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Higham Lane School

Higham Lane School

Physical Education

Physical Education FAQs

What sports will I do in PE?

A range of sports such as netball, basketball, football, rugby, athletics, badminton, rounders, dance, health and fitness, gymnastics.

What do I need to wear for PE?

Girls: higham lane leggings or shorts, Higham Lane polo and hoodie.

Boys: shorts, polo, hoodie, rugby shirt, HLS socks, football boots, shin pads.

What extra-curricular clubs are there?

Netball, football, rugby, badminton, basketball, dance, athletics, rounders. We enter into all of the sporting competitions locally.

 

As a Physical Education Department, our role is to contribute to the overall education of young people by helping them lead full, valuable, safe and healthy lives. Our aim is to develop all students physically, morally and socially through physical activity and sport and provide future pathways for participation and pursuit of sporting excellence. All students will achieve and make progress by developing their skills and techniques, their decision-making abilities, their physical and mental capacity, their evaluating and improving skills and their ability to make informed choices about active, healthy lifestyles. This is achieved throughout a wide and varied curriculum which is delivered in two hours of core PE each week during Key Stage 3 and 4. In addition to this, pupils are able to access a diverse and extensive extra-curricular programme that has both a competitive and participation focus.

At Key Stage 4, GCSE PE and Cambridge National in Sport Science are both offered as part of the option system. There is a high take-up for both courses and, subsequently, attainment and achievement by students is very good. In 2019, 87% of pupils taking the GCSE PE course achieved a grade 4 and above with 29% achieving a grade 9 -7. In 2018, 88% of pupils taking the Cambridge National in Sport Science achieved a Level 2 Pass and above with 44% Level 2 Distinction* - Distinction.  A-Level PE is offered at KS5, where pupils are assessed theoretically through two exams; practically in a chosen sport and on their ability to analyse performance. In 2019, 79% of pupils achieved an A*-C.

Year 7 Curriculum

In Year 7, both girls and boys will participate in different sporting activities where they will develop in and through the physical domain.

Girls’ activities

  • Netball
  • Football
  • Badminton
  • Invasion games e.g. unihoc, handball
  • Dance
  • Health
  • Striking and fielding e.g. rounders, cricket
  • Athletics

Boys’ activities

  • Rugby
  • Badminton
  • Football
  • Health
  • Striking and fielding e.g. softball, rounders
  • Athletics

Year 8 Curriculum

In Year 8, both girls and boys will participate in different sporting activities where they will embed the skills and knowledge learnt in Year 7 and start to develop these further in a competitive setting.

Girls’ activities

  • Netball
  • Football
  • Badminton
  • Gymnastics
  • OAA
  • Health
  • Striking and fielding e.g. rounders, cricket
  • Athletics

Boys’ activities

  • Rugby
  • Badminton
  • Football
  • Health
  • Striking and fielding e.g. softball, rounders
  • Athletics

Year 9 Curriculum

Core PE

In Year 9 core PE, both girls and boys will participate in different sporting activities where they will refine the skills, abilities, tactics and knowledge learnt in KS3.

Girls’ activities

  • Netball
  • Basketball
  • Volleyball
  • Invasion games
  • Dance
  • Aerobics
  • Striking and fielding e.g. rounders and cricket
  • Athletics

Boys’ activities

  • Rugby
  • Badminton
  • Football
  • Health
  • Striking and fielding e.g. softball, rounders
  • Athletics

GCSE PE

The OCR GCSE PE course is assessed in 3 different ways. Pupils will sit two exams at the end of Year 11 which contribute to 60% of their overall GCSE. The component 1 exam is on physical factors affecting performance and the component 2 exam is on socio-cultural issues and sports psychology. Pupils will also be assessed practically in 1 individual sport, 1 team sport and 1 team or individual sport which together makes up 30% of their overall GCSE. Additionally, pupils will complete a controlled assessment where they will evaluate and analyse their own or a peer’s performance in a chosen sport, contributing towards 10% to their final grade.

In Year 9, pupils will learn the physical training topic which is part of their component 1 examination. Here pupils will learn about components of fitness and how to test them; training methods and how to optimise training through the use of principles of training and how to prevent injury in physical activity. Pupils will also study the cardiorespiratory and musculoskeletal system.

Pupils will also participate in practical lessons where they will refine their skills, tactics and decision making abilities so that they meet the high standards of the GCSE specification. Pupils are expected to attend extra-curricular clubs and clubs outside of school to develop their practical ability further in their chosen three sports. Pupils will also need to keep a log of their competitive performance in each of their three sports. 

Cambridge National in Sports Science

The Cambridge National in Sports Science is assessed through three controlled assessments and one exam. The exam is on reducing the risk of injuries and the controlled assessments are on applying principles of training, the body’s response to physical training and sports nutrition.

In Year 9, pupils will learn the content for their examination based unit (RO41). They will learn about types of sport injuries, injury treatment and extrinsic and intrinsic factors contributing to reducing the risk of injuries. They will also do their controlled assessment on applying principles of training (unit RO42). Within this, they will complete controlled assessments on the components of fitness, training methods, fitness testing and training principles.

