Core PE

At Southfield, Physical Education empowers students to develop the knowledge, confidence and resilience to lead healthy, active and fulfilling lives. PE is far more than sport: it supports physical health, mental wellbeing and personal growth, and it builds teamwork, leadership, communication and decision-making.

Through a broad and inclusive curriculum, every girl is encouraged to challenge herself, discover her strengths and develop a positive relationship with physical activity. Our school values shape every lesson. We ask students to Be Ready to take part and take on new challenges, to Be Respectful towards teammates, opponents and officials, and to Be Responsible for their own effort, health and progress.

In a world where young people face increasing pressure on their physical and mental wellbeing, PE gives students the understanding and habits to manage stress, build resilience and stay active. Our ambition is to inspire lifelong participation, so that students leave as confident, independent young women who embrace challenge and are Proud to be Southfield.

 

Qualifications

Key stage

Course

Specification

Key Stage 4

Core PE is not examined. Examined option: OCR Cambridge National in Sport Studies (J829)

OCR Cambridge National Sport Studies specification

Key Stage 5

Examined option: OCR Cambridge Technical in Sport and Physical Activity (Extended Certificate)

OCR Cambridge Technical Sport handbook

 

Curriculum by Year

Term

Key topics and skills

Year 7

Term 1

Collaboration

·         Multiskills: fundamental movement skills

·         Coordination and agility

·         Hand-eye coordination

·         Health and fitness

·         Improving stamina

Term 2

Motivating and influencing others

·         Netball: basic throwing and catching

·         Netball: rules and positions

·         Football: passing and dribbling

·         Attacking and defensive principles in netball and football

Term 3

Responsibility

·         Basketball: throwing, catching and dribbling

·         Basketball: attacking and defensive principles and basic rules

·         Gymnastics: travelling movements and rotation

·         Gymnastics: sequencing and transitional movements

Term 4

Innovation

·         Outdoor and adventurous activities

·         Working effectively as a team and assessing risk

·         The eight points of the compass

·         Tag rugby: basic rules and passing

·         Tag rugby: non-contact play and passing backwards

Term 5

Resilience

·         Athletics: basic officiating (timing, measuring, no jump and no throw)

·         Running technique for sprinting and middle distance

·         Throwing principles (low to high, slow to fast, push and pull)

·         Rounders: batting, fielding and bowling

·         Batting principles (stance, one-handed batting)

Term 6

Communication

·         Cricket: basic rules, batting and fielding

·         Tennis: forehand and backhand drives and the drop serve

·         Tennis: principles of attack (moving the opponent, variety of shots)

·         Tennis: basic defensive principles

Year 8

Term 1

Collaboration

·         Football: basic skills with consistency and control

·         Football: key attacking and defensive principles

·         Basketball: basic skills with consistency and control

·         Basketball: attacking principles (outlet, ball handler, passing rather than dribbling)

·         Basketball: defensive principles (man-to-man and team defence, blocking shooting and passing lanes)

Term 2

Motivating and influencing others

·         Health and fitness: training methods for aerobic endurance, speed, agility, reaction time, muscular endurance and strength

·         Netball: basic skills with consistency and control

·         Netball: attacking principles (width, forward runs)

·         Netball: defensive principles (marking a player with and without the ball)

Term 3

Responsibility

·         Badminton: high, low and backhand serves, overhead and underarm clears, net shots and drop shots

·         Badminton: key rules and tactics

·         Rhythmic gymnastics: key actions with ball, hoop and ribbon

·         Movements in each plane for each piece of apparatus

·         The components of a quality routine, as choreographer and observer

Term 4

Innovation

·         Outdoor and adventurous activities: carrying out a risk assessment

·         Applying compass skills to new situations

·         Working effectively in a group

·         Tag rugby: scoring tries, ripping the ball, passing backwards and restarts

·         Tag rugby: rules (non-contact, passing backwards, out of play, scoring and restarts)

Term 5

Resilience

·         Athletics: applying the rules and self-officiating

·         Key principles of sprinting, middle distance, throwing and jumping

·         Assessing individual strengths and weaknesses and working to improve them

·         Rounders: basic skills with consistency and control

·         Rounders: batting and fielding principles

Term 6

Communication

·         Cricket: batting and fielding principles

·         Tennis: basic skills with consistency and control

·         Tennis: attacking principles (hitting accurately into space, playing to an opponent's weaknesses)

·         Tennis: defensive principles (anticipating the shot, lofted and deep returns)

Year 9

Term 1

Collaboration

·         Basketball: advanced attacking and defensive principles (half-court and zone defence, fake and drive)

·         Volleyball: rules of small-sided games

·         Volleyball: the set, bump, dig and underarm serve

Term 2

Motivating and influencing others

·         Health and fitness: the benefits of regular exercise

·         Good form in bodyweight and low to moderate resistance exercises

·         Different training methods

·         Netball: advanced attacking and defending principles (counter-attack, set plays)

