Physical Education

Core PE

The expectation of all students in the PE department is to Work, Learn and Enjoy. As staff we are very proud of the curriculum we have developed, both in lessons and beyond and we continually strive to develop the PE provision available at the Academy. It is our intent that all students will go on to study BTEC Sport at level 2 and/or 3 and our curriculum is designed to facilitate that progression. It is expected that students will grasp the opportunities provided to them and do so with an outstanding approach to learning. This includes being fully prepared for all lessons. Our PE kit is available to order from Stitch-a-logo.

Year 7

In term one of Year 7, students begin with baseline sport testing. This allows the students to demonstrate their skills in a full range of sports. Throughout the remainder of the year students are taught in either single sex high ability or mixed set lower ability groups. During the year all students will be taught fitness, badminton, athletics and rounders whilst the girls will also experience netball and the boys undertake rugby. Some students will also undertake more diverse activities such as table tennis, trampolining, dodgeball and lacrosse. At the very start of their PE journey at the Academy students study the theoretical aspect of PE, discovering how muscles work, what bones are in the body, what constitutes a healthy diet and what different types of training there are to participate in. This allows students to develop skills that are essential for success on our BTEC Sport course in KS4 as well as being able to lead a healthy and active lifestyle. This continues throughout each year’s core PE.

Year 8

In the second year of PE at the Academy students continue in either single sex high ability or mixed set lower ability groups. Activities closely meet the needs of each and every student and as a result the activities on offer are varied and vast. Skills and understanding in netball, basketball, football, rugby, badminton, table tennis, alternative invasion games, fitness, athletics and rounders are all developed throughout the year.

Year 9

The core PE curriculum in Year 9 is very similar to the one students studied in Year 8, allowing students to further embed and develop their skills in a range of sports. Towards the end of Year 9 students begin their option process so now is the time for them to decide if they would like to study PE in more detail during KS4. Students with a passion for a range of sports, a commitment to leading a healthy active lifestyle and those with an exemplary approach to learning will thoroughly enjoy the BTEC Sport option in KS4 and this option will allow them to pursue careers and qualifications in sport when they leave the Academy. For those that will not choose BTEC Sport as an option, they will still continue with core PE in KS4.

Year 10

In Year 10 the core PE curriculum changes and students are taught in single sex, mixed ability groups and are introduced to new sports and opportunities, whilst still experiencing traditional team games. Some of the sports students experience include football, rugby, netball, hockey, fitness, ultimate frisbee, volleyball and tennis..

Year 11

In this busy and vitally important year, the emphasis of core PE changes and students now focus much more on participating in a range of sports. At times we are able to add additional sports, based on students’ requirements.

Extra Curricular

The PE department are proud to offer a wide ranging timetable of activities in addition to our core PE curriculum. Regular clubs are offered after school and students are able to enjoy our excellent facilities until 4.00pm on most evenings. As well as fielding competitive teams for all years in traditional sports such as football, rugby and netball, we regularly compete in rounders, badminton, table tennis, cross country, cricket and athletics. Our teams enjoy great success both locally and further afield.

BTEC Sport

During year 9 students make their choices for year 10 and in the PE department they can opt to take BTEC Sport. In this two year course students will complete a computer based theory exam and coursework for three other units. Coursework is both written and practical based. 4 units are studied in total and during these students focus on aspects of fitness, practical sport, personal training programs and sports coaching. BTEC Sport is a popular course and our PE specific classroom and laptops are a fantastic resource for us to have. The results within BTEC Sport are outstanding with all students able to make excellent progress. A large percentage of our students at level 2 continue on to study level 3 BTEC Sport in the sixth form..

Sixth Form

In the 6th Form students are encouraged to follow a sport as part of their enrichment programme. Our clubs and fixtures allow for 6th Form students to partake. The aim of these sessions is to encourage the older students to participate in a sport as a healthy young adult. Students in the 6th Form can choose to study BTEC Sport or BTEC Public Services. In both courses students have to pass the first year in order to progress to the second year. We also offer a leadership programme which helps our 6th Form students develop the skills required in a number of aspects of life.

Sports Tour

In Spring of each year the department runs a sports tour to PGL Liddington where students from Year 8, 9 and 10 are able to train and compete in netball and football. In addition to the tournaments, students also partake in a number of exciting activities such as canoeing, abseiling, trapeze and zip wire. The tour has proved to be a great success, for further information and to book a place on this year’s tour, please contact the PE department.