting and we learnt a whole range of things about how the body works and the psychology behind sport while also broadening our knowledge on lots of different sports. It was really enjoyable as we would usually put the theory into real life situations by making things like podcasts and articles about what we had learnt as well as doing practical lessons to put it into practice. It’s also a great subject to pick as it helps with understanding the content in biology. All the teachers are really supportive and will help you if you need it. My most favourite part of taking GCSE PE was the trip to Marwell as it was a really fun weekend and helped team building for everyone who took the course. Overall, it was a really great subject to take at GCSE and I am now doing it for A-Level, and I will probably continue studying sport and PE in my further education".
Course description
GCSE PE is a fantastic course for students that enjoy and engage in sport. The course aims to develop students technical skills in a range of sports and give them an understanding of theoretical concepts relating to sporting performance and the wider role of sport within society.
GCSE PE is 60% theory, 30% practical and 10% coursework. GCSE PE is academically challenging and students will need a good understanding of Science to be successful in the exams. Students are assessed in 3 practical sports and complete written coursework. Students should be actively enthusiastic towards sport and playing sport(s) competitively for school or club (training to improve performance).
There are two exams for GCSE PE in the summer of Year 11, one focusing on the human body and the other focusing on current affairs and psychology in sport.
Students should be actively enthusiastic towards sport and participate competitively in 3 different sports for school or club.
Course Structure
There are 2 theory exams at the end of Year 11 which are worth 60% of GCSE PE.
Paper 1: The human body and movement in physical activity & sport
Written exam: 1 hour and 15 minutes and assessed out of 78 marks.
Paper 1 is worth 30% of the qualification.
· Applied anatomy and physiology
· Movement analysis
· Physical training
· Use of data
Paper 2: Socio-cultural influences and well-being in physical activity & sport
Written exam: 1 hour and 15 minutes and assessed out of 78 marks.
Paper 2 is worth 30% of the qualification.
· Health, fitness and well-being
· Sport psychology
· Socio-cultural influences
· Use of data
2. Practical
The practical assessment is worth 30% of GCSE PE.
Students are assessed in 3 sports and are expected to play these to a competitive level for school or club to gain higher marks. One choice must be a team sport, one choice must be an individual sport and the final choice can be either a team sport or individual sport.
Examples:
· Football (Team), Rugby (Team) & Road Cycling (Individual)
· Netball (Team), Handball (Team) & Swimming (Individual)
· Table tennis (Individual), Tennis (Individual) & Basketball (Team)
Students are assessed in their performance across two parts:
Part 1 - Skills in progressive drills (10 marks)
Part 2 - Full context e.g. match, race or performance (15 marks)
Total marks – 25 marks
We assess most traditional sports live on site. Students will need to provide Audio-Visual evidence of their performance for any sports that we cannot facilitate live on site (or if students compete at a higher level outside of school e.g. National Gymnastics Competition). Examples of sports which require AV-footage include Track Cycling, Skiing, Swimming, Golf, Trampolining and Gymnastics.
3. Coursework
The coursework is worth 10% of the qualification.
Students complete a written analysis and evaluation of their own performance in one sport which gives recommendations for improvements to performance (training programme).
Students are assessed on their written analysis (15 marks) and evaluation (10 marks) of performance. The coursework is assessed out of 25 marks.
Why study GSCE PE?
GCSE PE is an excellent qualification for students that enjoy PE, passionate about sport, curious to learn about improving their own performance (anatomy, physiology & psychology) and the role that sport plays within society (social & economic).
College VI - GCSE PE students often continue to study A Level PE or BTEC Sport.
University - GCSE PE, A Level PE & BTEC Sport students often go on to study Sport at University in UK and USA. Recent students have attended:
· Sport Psychology at The University of Portsmouth
· Sport Science at Nottingham Trent University
· Sport Science at The University of Birmingham
· Sport & Exercise Science at The University of Surrey
Careers in sport
Professional athlete
Sports agent or manager
Sports marketing & advertising
Sponsorship
Events management
PR & Media
Sports broadcaster/commentator
Sports journalist
PE teacher or lecturer
Sports coach
Personal trainer
Sports development
Outdoor pursuit or national parks manager
Physiotherapist
Nutritionist
Sport psychologist
Sports scientist
Qualification: GCSE Physical Education (8582)
Exam board: AQA
Further information: https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/physical-education/gcse/physical-education-8582
Director of Learning: Mr E Swainson
edward.swainson@riddlesdown.org
"I chose to study GCSE PE during the options process as I have always been passionate about sport, playing football and running cross country during my time at Riddlesdown. GCSE PE was the perfect choice as it allowed me to indulge in my passions through the practical coursework whilst discovering new and exciting information within the content. The specific sections of the content I most enjoyed included learning about included how to optimise training and prevent injury, how muscles and bones interact within the muscoskeletal system and the mental preparation that goes into performance. I had never considered the psychological impact on sport before GCSE PE, it became my favourite part of the course through fascinating topics like information processing and stress management techniques. Studying GCSE PE led to me choosing to study PE at A-level, furthering my passion. I am grateful for all these opportunities as it has maintained my motivation to continue competing in sport at the highest possible level".
"PE was my favourite subject to take at GCSE because I found all aspects really interesting, even more so than I thought I would. I am now able to enjoy and understand things more when watching or playing sport and have a deeper insight. I am now studying PE at A level because of this experience and aim to continue studying it in the future. I really enjoyed the mix of practical and theory as I felt each helped the other to get better".