Physical Education

"Limits, like fears, are often just an illusion" - Michael Jordan

Why choose Physical Education?

This course is ideal for students who have an interest in sport and its role in society, who want to gain a better understanding of the human body and improving sports performance through training and who enjoy participating in a range of sports, and do so regularly both in school and outside of school. You must be a confident performer, who has the potential to improve, and the attitude to want to improve!

This course will prepare you to study a Level 3 Sports based course, such as A-level Physical Education or the OCR Cambridge Technical in Sport & Physical Activity.

Welcome to Physical Education

Head of PE - Mr N Santos

A qualification in PE is useful in any profession. The skills that are taught within the subject are very useful in work, study and life.

Most jobs involve teamwork, but it is a particular asset in the medical profession where different professionals work in teams, as well as in research, lab-based work and office departments. Being a confident leader will set you up well for a range of management roles within and outside the sports industry. Even outside management, you will go far if you can inspire and lead your colleagues. Strategic thinking allows you to look at the big picture and make decisions accordingly - something sportspeople have to do all the time. It's vital for managers, marketers, salespeople and business development professionals.

Learning about the body and how it works complements your science studies so any biology-based career will benefit e.g. nurse, doctor, and physiotherapist. Apart from this, there are many others such as: professional athlete, PE teacher, sports coach, dietician, leisure centre manager, sports development officer, sports journalist, commentator, TV presenter, retail agent, match official, photographer, the armed forces – the list goes on!

Exam Board : AQA

Qualification Type: GCSE

Assessment : Two exams, plus practical and written coursework

Exam Length :

Paper 1 - 75 min (30%)

Paper 2 - 75 min (30%)

Coursework - 3 practical performances + 1 written analysis (40%)

What would help?

Anyone can choose this course, however you may find it easier to access if you are confident in how you study in your Science lessons as the method of learning and assessment will be similar in GCSE PE. You should also be taking part in regular competitive events in at least one sport for the school or outside of school.

Course Content

The theoretical element of the course is structured around the two exam papers:

Paper 1: The Human Body and Movement in Sport – Here we will look at human anatomy and physiology, as well as movement analysis and physical training

Paper 2: Socio-Cultural Influences and Well-Being in Sport – For this paper we will study sports psychology, the social and cultural influences on our participation in sport and what it means to be fit and healthy.


We will spend some lesson time improving our skills in a couple of practical activities; however you really need to participate in competitive sport on a regular basis either for a school team or outside of school in at least two sports, preferably three!

"GCSE PE is a great mix of practical and theory which is really interesting, as you can put what you learnt in the classroom into practice. If you have an interest in Biology, Psychology and any sport in general then it is a great GCSE to study." - Y11 student

Methods of Study

The majority of the course is theory and therefore classroom based. Practical lesson time will be dedicated to improving performance in one or two key sports to help achieve the highest mark possible. Classroom lessons will focus on learning and understanding the theory required for the final exam. Theory lessons will look and feel like a Science lesson, with most of the content having direct relevance to your everyday life.

Where possible we will aim to deliver much of the theoretical content through practical lessons to help the students understand the connection between the theory content and practical examples.

"If you are passionate about sports this is the perfect subject. Most of the theory topics link to Biology, which makes it easier for you to learn since you learn similar information in Science which helps you to retain your knowledge." - Y10 student

Assessment

We follow the AQA examining board.

30% Practical Assessment: Your ability as a performer in 3 sports (one must be a team sport and one must be an individual sport). You must be playing competitively in each sport.

10% Written Coursework: An written analysis and evaluation of a sports performance.

60% Theory Assessment:

• Two written exams taken at the end of Year 11

• Each exam is 1 hour 15 minutes long & is worth 30%

Here are some examples of GCSE PE work produced by our students this year...

Useful Links

  • Here is a link to the AQA specification for this course. Here you will find more detail about the course content and how it is assessed.


  • Check out BBC Bitesize for some helpful resources to look at some of the topics you could be learning next year!