PE
To develop a healthy body and mind that will allow all students to promote independence and leadership skills that will enable them to climb to the top of their mountain.
Curriculum Intention:
Through providing a curriculum that is broad and balanced, physical education compliments and supplements the aims of St Aidan’s Catholic Academy, building on and embedding the physical development and skills learned in Primary school. The curriculum is designed to be enjoyable, but at the same time develop and stimulate the students; physically, socially, emotionally and cognitively. It aims to provide an equal opportunity of learning experiences in football, rugby, badminton, basketball, table tennis, handball, volleyball, softball, orienteering, cricket, tennis, gymnastics and athletics. Students will be encouraged to take on different roles and enjoy physical activity as performers, leaders and referees/umpires/officials.
As students’ progress in their learning, they have the opportunity to study BTEC TECH Award in Sport. Students will develop a broad understanding of sports provision, learning how equipment and facilities support performance, how to plan and deliver engaging drills and activity sessions, and how fitness, training methods, anatomy and physiology, and leadership contribute to success in sport. BTECs are vocationally related qualifications, where learners develop knowledge and understanding by applying their learning and skills in a work-related context. The qualifications enable learners to take responsibility for their own learning and to develop skills that are essential for the modern-day workplace. These skills include: teamwork, working from a prescribed brief, working to deadlines, presenting information effectively, accurately completing administrative tasks and processes. BTEC qualifications motivate learners, and open doors to progression to further study and responsibility in the workplace. This qualification will give students an insight into the roles of a coach, personal trainer, performance analyst, fitness coach and a P.E teacher.
The department will promote the physical wellbeing of every student during practical lessons:
- To enjoy exercise and promote a concern for health and fitness through participation in physical activity.
- To develop their ability to ‘strive to be their best’, by working at maximum effort.
- To assist in the aims of education at St Aidan’s Academy by contributing to and enhancing the following all aspects of the curriculum.
- To install independent skills that promote creative thinking and students to have confidence to use their own initiative.
- To develop leadership skills from Year 7 onwards
- To develop an awareness of the environment’s potential for leisure and recreation.
- To develop positive attitudes towards self-esteem, co-operative learning, leadership and respect for others’ abilities.
Curriculum Design
Physical Education Learning Journey 2024-2025
Physical Education KS3 Assessment – Head, Heart and Hands
Course Information:
For more information about our sixth form course provision please follow the link below:
Courses « St. Anthony’s & St. Aidan’s Catholic Sixth Form (aaasixthform.com)
Curriculum implementation
As students’ progress through the Academy curriculum, they are encouraged to develop a positive attitude towards physical activity and healthy living, supporting their sporting potential both within the Academy and the local community.
Lessons and units of work are carefully structured to develop age-appropriate knowledge and skills within a physical education setting, with a clear emphasis on building procedural knowledge (know-how) to perform skills effectively and accurately, alongside declarative knowledge (know-what) of skills, movements, and tactics, supported by self-reflection and a focus on long-term mastery.
In Years 7, 8 and 9, students take on leadership roles by leading warm-ups, officiating games, organising small-sided activities, and supporting peers or less confident participants, helping to develop their confidence, communication, and teamwork skills.
In Years 10 and 11, students take greater responsibility for their learning by selecting from a range of curriculum options. Assessment follows the ARR handbook through regular formative and summative testing. Feedback is provided in line with the whole-school assessment and feedback policy, and students are given opportunities to use this feedback to improve and upgrade their assessments, with personalised tasks set to help close any gaps in knowledge.
Students also have opportunities to support and lead primary school sporting competitions within the wider St Aidan’s community.
Curriculum Impact:
St Aidan’s Catholic Academy considers the greatest impact of the curriculum to be high rates of student progress in:
Progress in:
- Appreciation of human achievement and aspirations in the context of a cultural and aesthetic life;
- Acquiring knowledge and skills relevant to continuing in sport after they leave the Academy, be it as a performer, spectator, official or group leader;
- Valuing the contribution, which physical education and exercise can make towards their health, well-being and lifestyle;
- Understanding of the importance of sport and physical activity on mental health and wellbeing.
- Using a range of tactics and strategies to overcome opponents in direct competition through team and individual games [for example, badminton, basketball, cricket, football, rugby and tennis]
- Developing their technique and improving their performance in other competitive sports [for example, athletics and gymnastics]
- Participating in outdoor and adventurous activities which present intellectual and physical challenges
- Working in a team, building on trust and developing skills to solve problems, either individually or as a group
- Analysing their performances compared to previous ones and demonstrating improvement to achieve their personal best
