Physical Education

Exam Board: OCR

Have you ever wondered...

• Why some people are good at sports and others not?
• Why you are a great swimmer but hate running?
• How you could go from being a good athlete to being in the Olympics?
• Why people take drugs?
• Why violence is often seen in sport?

Study GCSE Physical Education to find out the answers.

Studying GCSE Physical Education will open your eyes to the amazing world of sports performance. Not only will you have the chance to perform in three different sports through the non- exam assessment component, you will also develop wide ranging knowledge into the how and why of Physical activity and sport.

The combination of the physical performance and academic challenge provides an exciting opportunity for students. You can perform, and then through the academic study learn how to improve your performance though application of the theory.

Physical Education is learned about through a range of different contexts and the impact it has on both ours and other’s everyday lives. You will learn the reasons why we do things, why some people out perform others, mentally and physically. You will also delve into the ethical considerations behind the use of drugs and also gain an understanding of the consequences of inactivity and poor diet.

What’s included

40% Non-Exam assessment giving you the opportunity to apply the theory to your own sporting performance in three different activities as well as allowing you to analyse performance in your chosen sport.

• Location of major bones of the skeletal system
• Location of major muscle groups
• Principles of training/optimising training
• Prevention of injury
• Drugs in Sport
• Diet and nutrition

The emphasis throughout the course is on introducing the concepts with Physical Education and relating these to performance whilst developing your knowledge, competence and confidence in a wide variety of skills that will enable you to confidently move forward in life. The theoretical side of the course is complemented by the practical element where you will get to put this newly learned theory into practice and improve and develop in your chosen activities.

What are the benefits?

• This is an interesting and challenging learning experience. In it we introduce key sporting ideas and show how these interact with practical performance, you will gain insights into the relationships they have with each other throughout the course.
• The development of transferable skills including:
• decision making, psychological understanding of people, independent thinking, problem solving and analytical skills as well as thinking, acting and reacting under pressure.
• The study of GCSE Physical Education opens up a range of possibilities for further study and also into careers associated with the subject.

Where can GCSE Physical Education take me?

• GCSE Physical Education is not just an excellent base for the OCR A Level in Physical Education, it can take you much further. For those of you fascinated by the human mind, why not carry on to Psychology? For people into the why of the human race this carries you through to Sociology. This is also an excellent additional qualification for those undertaking the sciences with the intention to move through into medicine or physiotherapy routes.
• Beyond A-Level, the study of Physical Education can lead on to university degrees in sports science, sports management, healthcare, or exercise and health. Physical Education can also complement further study in biology, human biology, physics, psychology, nutrition, sociology, teacher training and many more. The transferable skills you learn through your study of Physical Education, such as decision making, and independent thinking are also useful in any career path you choose to take.

Thought-provoking questions

• I can’t access sport because of my beliefs.
• How much influence does the mind really have over the body?
• Doping should be legal as it makes everyone equal.
• A warm up is a waste of time.
• Why is my resting heart rate different to that of an elite athlete?

Assessment

​Non- Exam Assessment (NEA). Three practical performances

NEA. One Performance Analysis task.

A total of two hours assessment split over two examination papers (2x 1 hour) taken at the end of the two-year course.

A wide range of Question types including: multiple choice, single mark, short answer and extended response questions.

The opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge of the theory and performance skills in both your NEA and through the examinations.