Physical Education
Key Stage 3
During Y7 students will experience two PE lessons per week during which time a wide range of sporting activities will be covered from the major games of soccer and netball to the more artistic activities of dance and gymnastics.
Blocks of activity will be approximately 8 weeks long. Students will experience blocks of generic games skills and basic creative lessons in the first half term. During lessons students will experience practices designed to improve isolated skills and they will put these skills into small sided and modified games. Students are encouraged to plan for themselves and carry out simple evaluations of their own and others’ work, along with an appreciation of the benefits and considerations of a healthy lifestyle. Students are assessed throughout the year across all the 9 sports that they will cover.
Students continue to experience two PE lessons per week in Y8 and will continue to develop the major games of boys’ rugby and soccer and girls’ hockey and netball but additional activities will be added to the curriculum including boys’ softball, girls’ basketball and health related fitness. Once again students will be assessed across all 10 sports that are delivered which also last for approximately 8 weeks each.
Students have two lessons per week in Y9 and again continue to develop the major games as in Y8 and have additional ‘new activities’ for contrast. These include girls’ soccer and lacrosse and boys’ basketball. Throughout all three years the emphasis is on developing skills, knowledge and understanding across a variety of activities to ensure progress and success for all, but at an individual level.
All kit should be clearly labelled with the student’s name. Students will be outside for the majority of their lessons and a tracksuit (navy) as an additional layer of clothing will make the cold/wet outdoor lessons more comfortable. Tracksuits are not permitted for rugby. We have also introduced an optional white base layer top to wear under Blue School kit in cold weather.
We implement a ‘no note’ policy. This means that all students will be expected to bring the correct kit, change and take part in as much of the lesson as they can, either as a performer, official or a coach. This includes students who are unwell, recovering from asthma attacks etc. It is not designed to force them to take a full and active part in the lesson if they are unable to do so. They will still be deployed as coaches and officials etc in line with the constraints of their condition but will be appropriately dressed for the conditions and activity we may undertake. The exception is for students with an official doctor’s note, those on crutches and those students whose injury prevents them dressing/undressing without assistance.
Alongside curriculum PE there is a very wide range of extra-curricular sports offered to students. There are representative teams in hockey, soccer, netball, rugby, cricket, rounders and athletics and many other recreational clubs too. These provide a valuable learning opportunity for students and it is hoped that many students will attend these clubs which run at lunch times and after school. Potential school representatives and their parents should see this as a commitment to the school, involving both responsibility and privilege alongside the enjoyment of the sport.