PE in the Academy is underpinned by the value of encouraging students to be active in order to increase the chances of lifelong participation in sports and physical activity.
During Year 7 and 8, students have 4 hours of practical PE over two weeks. During these lessons students participate in a range of sports and activities in order to develop not only their practical ability but also their knowledge and understanding of the bodily systems.
In Year 9, students who have demonstrated a high level of ability and are interested in studying PE at GCSE level are placed onto a GCSE introduction course. These students have 5 lessons over 2 weeks and consist of both practical and theory elements. Students who are not on this pathway undertake 3 hours of practical PE over 2 weeks.
Activities range from team sports such as Rugby, Football, Netball and Hockey to individual activities such as Table Tennis, Orienteering, Badminton and Trampolining to name a few.
Homework for students requires them to attend at least one PE enrichment club a week.
All students in KS4 will take part in PE as part of their curriculum. Students that have not opted for examination PE will take part in core PE which consists of 2 hours over 2 weeks.
Students that have chosen to study examination PE will be put on either the Cambridge National Sport Science (CNAT) or GCSE pathway which consists of 5 hours over 2 weeks in addition to their 2 core PE lessons.
GCSE PE students follow the OCR 1-9 specification. This course requires them to be assessed in 3 practical sports which must be a mixture of team and individual activities, 1 piece of coursework and two written examinations at the end of year 11.
During practical lessons students will take part in a range of sports and activities which require them to work both individually and as part of a team. Students will then use their 3 strongest sports to be assessed in for their qualification.
During theory lessons students will cover a range of topics from biomechanics and movement analysis to socio-cultural influences and psychology in sport. Students will be required to complete written homework on a regular basis and ensure they revise and prepare for frequent written assessments.
It is expected that GCSE students demonstrate their commitment to PE and sport by attending a wide range of enrichment clubs and are a member of a sporting club outside of the Academy.
Cambridge Nationals Sport Science is a vocational course that follows the OCR specification.
This course is assessed through theory elements; 75% coursework and 25% exam. Students will cover 4 different units throughout the course and complete assignments based on; principles of training, sports psychology and anatomy and physiology. They will then complete 1 written examination based on sports injuries.
Students will still be required to take part in practical lessons to help with the understanding of the topics but their practical performance will not be assessed.
It is expected that CNAT students are highly organised and are able to work independently as coursework will need to be completed outside of lessons in order to complete this course.
Extracurricular clubs play an integral part of the students’ personal development, and students throughout the school are encouraged to take part in as many different activities as possible.
There are a wide variety of clubs that take place at lunch times and after school, with the activities offered being changed every half term.
We also have links with many external clubs who deliver activities which would not normally be offered within curriculum lessons.
In addition to the clubs, there are also numerous opportunities for students to compete competitively for the school in friendly, league and cup matches as well as tournaments in a range of sports and activities throughout the year.
Some of our sports-related enrichment clubs on offer include:
- Dodgeball
- Football
- Table Tennis
- Trampolining
Sports leadership is an extremely important aspect within PE and is held in very high regard by all students within the Academy. Sports leaders are confident, articulate, organised and role models to all that enter the Academy; from their peers to the primary school children they run events for.
Students are appointed as sports leaders either by their class teacher who has seen leadership qualities within lessons and extra- curricular clubs, or through applying for the role and being given the opportunity to demonstrate their ability alongside other leaders at an organised event.