1. What is the curriculum rationale in PE?

At Wilmslow High School we study PE in two ways:

  • Core PE
  • Examination PE

Intent: purpose and values of PE

We believe that Physical Education makes an important contribution to the education and social and physical development of all our students. Therefore, our aim is to provide all students with a broad and balanced programme of activities, with a focus on enjoyment and progression across the board.

Our curriculum across key stages three to four enables students to:

  • safely engage in a wide variety of activities, both traditional and non-traditional
  • make links between different types of activity

  • develop their physical competence and confidence.

We aim to provide all students with a sporting context that both inspires and engages them and promotes an awareness and understanding of physical fitness and its contribution to general health. We want all students to express and communicate ideas, solve problems, and overcome challenges in imaginative ways and in doing so, develop personal attributes alongside their social skills and sporting attitudes.

Finally, we want our students to develop informal opinions on and an awareness of sport related issues and the impact of sport and physical activity at a local, national, and international level. 

We believe that all students can access the powerful knowledge of the PE curriculum, including those with SEND. Therefore, our core PE lessons are inclusive, and we aim:

  • to provide a diverse range of activities that educate and inspire students to lead a healthy active lifestyle
  • to make sure that all students can access core PE lessons and are challenged appropriately to address gaps in knowledge and skills

We believe that core PE helps to prepare students for the wider world, developing leadership, resilience and communications skills. We have high expectations in our PE lessons, with established learning routines and embedded opportunities to lead and participate in a number of roles.

We also build cultural capital through experience of different sports and activities, educational visits, fixtures and other sporting opportunities. Whilst each sport and activities has individual learning journeys that enable students to develop the skills, knowledge and cultural capital.

Intent: purpose and values of examination PE

Examination PE at Wilmslow High School aims to inspire, motivate and challenge students – developing in them a lifelong love of sport, and enabling them to make informed and successful decisions about further learning opportunities and career pathways.

We aim to develop the knowledge, understanding, skills and values of our students, to allow them to improve their performance in physical activity and sport, whilst gaining a sound knowledge and understanding of a variety of theoretical aspects of physical education:

  • Strong knowledge of topics such as Sports Psychology, Diet and Nutrition, and Physical Training will allow students to develop and thrive in their practical sports,
  • Analysing and evaluating performance in sport, identifying strengths and weaknesses, and evaluating the ways to improve, is what motivates competitors at every level of sport.

Our curriculum intent is structured so that students develop their theoretical knowledge at a steady rate, building on knowledge as they progress through their curriculum journey. The overlap in the Big Ideas is especially evident as students move from key stage four to five.

We aim to build cultural capital through experience of different sports and activities, educational visits, fixtures and other sporting opportunities and to enhance the leadership, resilience and communications skills developed in core PE.

2. What is the 'big picture' in both Core PE and Examination PE?

The ‘big picture’ outlines how the Big Ideas and areas of knowledge of each subject fit together.

The Big Ideas of Core PE are the personal attributes of PRIDE that we aim to develop in our students during their Core PE curriculum journey as part of embedding healthy participation and a love for sport. We regard these as the ‘heart’ of PE and sport:

  • Professionalism
  • Respect
  • Integrity
  • Determination
  • Empathy
  • Leadership
  • Competitiveness

Big picture: examination PE

The Big Ideas of examination PE are:

  • Anatomy and physiology
  • Exercise physiology and biomechanics
  • Sports psychology
  • Skill acquisition
  • Sport and society
  • Technology
  • Sport business

There are three key areas of knowledge which are necessary to become a subject expert in PE:

  1. Conceptual understanding: That our students build declarative knowledge (knowing that) of physical education and sport (theoretical knowledge). We regard this as the 'head' of PE and sport e.g. the anatomy and physiology of the human body.
  2. Procedural fluency: That our students build procedural knowledge (knowing how to) of rules, strategies and tactics.
  1. Fundamental movement skills: That our learners build the motor knowledge to apply what they have learned in their movement:
    • Locomotor skill
    • Stability skill
    • Manipulation skill

We regard this as the 'hands' of PE and sport e.g. Being able to throw and catch a netball.

3. What does knowledge look like in PE?

4. What do we teach and when?

5. What do we assess and when?

PE Assessment Framework

6. Where are the PE Knowledge Organisers?