·         Mrs J Quickfall – Curriculum Leader

·         Mr J McCarthy – Teacher

·         Mr O Nicolson – Teacher

·         Miss L Major – Teacher

·         Mr B Chibamba – Teacher

·         Mr G Lambert – Teacher

·         Mr N Constant – Teacher

Apart from the obvious health benefits PE brings, there are many other transferable skills to be learnt which allow students to develop in all areas of their lives. PE lessons promote important concepts such as physical literacy, personal development, character development and leadership skills. These are all key skills and qualities that can be applied to other curriculum areas being studied and once embedded, can support students to become well rounded individuals. One of the department’s foci is building resilient and confident students and PE can absolutely do that. The curriculum design considers both SMSC themes and career opportunities which are integral to students understanding the deeper relevance of their learning in PE.

Across both key stages the PE offer ensures students experience a breadth of study from both individual and team sports. This allows students to develop a sense of personal best and competition as well as being able to work with others to achieve a common goal. The lessons are sequenced in a way which introduces the core skills, understanding of key rules, concepts, and performance elements over a unit of work. The overarching ethos of all Core PE lessons is to encourage participation, promote engagement and support excellence to develop all round sports people and healthy individuals.

Key Stage 3 Core PE:

From the beginning of year 7 through to year 8 and 9, students learning is focussed on the development of fundamental skills which underpin both team and individual sports.  During Key Stage 3 students experience a wide range of activities under the following umbrellas; striking and fielding, invasion games, outdoor and adventurous activities (OAA), net games, gymnastics, and swimming alongside leadership. Learning is split into blocks to develop core skills in each sport and maintain continuity, which in turn aids in the student’s progression. We are extremely fortunate to have fantastic facilities at the Academy to allow for a dynamic curriculum offer. Students have access to a state-of-the-art dance studio, trampoline centre, swimming pool, fitness suite, sports halls, outside hard courts, and the field area. A newly built 3G all-weather football pitch will also be in use from October 2023.

By the end of key stage 3, students will have experienced a wide variety of sports and will have learnt the fundamentals that underpin each activity. Our hope is that students join after school extra-curricular clubs, represent the Academy in sports fixtures, choose sport as an option in their Enrichment time or better still, join an external team or club. Students’ overall fitness levels are sure to increase with the exposure to PE in the curriculum as well as the access to a range of extra-curricular clubs offered each day.

Key Stage 4 core PE:

In key stage 4, the focus of PE shifts for most lessons to participation, fitness, and enjoyment. Students are given the choice of learning through pathways, so the hones is more on the students to drive the curriculum design for their lessons. Activities such as time in the fitness suite, handball, boxercise, and dodgeball, to name a few, are present to engage learners at a time when research has shown, participation can dip considerably. More emphasis is placed on participation through games development enhancing and building upon what they had learnt at Key Stage 3. Participation in extracurricular is even more important at this stage of the student’s education. Students can represent the school in fixtures and tournaments potentially leading to external clubs and development squads.

KS4 Examinations:

At St Aldhelm’s Academy, OCR Cambridge Nationals Sport Studies is the examination-based course on offer to our students for study over two years. Learning is delivered through a series of practical and theoretical lessons and ensures students have the skills and understanding needed, to apply their knowledge to gain their qualification. Students are given the opportunity to learn about different sports in depth, perform them and analyse them. A hugely successful part of the course is the leadership unit where students are supported to plan and deliver the Sports Hall Indoor Athletics Competition for our local primary schools. Here students gain invaluable leadership skills, build their personal confidence and resilience, which are all qualities that can be transferred to other aspects of their learning.

During their final year of studying the award in Sport, students are prepared to continue their studies and progress onto a Level 3 Sport qualification or apply to study A Level Physical Education at a higher education institution. The course enthuses students to choose a career in a sporting field such as Physiotherapy, Education, Leisure, Coaching and many other pathways if they so wish.

Neal Shusterman Game Changer

Kwame Alexander The Crossover

Tom Palmer Armistice Runner

Michael Wagg Phil Earle Edgar & Adolf (Super-readable Rollercoasters)

Home learning is set every week for our examination PE groups in year 10 and 11. This is set on TEAMS and is a combination of revision/note taking from the Knowledge Organiser and completing a quiz.

Cambridge Nationals – Sport Studies Level 1/Level 2 – J829 (ocr.org.uk)