GCSE Physical Education

Year 11 2016-2017

Students will follow the OCR Physical Education syllabus.

This course is open to all students and requires a high level of all-round physical competence. GCSE Physical Education is academically rigorous and is not an easy option. Although GCSE PE has a timetable allocation of 4 periods a week, it could also require students to give up their own free time for some aspects of the course, for example helping with the organisation of sporting fixtures or refereeing.

This specification gives candidates opportunities to:

• Develop and apply their knowledge, skills and understanding of physical education through selected practical activities.
• Develop their knowledge and understanding of the different factors that affect participation and performance and demonstrate their relationship.
• Understand the role of rules and conventions in selected activities.
• Promote their understanding of health benefits and risks associated with taking part in physical activity.
• Develop the skills necessary to analyse and improve performance.
• Support their personal and social development through adopting different roles in selected activities when working with others.

In order to achieve these aims, the course involves an amalgamation of practical and theoretical activities.

These include:

• anatomy and physiology
• skill acquisition and fitness
• training and injury
• social issues
• analysis and improvement of practical activities

The assessment of the aforementioned sections of the course takes the form of an examination (40%) and coursework (60%), both with written and practical elements. The coursework consists of 4 practical activities and 2 controlled assessments.

Students may wish to purchase the optional OCR Physical Education syllabus.

Please find coursework information from the GCSE PE Guide to Controlled Assessment

The course specifications can be found in the OCR GCSE PE Specifications Booklet

Year 10 2016-2017

Students will follow the Cambridge iGCSE Syllabus

This course is open to all students and requires a high level of all-round physical competence. iGCSE Physical Education is academically rigorous and is not an easy option. Although iGCSE PE has a timetable allocation of 4 periods a week, it could also require students to give up their own free time for some aspects of the course, for example helping with the organisation of sporting fixtures or refereeing.

This specification gives candidates opportunities to develop:

• an ability to plan, perform, analyse and improve, and evaluate physical activities
• knowledge, skills and understanding of a range of relevant physical activities
• an understanding of effective and safe performance
• an understanding of the role of sport and physical activity in society and in the wider world
• an excellent foundation for advanced study
• an enjoyment of physical activity.

In order to achieve these aims, the course involves an amalgamation of practical and theoretical activities.

Component 1: Paper 1 (40%)
1 hour 45 minutes, 80 marks

The examination assesses candidates’ knowledge and understanding in relation to the syllabus content. Candidates are required to demonstrate skills of description, interpretation and evaluation. The question paper has a weighting of 40% of the total marks and is divided into two sections:

Section A: Short answer questions on:

• Unit 1: Factors affecting performance
• Unit 2: Health, safety and training
• Unit 3: Reasons and opportunities for participation in physical activity

Section B: Three structured questions and differentiated questions, one on each unit:

• Unit 1: Factors affecting performance
• Unit 2: Health, safety and training
• Unit 3: Reasons and opportunities for participation in physical activity

Component 2: Coursework (60%)

The Coursework component requires candidates to offer a minimum of four practical activities from at least two of the seven categories. Each activity is marked out of 50 marks and the Analysing and Improving out of 10 marks.

The course specifications can be found in the New Cambridge iGCSE Syllabus

The practical activities and further details can be found in the Cambridge Coursework Outline Booklet

There is not currently a specific revision guide for iGCSE, any GCSE PE guide would be a welcome addition, but should be treated with a word of warning as some of the content may not be in the iGCSE or there may be some absent.