Aims
Our Core Physical Education curriculum aims to ensure that all pupils:
- Develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities are physically active for sustained periods of time.
- Engage in competitive sports and activities.
- Lead healthy, active lives.
Students at Gosforth Academy will be taught to:
- Use a range of tactics and strategies to overcome opponents in direct competition through team and individual games [for example, badminton, basketball, cricket, football, hockey, netball, rounders, rugby and tennis].
- Develop their technique and improve their performance in other competitive sports [for example, athletics and gymnastics].
- Perform dances using advanced dance techniques within a range of dance styles and forms.
- Take part in outdoor and adventurous activities which present intellectual and physical challenges and be encouraged to work in a team, building on trust and developing skills to solve problems, either individually or as a group.
- Analyse their own and others’ performances compared to previous ones and demonstrate improvement to achieve their personal best.
- Develop their leadership skills through a range of physical activities and challenges.
- Take part in competitive sports and activities outside school through community links or sports clubs.
Our Physical Education provision is enhanced further by our inclusion of academic PE/Sports courses at Key Stage 4 and 5. Through GCSE PE, A Level PE and BTEC Level 3 Sport and Exercise Sciences students can develop their competence in a range of sporting activities and increase their theoretical knowledge in topics such as Exercise Physiology, Sports Psychology and Socio-Cultural issues in sport. This is an interesting and challenging learning experience which will develop transferable skills including decision making, psychological understanding of people, independent thinking, problem solving and analytical skills as well as performing under pressure.
Beyond Post-16, the study of Physical Education can lead on to university degrees in sports science, sports management, healthcare, or exercise and health. Physical Education can also complement further study in biology, human biology, physics, psychology, nutrition, sociology, teacher training and many more.
In summary, physical education should be considered a core subject in the National Curriculum because it:
- Is already the only foundation subject which is statutory at all four key stages so regularly reaches every child in every school.
- Is the only subject which explicitly addresses the ‘physical development’ dimension of the aims of education and helps to remedy the current imbalance in the curriculum.
- Provides a range of physical, social and psychological health benefits.
- Helps to address serious and growing childhood health conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and poor mental health.
- Is the foundation for active lifestyles, sport and recreation and provides a key stepping stone into community sport and lifelong activity.
- Directly contributes to the physical activity for health recommendation of at least one hour a day for school-aged children.
- Establishes a health habit in childhood to be continued through adulthood.
- Helps develops the whole young person and prepares young people for the future.
- Contributes to the future health and economic prosperity of the nation.