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Physical Education

Physical Education complements literary, scientific, mathematic and factual subjects at St. Ignatius Catholic School and adds to an already broad and balanced curriculum.

Welcome to Physical Education

The key aims of the Physical Education Curriculum at St Ignatius Catholic School are:

  • To promote high standards of physical fitness, health and well-being by ensuring all students have access to a broad, balanced and challenging curriculum.
  • To develop students’ skills, techniques, tactics, knowledge and understanding in and across a range of sports and physical activities. Analysis and evaluation are key features of the curriculum.
  • To challenge students to develop character, resilience, determination, teamwork and leadership skills through a progressive curriculum that provides high levels of challenge and support
  • To provide access to a wide range of extracurricular activities to further develop skills, tactics, knowledge and understanding and encouraging lifelong participation in physical activity and sport, enabling the widest access of opportunity.

Key Stage 3 & 4

The curriculum at KS3 is designed to build skills and knowledge progressively across a range of physical activities. Developing students’ physical fitness as a baseline for all sports is an important consideration, and as such, all students follow a fitness-based induction block at the start of each school year.

In Year 7, basic skills are taught and developed, as well as an understanding of basic rules and regulations. Tactical considerations are developed through small-sided conditioned games and practices.

In Years 8 and 9 these skills are refined, and more complex skills and tactics are introduced. Decision making and tactical considerations are developed in games activities, and health and skill related components of fitness are developed through athletics and fitness modules.

The curriculum is designed to offer a broad and balanced physical education, which is challenging yet inclusive. To this end, students follow a range of sports and activities over the year. These activities include invasion games, athletics, striking and fielding, swimming and net and wall sports. The 6 island priority sports of: football, track and field, netball, basketball, cricket and swimming are all included in the curriculum, alongside touch rugby, volleyball, tchoukball, squash and softball/ baseball.

The structure of the curriculum is linked closely with the extracurricular island-wide programme. Activities are timed to run in line with inter-school leagues and competitions. This gives students opportunities to develop skills at a higher level and in a more competitive environment, improving both physical fitness and technical and tactical ability in that sport, as well as developing characteristics such as resilience, determination and courage. This has proven to be successful and is evidenced by high participation numbers and high levels of success in competitions.

In addition to development of skills, retention of knowledge also underpins the curriculum design with some key concepts required for KS4 introduced. Technical terms used at IGCSE level are introduced and regularly referred to in core KS3 PE lessons.

Physical Education is taken by all students in Years 10 and 11. 

Aims of Physical Education

Students are given the opportunity to choose some of the activities in which they participate.  The purpose of these optional activities, as well as those activities that are compulsory, is:

  • to allow students to develop particular areas of activity that they enjoy or have a particular strength in;
  • to introduce students to a wider variety of activities, taught in smaller mixed groups, that are not included in the curriculum in Years 7-9;
  • to introduce students to life-long recreational activities that are available off-site on the Island;
  • to develop an understanding of aspects of health and fitness, as well as the importance of exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle.


Activities    (Some activities will have a small fee).

Year 10

Compulsory:

  • The year starts with a 9-week Fitness Training and Testing module working on a 3-activity rota.
  • Track and Field (a short block before Sports Day)
  • Swim Gala – June


Options to include:

  • 6-a-side Football
  • Weight Training/ Gym
  • Squash
  • Basketball
  • Badminton
  • Volleyball
  • Tennis 
  • Swimming
  • Pickleball
  • Contact Rugby

Year 11

Options to include:

  • 6-a-side Football
  • Weight Training/ Gym
  • Squash
  • Basketball
  • Badminton
  • Volleyball (indoor & beach)
  • Tennis 
  • Swimming
  • Pickleball
  • Contact Rugby

Secondary

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Assessment

Students are graded on attainment and effort.  Attainment grades are based upon:

  • Personal performance.
  • Knowledge and understanding of technique.
  • Knowledge and understanding of rules, tactics, etc. when performing.
  • Ability to referee or umpire where appropriate.
  • Ability to observe and analyse the performance of another and act as a coach where appropriate.

All students are expected to wear House T-shirts and correct kit at all times in P.E.

Extra-curricular School Activities

These currently exist in the following activities:

Football (Soccer), Netball, Basketball, Cricket, Volleyball, Badminton, Athletics, Duke of Edinburgh, Sports Leaders UK. 

IGCSE PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Why study Physical Education?

Physical Education complements literary, scientific, mathematic and factual subjects at St. Ignatius Catholic School and adds to an already broad and balanced curriculum.  Many students are very talented when it comes to Physical Education so why not use those strengths by opting for this examination course which is recognised throughout the world?

