PE

Physical Education is our students’ gateway to the beginnings of an active and healthy lifestyle. It is the PE Department’s intention at Tiverton High School to ensure that every student, regardless of ability or background, acquires the knowledge, skills and understanding to fully enjoy participating in sport and physical activity, whether that be in a competitive or social environment. Our PE curriculum is ambitious in both its breadth of sports and its depth, introducing students to a wide range of both team and individual sports and leisure activities, whilst learning the theory behind the human body. The PE curriculum at THS will enable students to study the subject well beyond their time at Tiverton High School, through A Levels, degrees and beyond. However, it is our greatest aspiration that our PE curriculum inspires all our students to value and continue living an active and healthy lifestyle long after they have left Tiverton High School.

In PE, the potentially enormous breadth of content within the subject is distilled to the key constructs which are considered as the essential knowledge, understanding and skills that students require on a topic-by-topic basis before links between areas of study can be created.  These Key constructs in PE are:-

• Developing and Improving Skills
• Developing Physical and Mental Capacity
• Evaluating and Improving
• Making and Applying Decisions

Each key construct is underpinned by important component knowledge that is explicitly taught through practical lessons. This allows our students to know exactly what they need to know and be able to do to achieve well in each aspect of PE. The Key constructs are progressive throughout KS3 and revisited during each block of sport in more advanced skills and tactics.

Our PE curriculum is planned to ensure all students can access and enjoy learning Key Constructs through various sports, and make progress immediately, regardless of ability or lack of explicit previous experience. Students take part in a variety of sports during KS3, including Rugby, Netball, Badminton, Dance, Gymnastics and Athletics.

Through the teaching of these sports students also learn the fundamental knowledge required to not only understand the components of a fit and healthy lifestyle, but also to help prepare students for PE qualifications in Key Stage 4.  KS3 Theory allows students to develop their knowledge of Components of Fitness and how physical activity and sport can benefit us physical, mentally and socially.

For KS4, students have the option of choosing to further their studies in PE by opting to study GCSE PE or Sports Studies. PE GCSE is focused on the human body and how our systems work together. Students will also be assessed in their practical ability through three sports. Alternatively, the Cambridge National in Sport Studies is more ‘industry’ focused with units on the sports media and coaching styles. Students will also be assessed in their practical ability through 2 sports. Key Stage 4 non examination PE provides a varied curriculum intended to inspire, motivate and provide a lifelong desire to continue with physical activity beyond school and into adult life and continuing with the four Key Constructs.