A Level Physical Education (PE)

Course overview

Explore the role of physical activity in promoting health, fitness, and performance with our A Level Physical Education course. This interdisciplinary program covers a wide range of topics, including exercise physiology, sports psychology, and socio-cultural influences on sport and physical activity. Through practical activities, theoretical study, and critical analysis, students gain insight into the principles of effective coaching, development, and sports performance.

What's Covered?

The course is designed to equip learners with both an in depth and breadth of knowledge, understanding and skills relating to scientific, socio-cultural and practical aspects of physical education.

The course aims to create confident independent thinkers and effective decision makers who can operate as individuals or as part of a team – all skills that will enable learners to effectively promote themselves as they progress through life.

We offer a flipped learning approach to the curriculum which provides students with the opportunity to learn the basics of topics at home and consolidate learning in the classroom through the following ways;

engaging practical activities and research, small group work, a range of learning games and use of the college's intranet: i-site. Progress in learning will be monitored using regular assessments that will be completed in class which will reflect the structure and rigour of the end of course external exams.

Students are expected to be competing in their chosen sport on a regular basis and video evidence will be submitted for practical assessment and external moderation. Your teachers are experienced performers in the fields of swimming, gymnastics and football.

Having represented their sports at the highest level, they can help improve your practical grade through regular coaching and participation in the NSCG sports teams.

There is also opportunity to represent your sport at the British Colleges Sport National Championships. We also strongly recommend that all students purchase a relevant text book for the course.

Entry requirements?

You will need a minimum of five GCSEs at grade 5 or above including Maths & English Language, in subjects relevant to your A Level Programme. You will need to achieve GSCE Science (Biology) at grade 5 or above. You must also play at least one sport at representative level for the duration of this course.

How is it assessed?

This qualification is linear, which means all students will sit all their exams and submit all their non-exam assessment at the end of the two years. Assessment is comprised of three external examinations and two moderated practical based assessments with a verbal evaluation of performance.

Paper 1: (2 hour written exam) 90 marks, Contributes to 30% of final grade.

Physiological factors affecting performance:

• 1.1 Applied anatomy & physiology

• 1.2 Exercise Physiology

• 1.3 Biomechanics

Paper 2: (1 hour written exam) 60 marks. Contributes to 20% of final grade.

Psychological factors affecting performance:

• 2.1 Skill Acquisition

• 2.2 Sports psychology

Paper 3: (1 hour written exam) 60 marks. Contributes to 20% of final grade.

Socio-cultural factors affecting performance:

• 3.1 Sport & Society

• 3.2 Contemporary issues in physical activity & sport

Non-exam assessment (internal assessment, external moderation). Contributes to 30% of final grade.

• 4.1 Practical performance or coach in full-sided fully-competitive activity

• 4.2 Verbal analysis of a peer’s performance (EAPI)