Physical Education

 

Physical Education (PE) lessons play a powerful role in promoting inclusivity and accessibility, helping all students feel valued, involved, and capable—regardless of their physical ability, background, gender, or learning needs. At Neston we do this by:

• Adapting activities to suit varying levels of physical ability and confidence. 

• We have smaller sized nurture groups to help build confidence and skill level. 

• Offering multiple ways to succeed—e.g., changing equipment size, simplifying rules, or adjusting pace and intensity. 

• Using individual, paired, and group formats to give all students a role 

• At Neston we include e a variety of activities that reflect diverse interests and abilities: traditional sports, dance, fitness, gymnastics, athletics, outdoor learning. 

Support is provided in theory lessons through scaffolded tasks, definitions of subject specific terminology, teacher modelling and opportunities for peer collaboration. We frequently revisit core themes and theories via retrieval and application tasks, so that students are able to build on prior learning. 

Real-World Application

Physical Education provides students with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to lead healthy, active lifestyles both in and out of school. 

Students in Years 7 to 9 engage in four hours of Core Physical Education every fortnight, delivered within a two-week timetable structure. Activities are delivered in blocks of 3-4 weeks. The programme of study is carefully designed to align with the Key Stage 3 National Curriculum for Physical Education. This programme offers a comprehensive and balanced curriculum, incorporating a wide variety of team and individual activities, promoting not only physical competence but also understanding of skills, rules& tactics, health-related fitness, and the development of personal and social skills such as communication, leadership, and teamwork. It also gives pupils a range of opportunities to compete in sport and other activities to build character and help to embed values such as fairness and respect. 

Subject Content Breakdown 

Autumn and  Spring Term	Summer Term
Activities: Badmintons, gymnastics, fitness, dance, invasion games e.g. football/netball/handball/basketball/rugby	Activities: athletics, striking and fielding games, tennis
Skills: Leadership, skills in isolation, skills in modified conditions,	Skills: Leadership, skills in isolation, skills in modified conditions, recording and analysing

 

At Key Stage 4, all students continue to participate in one hour of Core Physical Education per week to maintain a foundation of physical activity and well-being and to feel confident about sport and activity post-16 

CORE Physical Education 

Autumn- Spring Terms	Summer Term
Compulsory:  Fitness Block   Activities choices(girls&boys):  Football/netball/hockey/basketball/rugby/ volleyball/badminton/dodgeball/lacrosse/dance /handball/	Activities choices(girls&boys):  Rounds/Softball/Tennis/Cricket/athletics
Skills:  Tactics/Strategies  Leadership	Skills:  Tactics/Strategies   Leadership

 

OPTIONAL KS4 PE 

Students are then given the opportunity to specialise by selecting one of two pathways as a GCSE option: either the academically rigorous AQA GCSE Physical Education, which focuses on the theoretical and practical aspects of sport and exercise science, or the vocational Edexcel BTEC Sport Technical Award, which provides a practical, hands-on approach to understanding sports performance, leadership, and health and fitness.  

Year 10 Topics	Physical Training	Applied Anatomy and Physiology	Movement Analysis	Coursework (NEA)
Content	Warm up & cool down   The relationship between health & fitness   Components of fitness   Fitness Testing   Principles of Training  Types of training  Seasons  Injury	Structure and function of the musculoskeletal system  Structure and function of the cardio-respiratory system  Anaerobic and aerobic exercise   Short & long term effects of exercises	Planes and axis of movement   Planes and axis of movement   Lever systems	Analysis of component of fitness strengths    Analysis of component of fitness weaknesses    Analysis of skill strengths    Analysis of skill weaknesses

 

Year 11  Topics	Sports Psychology	Socio-cultural Issues	Health, Fitness and well-being	Coursework (NEA)
Content	Guidance and Feedback on performance   Classification of skill   Goal setting & SMART targets     Information Processing     Arousal   Aggression  Motivation  Personality	Engagement patterns of different social groups   Commercialisation   Performance Enhancing Drugs	Somatotypes   Diet   Health	Evaluation

 