·         Coaching: analysing team performance and giving feedback in the moment

Term 3

Responsibility

·         Badminton: basic skills and sustaining a rally (serve, overhead clear, drop shot)

·         Badminton: basic principles of attack and defence

·         Sports acrobatics: key fitness components

·         Linking travel actions with shape and fluency

·         Compositional principles and rules for choreographing a routine

Term 4

Innovation

·         Invasion games: handball, lacrosse and tag rugby

·         Pickleball: footwork for successful performance

·         Pickleball: forehand and backhand shots and the underarm serve

Term 5

Resilience

·         Athletics: more advanced jumping, throwing and running techniques

·         Adapting run-ups and approaches to the weather

·         Analysing their own and a partner's performance

·         Rounders: applying and explaining the rules with confidence

·         Rounders: advanced batting and fielding strategies

Term 6

Communication

·         Striking and fielding: rounders and cricket

·         Tennis: applying and explaining the rules with confidence

·         Tennis: linking skills in a rally

·         Tennis: advanced attack (pressure at the net, disguise) and defence (sliced returns)

·         Analysing their own and others' performance

Year 10

Term 1

Collaboration

·         Invasion games: sending, receiving, attacking and defending across a range of games

·         Benchball, handball, ultimate frisbee, lacrosse, tag rugby, football and hockey

·         Health and fitness: a range of weighted exercises

·         Using training thresholds

·         Coaching: motivating a partner to perform at their best

Term 2

Motivating and influencing others

·         Badminton: officiating singles and doubles

·         Badminton: advanced skills with control

·         Netball: officiating a game

·         Netball: using the circle edge in attack and defence

·         Selecting the most effective attacking and defensive strategies

Term 3

Responsibility

·         Volleyball: officiating a full-sided game

·         Volleyball: attacking (dig, set, spike) and defensive (blocking) strategies

·         Basketball: officiating a full-sided game

·         Basketball: advanced skills with control

·         Basketball: attacking (fast break, screens) and defensive (man-to-man, zone, press) strategies

Term 4

Innovation

·         Handball: officiating a small-sided game

·         Handball: advanced skills and effective attacking and defensive strategies

·         Pickleball: officiating singles and doubles, including scoring

·         Pickleball: shot selection to create space and winning opportunities

·         Taking on leadership roles within a game

Term 5

Resilience

·         Athletics: advanced throwing, jumping and running techniques

·         Making incremental gains through small adjustments in technique

·         Rounders: batting effectively against the fielding positions

·         Rounders: making the right fielding decisions at the right time

·         Taking on leadership roles and stretching challenges

Term 6

Communication

·         Striking and fielding: officiating with confidence

·         Striking and fielding: key skills and tactics

·         Tennis: using spin and responding to it in game situations

·         Tennis: shot selection to create space and winning opportunities

·         Tennis: doubles formations (side by side, front and back)

Year 11

Term 1

Collaboration

·         Netball: core and advanced skills in challenging situations

·         Netball: passing into dangerous areas and responding to the opposition's defence

·         Netball: the discipline needed to make progress

·         Health and fitness: an in-depth understanding of weighted exercises

·         Planning, innovating and adapting in a communal gym

Term 2

Motivating and influencing others

·         Basketball: the full range of passes in competitive situations

·         Basketball: attacking with confidence and responding to the opposition's defence

·         Volleyball: the full range of passes in competitive situations

·         Volleyball: setting and spiking successfully

·         Using a range of defensive strategies with confidence

Term 3

Responsibility

·         Pickleball and badminton: attacking shots and responding to the opposition

·         Pickleball and badminton: core and advanced skills in challenging situations

·         Invasion games: tag rugby, lacrosse and dodgeball

·         Carrying the ball into dangerous areas and responding to the opposition's defence

·         Finishing with a range of techniques and defending with confidence

Term 4

Innovation

·         Striking and fielding: attacking shots and responding to the opposition

·         Striking and fielding: a range of techniques and defensive strategies

·         Tennis: the full range of shots in competitive situations

·         Tennis: innovating with tactics

·         Tennis: attacking with confidence and responding to the opponent

Term 5

 

Term 6

 

 

Careers

PE builds physical, social and leadership skills that support wellbeing and success in any career.

Transferable skills

Careers linked to the subject

·         Teamwork and collaboration

·         Leadership and motivating others

·         Resilience and determination

·         Communication

·         Decision-making under pressure

·         Looking after their own health and wellbeing

·         PE teacher or sports coach

·         Physiotherapist

·         Personal trainer or fitness instructor

·         Sports scientist

·         Sports development officer

·         Armed forces or emergency services

·         Leisure and recreation manager

·         Sports journalist