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St Mark's Catholic School

St Mark's Catholic School

Physical Education

It is the PE Department’s belief that every child has a God given talent and that it is every member of the PE Department’s duty, to develop that talent to the fullest. 

It is the priority of the PE Department to develop the interest and ability of all children so that they can enjoy as many aspects of Physical Education and physical activity as possible.

It is also important to give opportunities to those individuals with outstanding ability, allowing them to demonstrate that ability and develop it in school teams and throughout the curriculum.

The school has looked at different curriculum models and methods, which have in turn shaped the curriculum provision at the school.

The curriculum provision has been inspired by elements of the national curriculum which looks a progressive curriculum in these areas:

  • Physical competencies

  • Physical Fitness

  • Personal Qualities

  • Cognitive Skills

  • Wellbeing

  • Evaluation\analysis where students should see the relevance and understand how to improve in each activity area.

It’s important that these principles support a holistic approach to Physical Education with a view of developing these skills over a student’s lifelong participation in Physical Activity.

KS3

Physical Education develops pupils’ competence and confidence to take part in a range of physical activities that become a central part of their lives, both in and out of school. A high-quality Physical Education curriculum enables all pupils to enjoy and succeed in many kinds of physical activity. They develop a wide range of skills and the ability to use tactics, strategies and compositional ideas to perform successfully. When they are performing, they think about what they are doing, analyse the situation and make decisions. They also reflect on their own and others’ performances and find ways to improve them. 

The wide ranging curriculum allows students to develop their performance across a range of activities where they will need to select and apply appropriate skills relevant to the situation they are in.  Students are encouraged to participate in many of the school clubs available to them or pursue an activity they enjoy outside of school.  Students are then assessed against Subject key Indicators of Performance (SKIPs) in line with school policy.

KS4

As part of their core subject programme pupils in Years 10 and 11 have one period (50 minutes) per week of Physical Education. This is in addition to any time devoted to GCSE Physical Education, if it is chosen as an option subject.

The emphasis in the core programme is to extend and develop the skills pupils have been taught in lower school Physical Education lessons. In addition, it is hoped that the following aims may also be achieved:

1. To help promote physical fitness

2. To help promote social and moral awareness. 

3. To help promote expressive and creative development. 

4. To help prepare pupils to see the role of physical activity in their future.

For GCSE PE, 60% of the marks will come from the theoretical aspects studied and will be assessed via 2 exam papers 1 hour 15 minutes in length, both being worth 30% each.  This is marked externally and will be a combination of multiple choice, short answer and longer answer questions.

40% of the marks are based on practical performance.  The best three marks are forwarded to form this percentage and this is based on internal assessment.  Within this 40% there is a non-examination assessment worth 10%.  This requires students to identify strengths and weaknesses and provide strategies for improvement in one of their three selected sports.  All sports are assessed as a performer. This requires students to identify strengths and weaknesses and provide strategies for improvement in one of their three selected sports.  All sports are assessed as a performer.

All of our practical curriculum is delivered in our Sports Hall, Studio and Hard Courts and at our off-site playing field. 

The PE Department is also able to offer a wide variety of after school teams and clubs.  These are open to all students and both teams and individuals have had consistent success at Borough, County with some individuals going on to compete at national level.  

Ms K Davies

Mr C Greensmith

Mr P Taylor (Subject Leader)

Ms  M Thomas