What are the aims of the course?

Physical Education promotes a healthy lifestyle which is ever important in today’s society.  The syllabus provides candidates with the opportunity to study both the practical and theoretical aspects of Physical Education.  It is also designed to foster enjoyment in physical activity.  By the end of the 2 years, candidates will have studied several activities, evaluated, analysed and improved their own and teammates’ performances, and demonstrated an ability to coach/ officiate as well as to perform.

Which topics will be taught?

The Practical Coursework is made up of six categories of practical activity:

  • Games: to include Netball, Football, Basketball, Tennis, Squash, Cricket, Softball, etc.
  • Gymnastics
  • Dance
  • Athletics: to include track and field (5-star awards) and Weight Training for Fitness.
  • Outdoor and Adventurous Activities: to include Sailing.
  • Swimming: to include Competitive Swimming, Life-Saving and Personal Survival.

The following units are studied in the theory lessons:

  • Anatomy and Physiology.
  • Health, fitness and training.
  • Skill acquisition and psychology.
  • Social, cultural and ethical influences.


What are the key features of the assessment?

The Physical Education Course will be covered throughout Years 10 and 11 and is divided into two components:

  1. An external exam which has a 50% weighting (written paper).
  2. The practical coursework which has a 50% weighting.

Four activities from two of the six categories must be selected. 

The 3 lessons per week will be divided into 2 Practical and 1 Theoretical during the 2-year course.

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Sixth Form Physical Education

Students follow the WJEC A Level syllabus at St Ignatius.

The WJEC GCE AS/A Level in Physical Education qualification enables students to engage in a practical course, designed to encourage students to be inspired, motivated and challenged by the subject and enable students to make informed decisions about further learning opportunities and career pathways. Through studying GCE AS/A Level Physical Education, students will acquire the knowledge, understanding, skills and values to develop and maintain their performance in physical activities and understand the benefits to health, fitness and well-being.

By studying physical education, students will be able to:

  • develop theoretical knowledge and understanding of the factors that underpin physical activity and sport and use this knowledge to improve performance
  • understand how physiological and psychological states affect performance
  • understand the key socio-cultural factors that influence people’s involvement in physical activity and sport
  • understand the role of technology in physical activity and sport
  • refine their ability to perform effectively in physical activity and sport by developing skills and techniques and selecting and using tactics, strategies and/or compositional ideas
  • develop their ability to analyse and evaluate to improve performance
  • understand the contribution which physical activity makes to health and fitness
  • improve as effective and independent learners and as critical and reflective thinkers with curious and enquiring minds.

This qualification will build on subject content which you will have been taught at Key Stage 4 and will provide a suitable foundation for the study of physical education and sport at Level 4/5 for example the Sports Science or Sport and Physical Education. This qualification will also provide a coherent, satisfying and worthwhile course of study for you if you do not progress to further study in this subject.

Assessment

AS LEVEL

AS Unit 1: Exploring Physical Education will be assessed through a written examination

  • 1 hour 30 minutes
  • 24% of A level qualification (60% of AS qualification)
  • 72 marks
  • Contextualised questions to include multiple choice, data response short and extended answers

 

AS Unit 2: Improving Personal Performance in Physical Education non-examination assessment: marked by your teacher, externally moderated by WJEC.

This includes:

  • one activity as a player/performer 8% – Learners must demonstrate and apply the relevant skills and techniques for the sport/activity. All activities should be played under competitive/formal conditions.
  • one as a coach or official, 4% – Learners must plan and deliver a coaching session or – Learners should be the main official in their chosen activity in a competitive situation.
  • a written piece of coursework in the form of a personal performance profile, linked to your chosen practical activity. 4%
  • This is worth 16% of A level qualification (40% of AS qualification). 

 

A2 LEVEL

A Level Unit 3: Evaluating Physical Education

  • 2 hour written examination
  • 36% of qualification
  • 90 marks
  • A range of questions to include data response, short and extended answers A Level


A Level Unit 4: Refining Personal Performance in Physical Education non-examination assessment: marked by your teacher, externally moderated by WJEC.

This includes:

  • one activity as a player/performer and one as a coach or official, 12% – demonstrate and apply the relevant skills and techniques required for the sport/activity. All activities should be played under competitive/formal conditions or – plan and deliver a progressive coaching session as part of a programme. – main official for their chosen activity in a competitive situation. Learners will be assessed in their ability to make consistent and correct decisions.
  • a written piece of coursework in the form of an Investigative Research, linked to your chosen practical activity. 12%
  • This is worth 24% of A level qualification.