Staff lead: Mr Bingham
Curriculum intent
The core aim of the physical education curriculum at Tuxford Academy is to create student engagement in sport and activity that will last a lifetime.
We aim to provide a physical education offer that creates opportunities for all students to become healthy, active, happy and able.
The curriculum offer provided to students allows them to experience a comprehensive range of sporting opportunities and activities whilst also receiving a broad and balanced knowledge-rich subject. We hope that this provision leads students to pursue physical education beyond key stage 3 to key stage 4, instilling a healthy life-and-mind equilibrium, as well as the potential of working towards an academic qualification and possible future career.
In addition, we also aim to instil the value of physical activity to enable the students to understand the benefits of lifelong participation and the impact on physical, social and mental health and wellbeing.
The broad and balanced curriculum offer ensures that every student has the opportunity to:
- Develop their knowledge and understanding in physical education by providing opportunities for students to develop control and precision, devise tactics, consider rules and scoring systems and evaluate, analyse and improve techniques.
- Improve performance in physical education by providing opportunities to acquire, develop, select and apply skills in order to increase competence across a range of activities.
- Enrich students’ character, providing opportunities to enhance teamwork, leadership, and collaboration. This is embedded through a culture of fairness, respect and sportsmanship.
Students have the opportunity to participate in a comprehensive extra-curricular programme across all key stages, this provides both recreational and competitive experiences. The competitive element of our offer sits alongside the academic qualifications empowering students to gain an awareness of a diverse range of cultures and backgrounds, this provokes curiosity about the context beyond Tuxford Academy.
Beyond our extra-curricular programme students have chance to explore their own interests in physical activity and sport through carefully considered enrichment opportunities. The extended learning opportunities offered aim to foster an awareness of the spiritual, moral, social and cultural aspects of the sporting world around us.
The holistic offer in physical education aims to inspire and motivate students. This enables them to reflect on their experiences and select an appropriate pathway based on the knowledge gained through their physical education journey at Tuxford Academy.
Key stage 3
| Year | Topic | Knowledge and skills |
| 7 | Preparing for exercise; movement; developing technique; the benefits of physical activity; and teamwork. | Students develop fundamental movement skills and sport-specific techniques across a range of activities. They learn how to prepare safely for exercise, understand the physical and mental benefits of participation, and begin to work effectively as part of a team while building confidence and resilience. |
| 8 | Achieving a personal best; tactics and strategies; competition; valuing physical activity; and leadership. | Students refine their practical performance by applying tactics and strategies in competitive situations. They develop leadership, communication and teamwork skills, while learning how regular physical activity contributes to a healthy and active lifestyle. |
| 9 | Officiating; making informed choices; methods of training; fitness testing; scoring systems; and analysing performance. | Students develop a deeper understanding of performance analysis, fitness and training principles. They learn how to interpret performance data, apply rules and regulations, officiate fairly and make informed decisions about participation, health and lifelong involvement in physical activity. |
Key stage 3 progress ladder
Our progress ladders show how student thinking and skills typically improve in each subject whereas our learning journeys are an overview that can be used to understand each subject in more detail.
Key stage 4 – core
| Year | Topic | Knowledge and skills |
| 10 | Leadership; competitive; recreational; and lifelong participation. | Students will begin to develop their leadership capabilities in a range of different situations. They learn how to take part in physical activity of both recreational and competitive nature with the intention of learning and finding an activity for lifelong participation in physical activity. |
| 11 | Making informed choices; benefits of physical activity; valuing physical activity; and lifelong participation. | Students are provided with opportunities to stay physically active throughout Year 11. They will gain an understanding of the benefits that lifelong, regular physical activity will provide them with and students are able to make an informed choice with regards to the physical activity they take part in. |
Key stage 4 – GCSE
Qualification type: GCSE
Exam board: AQA
Course code: 8582
| Year | Unit | Topic | Knowledge and skills |
| 10 | Practical performance | Individual sports; team sports; skills development; and performance analysis. | Students develop advanced practical skills and apply tactics, strategies and decision-making in competitive situations. They learn how to evaluate performance and identify strengths and areas for improvement. |
| 10 | The human body and movement in physical activity and sport | Components of fitness; methods of training; principles of training; and healthy lifestyles. | Students develop an understanding of fitness, training and healthy living. They learn how exercise affects the body and how to design training programmes to improve performance. |
| 11 | Practical performance | