Physical Education
Physical Education is a combination of Sport, Science, Psychology and Sociology. It is a wonderfully diverse subject that allows you to explore and gain an insight into the exciting world of sports performance. Look beyond the classroom and apply Physical Education to your own sporting experiences as well as those of elite performers.
GCSE
In GCSE PE we explore sports performance in depth, enabling you to understand how your body works when exercising and how to aid your performance, in addition to delving into the world of elite sport and training. Taking this GCSE will allow you to study Physical Education further and potentially pursue a career in sport.
What will I learn at GCSE?
You will cover topics on anatomy and physiology, movement analysis, health and fitness, sports psychology, ethical issues, commercialisation, sports technology and diet. You will also get the chance to improve and analyse your practical performance through practical and written aspects.
How is the course structured?
We aim to teach 4 topics in Year 10 and a further 2 in Year 11. We will also start the coursework in Year 10 where pupils must complete an evaluation of their performance in one sport and provide a training programme for improvement. In addition to this, we conduct some practical lessons and mock moderation sessions that allow the students to be assessed practically across three sports in both skills and competition. Lastly, students have one double and two singles lesson across a weekly timetable.
How is the course examined?
Topics 1-3 are assessed through paper 1 and topics 4-6 are assessed through paper 2. Both exams are completed in the summer of Year 11 and each are worth 30% of the overall course grade, totalling 60%. The coursework piece is worth 10%, whilst the three sports are worth 10% each, totalling 40% non-exam assessment. The three sports chosen must be from the AQA specification and they must be a mixture of team and individual sports. Students are advised to be playing at least two sports to school first team or higher levels and must be willing to commit to filming their practical performances.
A Level
Physical Education is a combination of sport, science, psychology and sociology. It’s a wonderfully diverse subject that allows you to explore the exciting world of sports performance, look beyond the classroom and apply Physical Education to your own sporting experiences as well as those of elite performers.
What will I learn at A level?
The course focuses on the theory behind ‘participation and performance in physical activity as part of a balanced, active and healthy lifestyle’. Topics include exploring the history and development of sport, skill development, psychological performance theories, movement analysis, body systems, diet and nutrition, training methods and planning, technological advancements and biomechanics. We also aim to help learners develop independently through assessment tasks and develop confidence in their exam skills.
How is the course structured?
In Year 12 we cover the history of sport, skill development, body systems, training methods and planning and movement analysis. We also aim to complete most of the coursework tasks and practical assessed elements. In Year 13 we cover psychological performance theories, diet and nutrition, technological advancements and biomechanics. In addition to this, we do revision lessons, exam technique lessons and take more time to complete the coursework elements of the course should we need to.
How is the course examined?
You will sit two exams in the summer of Yr13, both of equal value (70% total).
• Paper 1 includes Yr12 content.
• Paper 2 includes Yr13 content.
In addition to this, you then have two coursework elements. The first is a written performance analysis on one sport which uses theories from the course to suggest reasons for performance and ways to improve. The second is a practical assessment in one sport where you will need to gather competition video evidence and complete a written documentary of your competitions to evidence your grade. Both tasks are worth equal amounts (30% total). As a side note, we recommend that you are competing to first team school level or higher for your practically assessed sport.
What could I do next?
Recent Monkton students have chosen some of the following sports-related courses and careers: Sports Science, Sports Studies, Sports Management, Sports Massage, Sports Coaching, Personal Training, Physiotherapy, PGCE PE Teaching, Sports Journalism, Sports Technology, Sports Psychology, Occupational Therapy and Dietician. This course will allow you to access university courses, apprenticeships or just give you a more.