Physical Education

Curriculum rationale

We have a profound belief that the most important aspect of Physical Education is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. We aim to instil in our learners the desire not to have conquered but to have fought well.

We want all of our students to leave Sir Jonathan North Girls’ College with a lifelong love of physical activity achieved through a broad and balanced curriculum 

Our Principles

• Ambitious and Academic
  Academic and specialist staff who want to encourage an aspirational ethos in the learners through the development of a challenging and appropriate curriculum that leads to a genuine interest in lifelong physical activity health and well-being.
• Curriculum is rich in knowledge and cultural capital
  All learning is grounded in a quality curriculum that is reviewed annually to meet ever changing student needs dependent upon whole college requirements placed upon facilities/resources.
• Mastery in themes and skills
  7/8 week units of work to assist in mastery in themes and skills that are in line with the national curriculum steps. Units of work provide a logical progression, giving learners the opportunity to revisit core skills, tactics and strategical awareness that can be committed to long term memory.  Critical thinking, problem solving, leadership and the 4R’s are embedded in every lesson.
• Accessible, predetermined and transparent for parents and students
  The P.E. team have an ethos of transparency and sharing of resources and materials enabling students to access the sports and physical activities throughout their five year journey.
• Vocabulary and knowledge rich
  Key words and oracy statements embedded in all materials/SOW and displayed in all teaching areas. Technical language for examination PE KS4 are filtered into SOW and lessons in KS3.
• Affording opportunities for in class reading, developing literacy, numeracy, oracy and cultural capital across the curriculum
  Reading and literacy/oracy skills are clearly evident in SOW, knowledge organisers within starters and plenaries (KS3). Wider reading encouraged at KS4 to enable students to access the extended writing questions and provide them with practical examples.
• Writing in an academic, efficient and analytical style
  Throughout examination P.E. modelled questions and answers are embedded into SOW and set for homework to enable students to develop their understanding/method of writing extended sentences appropriately

Curriculum Design

The PE curriculum is broad and balanced and offers a variety of physical activities for all students to promote a life-long learning of physical activity.

We cover a variety of curriculum strands, development and progression throughout KS3.  This lays the foundations for examination PE and also instils a passion, knowledge and understanding of why physical activity and sport is important for now and into adulthood.

Our curriculum ensures that all students joining Sir Jonathan North at the start of Key Stage 3 will complete a Baseline Assessment to test their basic physical ability. In terms of examination of PE we offer; OCR GCSE PE (in Year 11), OCR Cambridge National in Sports Studies (in Years 10 and 11) and a Sports Leaders Certificate in Year 10.  Our KS4 curriculum offer is diverse and engaging for both core and examination PE. The courses are differentiated for all students to access.

We have re-developed core KS3 & KS4 to show progression and cohesion for each physical activity and sport, between them focussing on transferrable skills and the 4 R’s.

The curriculum is progressive, enabling interleaving and spaced learning methods to be present to consolidate and develop students’ skills, knowledge and understanding throughout their five year journey. Retrieval practice is explicitly used in all lessons with transferable skills being highlighted.

All lessons are inclusive due to the nature of the activities, the differentiated equipment used and differentiated skills and outcomes.  Heavy investment has been made into modifying and adapting the curriculum and working with students to focus on individual needs.

Curriculum Plan

Key Stage 3 Curriculum Overview
Year 7	Year 8	Year 9
Autumn Term
Topic – Introduction / Trampolining / Gymnastics / Heath & Fitness	Topic – Handball / Trampolining / Badminton / Heath & Fitness	Topic – Handball / Trampolining / Badminton / Leadership Educatio
Key Retainable Knowledge – Core skills, knowledge of rules, PE expectations, team strategies and tactics, coaching and leadership skills	Key Retainable Knowledge – Core and some advanced skills, developing knowledge of rules, developing team strategies and tactics, developing coaching and leadership skills	Key Retainable Knowledge – Core and advanced skills, continue to develop knowledge of rules, continue to develop team strategies and tactics, and continue to develop coaching, independent learning and leadership skills
Assessment – End of block practical assessment (effort and attainment	Assessment – End of block practical assessment (effort and attainment	Assessment – End of block practical assessment (effort and attainment
Spring Term
Topic – Basketball / Netball / Tennis / Tag Rugby	Topic – Basketball / Netball / Tennis / Aerobics	Topic – Basketball / Netball / Tennis / Aerobics
Key Retainable Knowledge – Core skills, knowledge of rules, PE expectations, team strategies and tactics, coaching and leadership skills	Key Retainable Knowledge – Core and some advanced skills, developing knowledge of rules, developing team strategies and tactics, developing coaching and leadership skills	Key Retainable Knowledge – Core and advanced skills, continue to develop knowledge of rules, continue to develop team strategies and tactics, and continue to develop coaching, independent learning and leadership skills
Assessment – End of block practical assessment (effort and attainment)	Assessment – End of block practical assessment (effort and attainment)	Assessment – End of block practical assessment (effort and attainment)
Summer Term
Topic – Rounders / Athletics	Topic – Rounders / Athletics	Topic – Rounders / Athletics
Key Retainable Knowledge – Core skills, knowledge of rules, PE expectations, team strategies and tactics, coaching and leadership skills	Key Retainable Knowledge – Core and some advanced skills, developing knowledge of rules, developing team strategies and tactics, developing coaching and leadership skills.	Key Retainable Knowledge – Core and advanced skills, continue to develop knowledge of rules, continue to develop team strategies and tactics, and continue to develop coaching, independent learning and leadership skills
Assessment – End of block practical assessment (effort and attainment)	Assessment – End of block practical assessment (effort and attainment)	Assessment – End of block practical assessment (effort and attainment)

 

Curriculum Assessment

Our students have ten mid-term assessments and ten end term assessments each year at Key Stage 3 for each physical activity, grading attitude to learning and attainment. Targets are set based on KS2 data. Best team and best individual activity (and then best other activity) along with VLE unit tests are then averaged to produce an overall attainment grade in line with the GCSE syllabus.

At Key Stage 3 there are six assessment strands: acquiring and developing skills, selecting and applying tactics, evaluating and improving performance, knowledge and understanding of health and fitness, leadership and attendance to extra-curricular clubs.

Feedback is implicit to all of our lessons and throughout our lessons- this can take the form of teacher, peer or self-feedback and is fundamental to the development of skills knowledge and understanding. Feedback will be verbal, non-verbal, manual or written depending on the situation.

Records of Achievement are used in the form of an extended writing task which are completed by the students twice a year, where they can analyse their attainment grades and set targets based on their achievements for the year ahead.

Extra-curricular opportunities

We offer an extensive range of sports clubs and fixture opportunities including football, basketball, netball, handball, liveball, dodgeball, rounders, cricket, badminton, tennis, trampolining, athletics and kick boxing. Our newly established Sports Leaders Academy offers a wide and progressive range of leadership opportunities from leading their own core PE lessons, officiating in basketball competitions, volunteering in primary school sports competitions, helping run the whole school sports day, organising disability awareness days, Commonwealth Games festivals and bespoke sporting events within the local community .  

Our teams also take part in inclusive and disability sporting opportunities including indoor and outdoor athletics and basketball.