Physical Education GCSE

Physical Education GCSE

Course Length

One year.

The course

Sport and physical well-being play an increasingly important role in our lives. Knowledge of how the body works and how best to train it so that it can perform at its best is of use to everyone, whether it be so they can help themselves or help others as a trainer. The GCSE provides you with the kind of detailed physiological understanding you need to think about how to improve performance along with how best to construct and evaluate training programmes. It also invites you to consider the sport in the wider context of society by addressing such topics as why some groups participate in organised sports rather than others, the relationship between sport and sponsorship, ethical issues in sports such as the use of performance-enhancing drugs and the positive effects of physical activity on bodily and mental health.

What skills do I need?

You need to be at a good club level in three sports. Out of the three, one must be an individual sport and one must be a team sport. The third sport can be either.

How is the course assessed?

The GCSE is composed of three elements: two written papers and practical element. Paper 1 (The human body and movement in physical activity and sport) assesses four areas of study: (i) applied anatomy and physiology; (ii) movement analysis; (iii) physical training; and (iv) use of data. It is assessed by a written exam of 75 minutes and is worth 30% of the GCSE. Paper 2 (Socio-cultural influences and well-being in physical activity and sport) assess four further areas of study: (i) sports psychology; (ii) socio-cultural influences; (iii) health, fitness and well-being; and (iv) use of data. It is assessed by a written exam of 75 minutes and is worth 30% of the GCSE. The third and final element is the non-exam assessment (Practical performance in physical activity and sport). This involves practical performance in three different physical activities in the role of player/performer (one in a team activity, one in an individual activity and a third in either a team or in an individual activity).

All timetabled PE lessons in college will cover the theoretical elements (Paper 1 and Paper 2) only. This means that the assessed sports must be completed outside of lesson of time with video evidence that the MPW course tutor can assess. Students therefore have responsibility for organising their sporting activities. The college is not responsible for helping them find suitable clubs or teams.

Reading

AQA GCSE (9-1) PE (2nd edition)
By Ross Howitt and Mike Murray
Published by Hodder Education, ISBN-13: 978-1398326521

Exam Board and Specification Code

AQA 8582

Dee Robins
Head of Department