subjects
Physical Education
The PE Way
Our subject has a ‘Subject Way’ at the heart of it. Our Subject Way is designed to help students become young subject specialists. The Subject Way has two main purposes:
Firstly, to teach students the vital skills they need to achieve their full potential and gain the very best grades they can. Secondly, to teach students how each subject relates to the wider world, incorporating the life skills they will learn.
It is our belief that knowing how what you learn links to the wider world brings a subject to life and therefore improves overall understanding and engagement.
Curriculum Intent
A high-quality physical education curriculum inspires all pupils to participate in a broad and balanced curriculum. It should provide opportunities for pupils to become physically confident in a way which supports their health and fitness. Opportunities to compete in sport and other activities, build character and help to embed values such as fairness and respect. We also aim to develop the social and emotional well-being of our students.
We aim to engender a love of learning, self-belief and aspiration through 4 key intentions:
- The removal of barriers
- Developing skills for learning
- Fostering of personal attributes
- Enriching student experiences and broadening their horizons
INTENTION 1 – The removal of barriers to learning
In Physical Education we remove barriers to learning and support students’ ability to access the curriculum through the development of literacy, numeracy, oracy skills and vocabulary acquisition. Students are introduced to key subject specific vocabulary and have regular opportunities to reinforce their understanding through low stakes testing. Students are given opportunities to read widely and often in order to develop their oracy within a subject specific context.
Misconceptions do not go unchallenged and the supportive environment within each and every lesson ensures that students develop their own literacy and vocabulary in a high challenge, low fear environment. Throughout each year of the curriculum numeracy and statistical skills are sequenced to become more complex over time to ensure students build on the fundamental aspects of each one and develop their confidence and aptitude.
Students are also given opportunities to follow Paralympic sports such as sitting volleyball, boccia, goalball and blind football throughout years 7 to 9.
INTENTION 2 – Developing skills for learning
Developing student knowledge and essential learning skills go hand in hand. Students need to remember with fluency in order to be fully established mini-subject specialists. We strive, at all times, for personal excellence by developing the 5 key skills for success below:
| Recall |
| Students in PE are consistently recalling learnt skills and developing these in conditioned and competitive practices. Students will need to recall skill and strategies that they have learnt across the key stages. |
| Interpretation |
| Throughout their time students will be asked in lessons to interpret results of heart rates, physical and skill related tests. They will develop their interpreting skills during OAA and Duke of Edinburgh through map and compass work. |
| Creativity |
| All students will develop creativity through numerous units of work each year. During, dance and trampoline units students will be expected to be creative in their choreography and in games units developing creative ways to outwit opponents. |
| Analysis & Evaluation |
| Students develop this skill from the beginning of Y7 where they are taught how to analyse their own and others work. In all units of work communication is developed to ensure all pupils can give meaningful feedback to further develop skills. |
| Divergent thinking |
| Students are challenged in PE to find innovative solutions by looking at things from different angles e.g. attacking or defending. Creative risk taking in a high challenge low fear environment allows all students to think more divergently. |
INTENTION 3 – Fostering personal attributes
In year 7 pupils are taught a broad range of activities including outwitting opponents (take risks and rise to a challenge), competing at maximum levels (Dreaming Big), exploring and communicating ideas etc with a focus on improving their physical, social and emotional well-being. They will become competent, confident and expert in their techniques, and apply them across different sports.
When entering Y8 and Y9 students follow pathways dependent on their areas of strength having completed Year 7. Students will continue to access a range, however, they will study a more specific curriculum. All students across Year 7 & 8 should understand what makes a performance effective and how to apply these principles to their own and others work.
In years 9, 10 and 11 students will continue to develop their character and physical competence as well as increasing their knowledge and understanding of the value of life long participation in Sport. This is done by ensuring lessons are both engaging and purposeful as well as additional opportunities for pupils to ‘try something new’ in the form of taster sessions. Pupils should tackle complex and demanding physical activities. They should get involved in a range of activities that develop personal fitness and promotes an active, healthy lifestyle.
