Year 7 Physical Education

Brief summary of the syllabus:

Year 7 pupils start to follow the National Curriculum programme of study for P.E. at Key Stage 3. Throughout the key stage, pupils are given opportunities to engage in health-promoting physical activities. They begin to understand how to prepare for particular activities and to recover afterwards, the short-term and long-term effects of exercise and the role of exercise in establishing and maintaining health.

Which skills and attributes are being developed and examined?

Pupils follow rotations in different areas of activity in year 7: 

1. Games: e.g. rugby, cricket, basketball, softball (outwitting opponents) 
2. Athletic Activities - Field & Track (Performing at maximum levels) 
3. Swimming (Exercising safely and effectively) 
4. Gymnastics (Accurate replication) 
5. Cross-country (Performing at maximum levels) 
6. Orienteering (Identifying and solving problems)

Setting and course schedule:

Pupils are taught in mixed ability classes, usually form groups, in all P.E. lessons. The department places great importance on developing the traditional skills and values associated with competitive sport in line with the school’s ethos and mission statement. In order to maintain the high standards achieved in the subject and enjoy continued extra-curricular success, boys are grouped by ability in their afternoon games lessons (see below). Initial sets are determined at the end of the first half-term but please note that changes to sets are made when and where appropriate throughout the year. Pupils are assessed at the end of each rotation to inform such decisions.

Year 7 boys have three P.E. lessons per week:

1. '180 games' (whole-year) lessons are always periods 7 – 9 (1 hr 45 mins). Boys are grouped by ability. These lessons will sometimes incorporate important fixtures: against other schools, house teams, or teams within sets. Top set boys are expected to carry on with school practices after school on '180 games' afternoons, as well as attending another practice during the week. 
2. '90 P.E.' (half-year) lessons are always mid-morning periods 3 & 4 or 5 & 6 (1 hr 10mins). In half-year lessons boys remain in their form groups and receive mixed ability tuition. 
3. Single P.E. lessons take place in the morning periods 1 - 6 (35 mins). In these lessons mixed ability groups enjoy a variety of activities aimed at developing the boys' cognitive, affective and psychomotor skills, including indoor ball games, on-site orienteering and swimming activities.

What can parents expect to see in classwork and homework specifically?

Assessment in Year 7: In the first half-term of the year boys take part in simple diagnostic assessment tasks. Boys are asked to perform these tasks to enable the department to record attainment from primary school (yr7 intake) and set a ‘baseline’ or ‘starting point’ each year from which teachers can plan more effective and appropriate learning objectives for the boys.

Throughout the Key Stage boys are assessed according to N.C. expectations. The following processes will be assessed per activity area:

1. Making and applying decisions 
2. Evaluating and improving 
3. Developing skills in physical activity 
4. Developing mental and physical capacity 
5. Making informed choices about healthy, active lifestyles

Formative assessment takes place throughout each unit of work, whilst pupils continuously assess their own progress in their school diaries, with respect to participation and target setting for each activity area. Summative assessments are made at the end of each development unit and comments relating to progress are relayed at the end of the year in the profile issued to parents. The department meets to discuss and record each boy’s progress at the end of each year, setting National Curriculum targets for the following academic year.

Each pupil will have recorded within his School diary his’ PE Profile’ that includes: 

1. Pupil Self assessment 
2. Attainment & Effort grade for each activity 
3. National Curriculum level for each activity 
4. Targets for each activity area 
5. Record of activity involvement

What parents can do to help in this subject ?

 All pupils in year 7 must have the following P.E. Kit for the academic year:

The correct kit must be worn for all lessons. It is part of the school ethos that pupils appear smart at all times. If boys forget or lose kit they are expected to find replacement items from lost property, or a friend before the lesson. No pupil is allowed to wear a watch, jewellery or any other decorative garments during lessons. Religious garments must be made safe for the protection of the wearer and other pupils. Shoe-laces must be tied properly at all times.

Pupil Expectations in Year 7

The department expects that if a boy is well enough to be in school he is well enough to take part in some kind of activity. All members of the department are sensitive to any real problems and will differentiate tasks when it is required. Parents are asked to encourage their sons to remain involved in P.E. lessons and should only send a note as a last resort. Non-participants will still have a role in the lesson whenever possible e.g. scorers, umpires, timekeepers.

If a boy is genuinely ill or injured he must report with his note at the start of the lesson. Letters from parents are to be signed and dated and, in the case of a long term injury, a sick note is to be accompanied by a doctor's report. If an injury or illness persists, we will endeavour to make contact with the boy's parents or guardians.

Members of the P.E. department are made aware of any pupils with long term medical conditions. This information is held in the strictest confidence in case a problem arises.

Valuables: Boys are asked not to bring valuable items to P.E. lessons and are held responsible if they do so. Lunch money and watches should be locked away in lockers before the lesson.

Working towards Target National Curriculum Levels:

In the Autumn term, each pupil and his parents will be made aware of a target National Curriculum Level which he should be aiming to achieve by the end of the academic year. Progress towards this target will be reviewed at the end of each half-term and in the mid-year review of pupil progress, which is reported home in the Spring term. The criteria for each National Curriculum Level in Physical Education can be read here.