Physical Education

The Physical Education Department is based in the Sports Complex, which includes a large sports hall with sprung wooden floor, a weights and cardiovascular gym, a projectile range with indoor cricket nets, three glass-back squash courts and an aerobics area. The classroom, which is fitted with a data projector and interactive whiteboard is also situated in the Sports Complex . Outside facilities include a full size floodlit astro turf pitch which provides the base for invasion games which converts to twelve tennis courts in the summer. A 25-metre heated indoor swimming pool is available throughout the year and is fully equipped for competitive swimming, water polo and canoe polo.

Years 7-11

Physical Education is usually taught in mixed gender groups throughout the School to give pupils a broad range of experience in many activities to complement the Games programme. They acquire knowledge and skills in invasion games (soccer, basketball, handball, lacrosse), racket sports (badminton, tennis, squash), athletics, dance, gymnastics including trampolining, health and fitness, outdoor education including orienteering, swimming strokes and survival, volleyball and weight training. Around 40% of Year 11 students sit GCSE Physical Education and results have been consistently good.

Sixth Form

Physical Education is taught to A2 level. Topics include Participation in Sport and Recreation, The Critical Sports Performer, Preparation for Optimum Sports Performance and The Development Sports Performer. Applied anatomy and physiology, Sports Psychology, Sociology and Contemporary Issues in sport are covered within these topics. The subject is largely theory based and is assessed through 50% written exam and 50% written coursework.

Staff

Cate Brocklehurst BSc : Head of Department
Richard Hill BA (Ed)
Peter White BEd
Charlotte Keyser BSc