PE
PE is a vital part of school life and ultimately students’ future well-being. It is therefore our intent to provide an inclusive, broad and balanced PE curriculum that ensures ALL children will benefit, whether through enhancing existing skills and knowledge, gaining new skills and knowledge, or being introduced to new sports, clubs, teams and organisations.
Participating in high quality PE lessons, students will become more competent, confident and expert in their techniques, and apply them across different sports and physical activities. Through PE pupils will have an experience that promotes leadership, team work, independence and risk taking, as well as understanding what makes a performance effective, and being able to apply these principles to their own and others’ work. They should develop the confidence and interest to get involved in exercise, sports and activities out of school and in later life, and understand and apply the long-term health benefits of physical activity.
The structure of the year is such to follow seasonal changes in weather and to run alongside the British sporting calendar.
It is our intent to ensure students understand the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle and to equip them with the tools to do so through health and well-being education. Students must understand how to take care of themselves both physically and mentally in order to be successful as adults.
Beyond merely a subject, we believe that participation in sporting activity is a key element of developing a school in which students are proud of the community in which they belong. Therefore, great emphasis is placed upon additional sporting opportunities beyond the lesson within after-school clubs, inter-house and inter-school competition and festivals as well as directly trying to support the local clubs within the local area and our feeder schools. We believe this links directly with our school’s values, and are another way in which we can positively engage with our local community and be active citizens within it.
In Year 7, the focus will be ‘What is the key knowledge needed for each sport?’ During this foundation year students will learn the fundamental skills in a variety of sports that will be developed throughout the rest of KS3. The students will need this fundamental knowledge as a basis on which to build on through Year 8 and 9. The knowledge they learn in Year 7 will give them the basic schema with which to think in a more sophisticated way about the decisions they make and the knowledge required as they progress through KS3.
In Year 8, the focus will be ‘How do I use my knowledge of the skills in a competitive situation effectively?’ Students will further develop all fundamental knowledge learnt in year 7. Students will develop their understanding of the skill and health related fitness requirements needed to improve in all sports. This builds upon the knowledge gained in Year 7, as students will use more advanced skills during activities, showing how their understanding of the activities is being developed.
In Year 9, the focus will be ‘How can I use my knowledge of tactics to outwit my opponent/s?’ Students will further develop and master skills learnt in Year 8. Students will develop their understanding of the skill and health related fitness requirements needed to improve in all sports. This will be a transition year to prepare for examination PE, therefore a more in depth understanding of key concepts will be taught.
Students will complete their Key Stage Three PE journey with the ability to use technical terminology with confidence accurately and precisely, building up an extended specialist vocabulary. They will apply their mathematical knowledge to their understanding of PE, including measuring, timing, estimating and analysing data. They will have had the opportunity to attend a variety of extra-curricular sporting clubs and competitions, having an opportunity to represent their school and community. They will develop a lifelong love of sports and physical exercise. Students will make positive informed choices around their health, well-being and diet, linking the benefits of a healthy diet and physical activity to mental and physical well-being. There will be a development of their leadership qualities and knowledge through sport, and have a sound understanding of different sports, their origins, including British and worldwide sporting role models. Ultimately, students are prepared to transition from KS3 to KS4 with the skills, knowledge, character and leadership to excel in KS4. Throughout KS3 the promoting of underlying themes/components of the OCR Cambridge Nationals in Sports Science course in order to provide a foundation for a positive transition to KS4.
In Year 10 and 11 CORE PE, students will participate in a variety of sports across the academic year. When students reach Year 10, the focus is for them to apply a range of tactical strategies into a competitive game situation to help them to successfully outwit their opponent/s. The focus of the Yr10 and 11 curriculum is promoting participation and ensuring that students understand the importance of and enjoy taking part in physical activity on a regular basis.
In Year 10 and 11, students who have opted for the subject continue to study PE through OCR Cambridge Nationals in Sports Studies. On the course, students learn content through a variety of units including, Contemporary issues in Sport, Developing sport skills, Sports Leadership and Developing knowledge and skills in outdoor activities (other units may be studied at the discretion of the Head of Zone).
In Year 12 and 13, students are offered the opportunity to continue their studies in sport, covering the OCR Cambridge Technical course in Sport and Physical Activity. Students will develop professional, personal and social skills through interaction with peers, stakeholders and clients, as well as theoretical knowledge and understanding to underpin these skills. These support the transferable skills required by employers such as communication, problem solving, time management, research and analytical skills.