SubjectsPE
Our Curriculum Intent
Our Vision, Where every member of our extended family realises their God-given potential, inspired by John 10:10. Jesus said, “I have come so you may have Life in all its fullness,” is the lens through which we ensure that every member of our extended family realise their God-given potential through a broad curriculum that meets the individual needs of all our students.
We have developed our PE vision in line with the Academy vision and the aims of the National curriculum so that we can develop competent athletes to excel in a broad range of physical activities. Our students are physically active for sustained periods and understand the importance of physical activity. We were mindful that our learners also need to engage in competitive sports and activities that lead to healthy and active lives. Additionally, we want to enhance and develop leadership skills through the years to build confidence, resilience, initiative and the ability to motivate others.
Lessons allow us the cover a range of strands to develop the learners, an example of these is: that we develop a range of tactics and strategies through competition e.g. games and individual sports, alongside this we develop technique, physical confidence, leadership skills and the ability to analyse performance.
The course in Key Stage 5 follows the skills developed in both BTEC Tech Award Level 2 Sport and the GCSE courses that are taught at Key Stage 4. We teach the BTEC level 3 sport we offer the foundation diploma (1.5 A levels). The course deepens the learning. There are 2 exams, 1 compulsory coursework unit and 4 optional units. The optional units we pick we feel are the correct ones to extend and develop the learning which enables the learners to develop their skills for employability.
Implementation
For Key Stage 3 and 4 we teach the National curriculum and offer a broad range of both team and individual activities. Students are grouped on ability from arriving at the Academy. We complete an assessment week for Year 7. These groupings continue through the years and are flexible allowing movement where students progress. The curriculum is developed to suit the groups and can be adaptive to allow for bespoke planning matched to the group’s level and the best way to progress. The Sports we offer are taught in 6-week or 7-week blocks, these longer blocks and similar activities taught through the years help us build knowledge, skills and gameplay with an assessment at the end of the activity block. We assess the learners in a variety of strands after each block of activity and these are recorded in booklets. The learners self-assess, make personal targets to develop their skills.
In KS4 we also offer both GCSE PE and Btec Sport. We have recently begun teaching the Btec tech award in sport, there are 5 lessons over the 2 weeks, alongside the 4 practical core PE lessons . The Btec qualification allows our learners to be inclusively involved in sports in various ways, such as a coach, a referee and a player, these develop from the skills taught KS3. The exam unit allows for a greater understanding of fitness for sport and exercise, it gives in-depth learning about the correct way to train and how to develop sporting performance and then finishes with being able to test levels client’s fitness levels. The BTEC sport courses are fully assessed regularly in line with the course requirements. Trackers are kept by the teachers and the assessment grades are an accumulative outcome from the units and the exams and coursework.
In GCSE PE , the same amount of lesson time is given to this course. Through the years the learners develop their knowledge further both academically and practically. We follow the Academy’s learning cycles and complete regular assessment and review weeks to consolidate learning, before moving on. A variety of sports are selected and taught over the years, learners will be assessed and analyse their performance in all of these sports and the highest scoring sports will be taken forward as part of their final grade.
In Key Stage 5 Btec sport level 3 we start by teaching the 2 compulsory exam units, those exams are sat in January, consolidation of learning is evident through the units and exam questions are regularly set and the learning is revisited. We then complete the final compulsory unit, which is a coursework unit, this unit allows students to develop their employability skills by creating a CV, taking part in interviews and applying for a job, all real and important life skills. There are four additional optional units to teach. The optional units selected are those we feel contribute to the learner’s holistic education and deepen their prior learning from Key Stage 4 and again link in with developing employability skills, such as Unit 5 which develops the skills required to become a Personal Trainer or Sports Coach.
Impact
Students have developed their knowledge and skills through a variety of assessment strands to allow for a holistic grading in various team and individual sports. Assessment is dated, so progression is evident and personalised, allowing them to make targets for further improvement. The curriculum plan is very stable and the department is very experienced so engagement in lessons is high, which is also highlighted in our self-evaluation. Lastly, levels of participation within after Academy clubs are good, showing an interest in Football, Netball and Rounders, which builds on their competitive skills, teamwork, tactics, and strategies, alongside lifelong participation in sports.
From the BTEC tech award course, students develop an understanding of how to plan and lead warmups, investigating various sports provisions, planning sports drills and sessions, lastly fitness for sport. The learner’s complete assessments through each year, two coursework and one exam. These is a sample of ten pieces of coursework selected and uploaded onto the Pearson website for external verification.
GCSE PE learners have a detailed understanding of the theory side of the course in anatomy and physiology, sports psychology, health fitness and well-being, socio-cultural influences, and data analysis. Plus, a range of practical performances in team and individual sports; developing decision-making skills, applying correct technique, problem-solving decisions under pressure, psychological control, adhering to rules and regulations and analysing and evaluating performance. Learners complete a tool kit that covers all learning outcomes and this is reflected upon after each assessment cycle. Learners make an individual target to develop their knowledge in the bespoke areas that they didn’t score so highly in while recognising their strengths.
The Btec level 3 units help to prepare our learners for the next step of higher education or work placement, which is evident from previous learners who have gone to University or worked with local sport development groups. Level 3 learners develop an understanding of a wide range of key areas such as nutrition, anatomy and physiology, lifestyle choices, fitness planning and programming, fitness testing, leadership skills, and individual and team sports development.
Various personal skills are developed over the PE curriculum such as teamwork, communication, organisation, independent working, collaboration, adaptability, time management skills, decision making and empathy.
In the PE department, we review the curriculum plan, combine resources, moderate, monitor work and work as a team to continually improve our outcomes to able students to follow the Academy vision to allow students and staff to “live life in all its fullness” and to develop a lifelong learning and a love of sport.