Year 10 Curriculum

Core PE

At the start of Year 10, pupils will have the opportunity to choose a personalised pathway of participation that suits their needs and interests. This allows pupils to build on and further develop their abilities in activities following on from Key Stage 3; engage in new and different activities; develop leadership skills in a sport of their choice and experience external sports providers that they may utilise outside of school. They will select six different activities that they would like to do each half term. One activity in Year 10 will be a leadership course in an activity of their choice where they will be taught how to plan, prepare and lead sessions to younger children. As part of this, pupils will go to primary schools to lead the sport session that they have designed. The other options pupils can select include:

  • Team gym
  • Street dance
  • Fitness at Cleaver Gym
  • Fitness at Empire Gym
  • Yoga
  • Squash
  • Racketball
  • Badminton
  • Netball
  • Football
  • Judo
  • Rounders
  • Cricket
  • Basketball

GCSE PE

In Year 10, pupils will continue to learn about the sports psychology behind goal setting and mental preparation. They will then study more topics for their component 1 exam, including movement analysis and the effects of exercise on the body. Pupils will also learn topics for their component 2 exam which includes sports psychology, health, fitness and well-being and nutrition.  The controlled assessment aspect of the course will also be completed where pupils will analyse and evaluate their own or a peers performance. Within this, pupils will be expected to apply the theory learnt in Year 9 and Year 10 and in doing so, analyse a skill in a chosen sport; identify the performer’s strengths and weaknesses and create a six-week improvement plan for a specific skill or component of fitness based on their previous analysis.

Pupils are expected to attend extra-curricular clubs and clubs outside of school to develop their practical ability in their chosen three sports. Pupils will also need to keep a log of their competitive performance in each of their three sports. 

Cambridge National in Sports Science

In Year 10, pupils will continue to learn the content for their examination based unit (RO41). They will learn about how warming up and cooling down can prevent injuries and how medical conditions need to be considered in a sporting environment. They will finish their controlled assessment on applying principles of training (unit RO42) by planning and evaluating a training programme. Students will also study the content for unit RO43 which is based around the body’s response to physical activity. Here they will learn about the components and functions of the musculo-skeletal and cardiorespiratory systems and how these systems contribute to health and fitness and also change during exercise.

Year 11 Curriculum

Core PE

At the start of Year 11, pupils will have the opportunity to choose a personalised pathway of participation that suits their needs and interests. This allows pupils to build on and further develop their abilities in activities following on from Key Stage 3 and Year 10; engage in new and different activities and experience external sports providers that they may utilise outside of school. They will select six different activities that they would like to do each half term. The options pupils can select include:

  • Creative games
  • Street dance
  • Fitness at Cleaver Gym
  • Fitness at Empire Gym
  • Yoga
  • Squash
  • Racketball
  • Badminton
  • Netball
  • Football
  • Judo
  • Rounders
  • Cricket
  • Basketball

GCSE PE

In Year 11, pupils will learn about the socio-cultural influences to participation, commercialisation of sport and ethical behaviour in sport topic (component 2 exam). Pupils will be expected to continue to attend extra-curricular clubs and clubs outside of school to develop their practical ability in their chosen three sports. Pupils will also need to keep a log of their competitive performance in each of their three sports. 

Cambridge National in Sports Science

In Year 11, pupils will finish their controlled assessment on the body’s responses to physical activity (RO43). They will then complete their controlled assessment on sports nutrition (unit RO45). Here pupils will learn about a balanced diet, nutrition for sport, supplement use and the effects of poor diet on sports performance. They will then plan and review a diet for a sports performer.  

Year 12 Curriculum

At KS5, pupils can opt to study A-level PE. The OCR course involves various assessments. The pupils will complete three exams at the end of Year 13. The pupils will have a different teacher for each exam based element. The first exam is on physiological factors affecting performance (30% of A-level); the second exam is on psychological factors affecting performance (20% of A-level) and the third exam is on socio-cultural issues in physical activity and sport (20% of A-level). The remaining 30% of the A-level is made up of non-exam assessment where pupils are assessed on their performance in a sport and their ability to evaluate and analyse performance for improvement.

In Year 12, pupils will learn about physiological factors affecting performance and socio-cultural influences. They will learn about the anatomy and physiology of the skeletal, muscular, cardiovascular and respiratory systems; the impact diet and nutrition have on performance; how to train properly in order to improve and maintain performance; about the biomechanical principles, levers and the use of technology; the emergence and evolution of modern sport and about global sporting events. 

Year 13 Curriculum

In Year 13, pupils will learn about physiological factors affecting performance including energy for exercise, environmental effects on body systems, linear motion, fluid mechanics, injury prevention and rehabilitation from injury. They will learn about psychological factors affecting performance that includes memory models, attribution, confidence and self-efficacy, leadership in sport and stress management. They will also learn about socio-cultural issues such as ethics, deviance, commercialisation and routes to sporting excellence. In Year 13, pupils will complete their non-exam assessment where they will draw upon the theory learnt in their previous studies to analyse and evaluate a player’s performance in detail so that they are able to suggest and plan effective strategies for improvement.

Extra-Curricular Activities

The curriculum is supplemented by an extensive extra-curricular programme with a range of activities offered to students which have both a competitive and participation focus.

Activities include:

  • Football (girls and boys)
  • Netball
  • Rugby (girls and boys)
  • Badminton
  • Basketball
  • Boxing
  • Athletics
  • Rounders
  • Cricket
  • Dance

School teams are run in many of these sports and Higham Lane has enjoyed a strong tradition of success in a wide range of sports both locally, regionally and nationally. Netball, badminton and football have an outstanding history of success. A series of inter-form competitions are also on offer to students where they have a chance to play against their classmates in a variety of activities from cross-country to rounders.

C CHINN, Subject Leader for Physical Education