PE
Our vision is to create lifelong learners of physical activity. Our curriculum offer is accessible and traditional whilst emerging, challenging and broad. Interleaved content across key stages and year groups is planned to execute transferrable skills. This influences pupils' curiosity, versatility and ability to recall information and motor skills.
Key Stage 3
At Key Stage 3, our curriculum offers pupils the opportunity to build confidence in activities and sports that use a range of tactics and decision-making such as netball and rounders. They develop technique and performance in other competitive sports such as gymnastics and athletics.
Styles of dance and dance techniques are explored within Year 8. Participation in outdoor activities encourages team-building and problem solving which is taught in our fundamental skills unit.
We offer the chance for pupils to analyse and improve on personal performance such as fitness testing and trampolining; and finally, all pupils are encouraged to attend our extracurricular programme and club links to add to their social, physical and emotional development.
Pupils will grasp theoretical concepts throughout all lessons such as the importance of warming up or the short-term effects of exercise. They will also complete half termly assessments and homeworks which require pupils to make cognitive connections with practice.
Key Stage 4
At Key Stage 4 our curriculum offers pupils the opportunity to engage with increased critical thinking when applying strategy during sports such as cricket and football. Personal bests and competitive performance are developed when engaging in methods of training and handball.
Evaluating and optimising performance in trampolining and volleyball, for example, supports pupils in becoming reflective learners. In conjunction with our Key Stage 4 PE offer, the Duke of Edinburgh award is specifically recommended to Key Stage 4 pupils, to inspire and motivate them in outdoor adventure.
Similarly, to our Key Stage 3 pupils, the Key Stage 4 cohort can strengthen their character, courage and conscience by participating in the extra-curricular programme. Pupils will grasp theoretical concepts throughout all lessons drawing upon contemporary and current issues within sport as well as highlighting the importance of anatomical concepts. We believe pupils should experience different roles within the sporting industry and leadership opportunities are therefore a key element within lessons.
We believe that when pupils learn through our enriched curriculum, they can become physically literate, preparing them for further study, elite performance and sporting careers.
"Physical literacy is the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge, and understanding to value and take responsibility for engagement in physical activities for life." The International Physical Literacy Association, May 2014
The curriculum overview for each year group can be downloaded below.
GCSE PE
GCSE PE is a popular choice amongst the students and consists of a practical and theoretical element using the exam board OCR. Students typically complete three hours a week which combine theory and practical lessons. Pupils are assessed in four different components.
GCSE PE offers students the opportunity to acquire the skills, knowledge and understanding needed for Post-16 study in this field and laying the foundations for a career in the sports industry.
Component 01: Physical factors affecting performance
Students explore how parts of the human body function during physical activity and the physiological adaptations that can occur due to diet and training. They also develop skills in data analysis, and an understanding of the principles of training, why we train in different ways and how training plans can be made to optimise results.
There are two topics:
- Applied anatomy and physiology
- Physical training.
Component 02: Socio-cultural issues and sports psychology
Students develop their knowledge of the social-cultural and psychological influences on levels of participation in sport, and also how sport impacts on society more broadly. This includes the individual benefits to health, fitness and well-being of participating in physical activity, as well as the influences of commercialisation, sponsorship and the media.
There are three topics:
- Socio-cultural influences
- Sports psychology
- Health, fitness and well-being.
Component 04: Practical Performance
Students are assessed in performing three practical activities, including at least one ‘team’ and at least one ‘individual’ sport, and finally one of from the approved OCR activity lists. Students should be prepared to demonstrate core and advanced skills and apply them within competitive situations. Students who compete outside of the academy can use their given sport one of their assessed activities.
Component 05: Analysis and Evaluation of Performance
This component draws upon the knowledge, understanding and skills a student has learnt and enables them to analyse and evaluate their own or a peer’s performance in one activity. Students will be required to produce a written task under controlled conditions.
Beyond the classroom
Beyond the curriculum all students have the opportunity to compete in sport and participate in other activities that are designed to build character, develop confidence and social skills as well as physical skills and ability.
We offer a wide ranging extra-curricular programme of sports and activities from handball to boxing, trampolining to rock climbing. Regular fixtures are arranged against other schools allowing students to proudly represent the academy and demonstrate their ability and values such as teamwork, respect, and commitment.
The extra-curricular programme is a truly inclusive one with all students encouraged to get involved. We continue to compete within regional, borough and local school competitions achieving high level of performance and success!
The academy also encourages and supports students on their pathway to elite performance such as selecting talented performers within football to participate in the Harris Federation Kinetic Foundation Scholarship as well as selecting netball players to attend Peckham Allstars Netball Camp and recognising potential in badminton to begin advanced badminton sessions with Crossfire Badminton Club. Athletics squads are also invited to specialised track and field sessions.
Our facilities
We have excellent sports facilities and equipment at Harris Girls’ Academy East Dulwich that supports the development of physical skills and abilities:
- Full size sports Hall
- Climbing wall
- Dance studio
- Outdoor grass area
- Fully equipped fitness suit
- 3G 5 a side (Floodlight)
- Outdoor Netball Court (floodlight)
- Outdoor Tennis Court (floodlight)
PE Rules and Expectations