Topics	Component 1:    Preparing Participants to Take Part in Sport and Physical Activity.	Component 2:   Taking Part and Improving Other Participants Sporting Performance	Component 3:  Developing Fitness to Improve Other Participants Performance in Sport and Physical Activity.
Content	A1 Components of physical fitness:    A2 Components of skill-related fitness:     B1 Techniques, strategies and fitness required for different sports  B2 Officials in sport:   B3 Rules and Regulations in sports:   C1 Planning drills and conditioned practices to develop participants’ sporting skills:   C2 Drills to improve sporting performance:	A1 Types and providers of sport and physical activities    A2 Types and needs of sport and physical activity participants     A3 Barriers to participation in sport and physical activity for different types of participant.  A4 Methods to address barriers   B1 Different types of sports clothing and equipment   B2 Different types of technology   B3 The limitations of using technology in sport and physical activity:     C1 Planning a warm up:   C2 Adapting a warm-up     C3 Delivering a warm-up to prepare participants for physical activity	A1 The importance of fitness for successful participation in sport:   A2 Fitness training principles:   B1 Importance of fitness testing and requirements for administration of   each fitness test   B2 Fitness test methods for components of physical fitness.   B3 Fitness test methods for components of skill-related fitness.   B4 Interpretation of fitness test results  C1 Requirements for fitness training methods:   C2 Fitness training methods for physical components of fitness   C3 Fitness training methods for skill related components of fitness  C4 Additional requirements for each of the fitness training methods  C5 Provision for taking part in fitness training methods   C6 The effects of long-term fitness training on the body systems:   D1 Personal information to aid training fitness programme design  D2 Fitness programme design:   D3 Motivational techniques for fitness programming:

At Key Stage 5, our department offers AQA A-Level Physical Education and the Level 3 Extended Certificate in Sport, both of which prepare students for higher education and careers in sport, health, and fitness industries. We are proud that our examination cohorts consistently achieve results above the national average, a testament to the expertise, dedication, and collaborative efforts of our teaching team who are committed to providing high-quality, personalised support to all learners. 

AQA A Level Physical Education 

Paper 1  All topic areas from Year 12 Learning from:  Anatomy& Physiology  Body Systems  Training Methods   Skill Acquisition:  Skill, skill continuums &transfer of skills   Impact of skill classification on structure of practice for learning  Guidance &feedback  Information processing  Sport and Society:  Popular Recreation  Rational Recreation   Development of Sport into 21st Century  Sociological terminology   Sport England and underrepresented groups

Paper 2  All topic areas from Year 13 Learning from:  Exercise Physiology:  Diet  Injury  Training methods  Biomechanics of Movement  Principles  Levers  Linear motion  Angular motion  Projectile motion  Fluid mechanics   Skill Acquisition:  Arousal  Anxiety  Self-efficacy and confidence  Leadership  Attributes  Goal setting  Motivation  Achievement motivation  Aggression  Personality  Attitudes  Group dynamics  Social facilitation   Stress management     Sport and Society:  Concepts of sport  Elite sport  Technology  Commercialisation of sport  Sport and the law  Ethics and sport  Drugs in sport

KS3 

To monitor and support student progress, regular summative assessments are conducted at the end of blocks of activity. Students have a skills-based assessment and a competitive context assessment. 

Examinations 

GCSE PE 

Exam board: AQA/8582

GCSE is comprised of 2 exam papers, a practical component and coursework. For the practical you must compete in 3 different sports, either 2 team and 1 individual or 2 individual and 1 team sport. Coursework is an evaluation and analysis of one performance to bring about improvement. Practical and coursework combined makes up 40% of the final grade.  Paper name: The human body and movement in physical activity and sport  Length of paper 1hr 15min  30% of final grade  Paper name: Socio-cultural influences and well-being in physical activity and sport  Length of paper 1hr 15min  30% of final grade

 

BTEC Tech Award Level 1/2 in Sport 

Exam board: Pearson  

The course involves an external exam (component 3)  and 2 internally assessed components (1&2) 

In Component 1 and 2 students will complete tasks that involve being assessed by: leading, coaching, preforming, writing reports, researching and creating presentations 

Component 1: Preparing Participants to Take Part in Sport and Physical Activity (Internally Assessed, externally moderated)  

Component 2: Taking Part and Improving Other Participants Sporting Performance (Internally Assessed, externally moderated)  

Component 3: Developing Fitness to Improve Other Participants Performance in Sport and Physical Activity (External Exam - 60 marks)  

Length of paper 1hr 30min 

40% of final grade 

 

