GCSE

Student guide

Is this right for me?

The GCSE Physical Education course will appeal to you if you:

have a keen interest in sport and recreation and always look forward to your PE lessons
take part in sport/recreation outside of class time
want to follow a course that develops knowledge and understanding through practical involvement
want to know more about the benefits of sport and exercise
want to improve your own performance in a range of sports roles
want to study a course that is active and that you will enjoy
are considering a sports-related career or an A level/higher education course.

What do I need to know, or be able to do, before taking this course?

The course builds on the knowledge, understanding and skills established in key stage 3 Physical Education. It will give you exciting opportunities to be involved in a number of different physical activities, promoting an active and healthy lifestyle, You can perform in one or all of the following roles: player/participant, leader or official. You should have an interest in PE and sport, enjoy being active and appreciate the benefits of keeping fit and healthy.

What will I earn?

You will:

develop your knowledge and practical skills in a range of physical activities
examine the effects of exercise and how training can improve performance
find ways to improve your own performances in a variety of roles
identify ways to develop and maintain a healthy and active lifestyle through participation in physical activity
appreciate the benefits of promoting "sport for all".

How will I be assessed?

The GCSE course is assessed over two units.

Unit 1 is externally assessed through a written examination paper of 1 hour and 30 min's. This will contribute a maximum of 40% towards your total marks.

Unit 2 is assessed in two sections.

Section 1 - four practical performances in the role of either player/participant, leader or official. You can achieve 48% of the marks from your four performances, two of which may be in the role of leader or official.

Section 2 - analysis of performance in one of the chosen activities. This will be worth 12% of the marks and should include planning, performing and evaluating a Personal Exercise Programme.

What can I do after I've completed the course?

As well as being the ideal preparation for the A level Physical Education course, GCSE PE allows for progression to related vocational qualifications, such as BTEC firsts and nationals in sport or sport and Exercise Sciences.

The course develops the transferable skills and key skills that employers are looking for and can lead to a wide variety of employment opportunities. This can include further training in such areas as recreational management, leisure activities, coaching, officiating, the fitness industry, the armed forces and the civil service.

Next steps!

For further information on specific sports, you could look at the web sites for the National Governing Bodies of sport.

Athletics	www.englandathletics.org.uk
Badminton	www.baofe.co.uk
Basketball	www.englandbasketball.co.uk
Cricket	www.ecb.co.uk
Cycling	www.bcf.uk.com
Football	www.thefa.com
Golf	www.golf-foundation.org
Hockey	www.hockeyonline.co.uk
Mountain walking	www.mltb.org
Netball	www.england-netball.co.uk
Rowing	www.ara-rowing.org
Rugby union	www.rfu.com
Squash	www.englandsquash.com
Swimming	www.britishswimming.org
Table tennis	www.etta.co.uk
Tennis	www.lta.org.uk

If you want to find more about GCSE PE you can visit the ed excel web site. You should also talk to the head of PE at your school who will be able to describe the course in detail and advise you of what you need to do next when it comes to your options.