Physical Education
Our Intent:
Physical Education within Altwood School provides a broad and balanced curriculum for students to uphold the schools’ gospel values and develop their range and quality of skills, decision making and physical attributes in a variety of sports. Students are inspired to be confident, independent and physically literate learners who are passionate about lifelong participation in physical activity.
Key Stage 3
Through Physical Education we aim to inspire students to develop a lifelong healthy lifestyle in Physical Education and Sport. Which sparks curiosity for the subject and a sense of responsibility, leadership and respect for others around them. We seek to ensure students recognise their own ability and the ability of others’ in relation to academic, physical and employability life skills as well as upholding our Gospel Values. Students will engage in a broad and balanced curriculum that spans the range of activity areas available.
Each year group is taught ten different activities which lead to assessments in:
- range of skills
- quality of skills
- decision making
- physical attributes
The complexity of these increasing every year from core skills to advanced skills. For example, in Year 7 a student may learn the core skill of footwork in netball, encompassing the 1-2 landing. However, in Y8 they will learn how to perform the split landing and running pass footwork as an advanced skill.
The activity areas that students cover are:
- invasion games
- net games
- striking and fielding
- gymnastics
- dance
- outdoor adventurous activities
- health related fitness
- athletics
This follows the National Curriculum guidance which is broad and balanced, which the extra curricular programme aims to support. Dance is enhanced with an outside agency that is bought in for workshops throughout the academic year to enhance the curriculum. It is also developed in gymnastics through Laban’s principles of movement.
Students will develop their understanding of anatomy and physiology, acquisition of skill, psychology and health and well-being. They will also develop their leadership roles in a number of ways, through tasks set or by role, such as a leader, official or coach. In addition to this, students will learn about employability skill and their prevalence with sporting activities and Physical Education such as communication as a captain, leadership of teams and decision making as an official. Key areas embedded in our delivery are leadership, communication, organisation, responsibility and initiative.
Key Stage 4
Throughout KS4 students will be given a greater degree of responsibility and choice. Two different pathways are available for students that meet their individual needs. The emphasis will be on rules, tactics, strategies, composition and leadership, with students taking on specific leadership roles. Leadership roles are further encouraged with the Berkshire Leadership Academy, with sport specific leaders filtering into lessons and extra curricular sport, which follow a Sport Education Leadership approach. Observation and Analysis Skills are developed within lessons to allow reflectional and further improvement.
The accredited Physical Education GCSE course will enable students who are interested in a career in sport or scientific to experience classroom based lessons that develop their knowledge of sports science, psychology, analysis of performance and socio-cultural aspects of the course, whilst giving them the opportunity to be assessed in their practical performance. This particularly recognises those that are committed to sport outside of lessons, at clubs and outside of school.