KS5 

A level  Physical Education 

Exam Board: AQA 

Paper 1: Factors affecting participation in physical activity and sport 

What's assessed: 

Section A: Applied anatomy and physiology 

 Section B: Skill acquisition  

Section C: Sport and society 

How it's assessed: 

 • Written exam: 2 hours • 105 marks • 35% of A-lev 

Paper 2: Factors affecting optimal performance in physical activity and sport 

What's assessed  

Section A: Exercise physiology and biomechanics  

Section B: Sport psychology  

Section C: Sport and society and technology in sport 

How it's assessed:  

• Written exam: 2 hours • 105 marks • 35% of A-level  

Non-exam assessment: Practical performance in physical activity and sport 

What's assessed:  

Students assessed as a performer or coach in the full sided version of one activity. Plus: written/verbal analysis of performance 

How it's assessed? 

 Internal assessment, external moderation 

 • 90 marks • 30% of A-level 

 

BTEC SPORT 

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate in Sport 

EXAMS: 

Unit 1 Anatomy and Physiology: 

• Written examination set and marked by Pearson. • 1.5 hours. • 80 marks 

UNIT 2Fitness Training and Programming for Health, Sport and Well-being 

• Written examination set and marked by Pearson. • 2.5 hours. • 60 marks 

COURSEWORK: 

UNIT 3Professional Development in the Sports Industry 

Assignments will be completed in set windows 

UNIT 4 Application of Fitness Testing 

Assignments will be completed in set windows 

Teaching Approach and Resources

Recommended Texts & Resources 

To support and extend learning, students have access to a variety of high-quality resources: 

• Textbooks and Revision Guides: The department offer KS4 revision guides, workbooks and flashcards which can be purchased through scopay. A-level students have access online links to purchase   

• Departmental Resources:  

Further support: 

We believe that learning extends beyond the classroom: 

• Revision sessions 

Beyond the curriculum, students have extensive opportunities to enhance their skills and knowledge through a rich extracurricular programme that caters to a wide range of interests and abilities. This includes competitive sports teams, individual activities, recreational and fitness clubs. Moreover, students are encouraged to develop leadership qualities through community engagement activities. Our strong partnership with local primary schools enables students to participate in leadership roles such as leading, coaching and officiating younger pupils, fostering responsibility, confidence, and communication skills. Additionally, students benefit from broader enrichment opportunities including participation in inter-school and regional sports competitions, educational sports trips, and visits to professional sporting venues, all of which contribute to a well-rounded educational experience that promotes lifelong participation in physical activity and healthy living. 

These courses provide a solid foundation in understanding human performance, health, and wellbeing, which are highly transferable skills across many sectors 

Career Pathways 

• Healthcare & Rehabilitation: Includes physiotherapy, occupational therapy, chiropractic care, sports massage, and rehab specialists. 

• Education & Training: Encompasses PE teaching, sports coaching, youth work, outdoor education, personal training, and fitness instruction. 

• Sports & Leisure Management: Covers sports administration, facility and event management, marketing, and development officer roles. 

• Media & Communications: Involves sports journalism, broadcasting, social media, photography, and content creation. 

• Fitness & Wellness: Nutrition, wellness coaching, exercise physiology, strength/conditioning, and corporate wellness programs. 

• Public Health & Community Services: Health promotion, community sport, policy-making, and recreational therapy. 

• Military & Emergency Services: Roles with physical training and fitness assessment. 

• Technology & Innovation: Sports tech development, performance analysis, wearable tech, and fitness app development. 

• Travel & Tourism: Adventure tourism, outdoor leadership, sports tourism management, and expedition guiding 

We are committed to providing comprehensive support and guidance to all our PE students and their families. We believe that open communication and accessible resources are vital for academic success and well-being. 

For any questions regarding the PE  curriculum, student progress, or specific learning needs, please do not hesitate to contact our Subject Lead for PE: Daragh O’Hare ​​​​​​​ohared@nestonhigh.com 

We aim to respond to all enquiries within 48hours.  

Additional Support 

We offer various avenues for additional support to help students excel in PE: 

• Revision Sessions:  

• Exam Board Resources: We guide students to the official AQA  and Edexcel resources, which provide access to past papers, examiner reports, and syllabuses – invaluable resources for independent revision.