In the year 9 option suite, pupils will take on a range of career based projects. This will give pupils the opportunity to develop experience in a number of different sport related careers they may which to pursue in the future.
Students can also choose to study a vocational qualification in sport, equivalent to one GCSE. They are assessed on Awareness in Outdoor Activity, Practical Performance and Leadership and Contemporary Issues in Sport. This is all achieved by teaching theoretical content through and alongside high-quality practical PE.
Pupils will continue to take part in competitive sports and activities outside school through community links or sports clubs.
Students also have the opportunity to complete the Duke of Edinburgh at bronze and silver level. This further supports and develops the student’s skills and character.
INTENTION 4 – Enriching student experiences and broadening their horizons
We endeavour to give all students a wide, rich set of experiences beyond the traditional curriculum. Our community is one that carries its own barriers to personal achievement and ensuring all students are able and ready for the next stage. These common barriers, if left unchallenged, will limit the extent of which students are ready for the next stage of their education or employment.
Our Curriculum
Students in Year 7 & 8 build on and embed the physical development and skills learned in key stages 1 and 2, become more competent, confident and expert in their techniques, and apply them across different sports and physical activities. They should understand what makes a performance effective and how to apply these principles to their own and others’ work. They should develop their confidence and interest to get involved in exercise, sports and activities outside of school and in later life, and understand and apply the long-term health benefits of physical activity.
Students in Year 9 will continue to build on and embed the physical development and skills learned in years 7 and 8, become more competent, confident and expert in their techniques, and apply them across different sports and physical activities. They should understand what makes a performance effective and how to apply these principles to their own and others’ work. They should develop their confidence and interest to get involved in exercise, sports and activities outside of school and in later life, and understand and apply the long-term health benefits of physical activity.
Students also have the opportunity to complete the Duke of Edinburgh at bronze and silver level. This further supports and develops the student’s skills and character.
At Wickersley, we teach Cambridge National Sports Studies and GCSE PE in Y10 and Cambridge National Sports Science as well as GCSE PE in Y11.
In years 10 and 11 students will continue to develop their character and physical competence as well as increasing their knowledge and understanding of the value of life long participation in Sport. This is done by ensuring lessons are both engaging and purposeful as well as additional opportunities for pupils to ‘try something new’ in the form of taster sessions. Pupils should tackle complex and demanding physical activities. They should get involved in a range of activities that develop personal fitness and promotes an active, healthy lifestyle.
Sports Studies
Students can also choose to study a vocational qualification in sport, equivalent to one GCSE. They are assessed on Increasing Awareness in Outdoor Activity, Practical Performance and Leadership and Contemporary Issues in Sport. This is all achieved by teaching theoretical content through and alongside high-quality practical PE.
Pupils will continue to take part in competitive sports and activities outside school through community links or sports clubs. Students also have the opportunity to complete the Duke of Edinburgh at bronze and silver level. This further supports and develops the student’s skills and character.
GCSE PE
Within GCSE PE during practical lessons, pupils will rotate around a range of different sports and physical activities lasting approximately 6 weeks in length. Theory lessons will take place in a classroom where you will be taught the content to be covered on the final exam.
What will I study in my Theory lessons?
- Applied anatomy and physiology
- The skeleton, joints, muscles, levers, body systems
- Physical training
- Fitness components, training methods, injuries
- Socio-cultural influences
- Participation trends, factors affecting participation, commercialisation, ethics, drugs, violence.
- Sports Psychology
- Skill classifications, goal setting, mental preparation, guidance, feedback
- Health, fitness and wellbeing
- Physical, emotional and social wellbeing, diet and nutrition
How will I be assessed?
Practical (40%)
Theory (60%)
1 x individual sport
1 x team sport
1 x choice of individual or team sport
AEP – Coursework task which involves analysing, evaluating and improving your own sporting performance.
2 x 1 hour written paper examinations
Find out more
If you would like more information about our curriculum, please contact the school using the details on our contact page.
Our Subjects at KS4
CORE SUBJECTS
EBACC SUBJECTS
OPTION SUBJECTS
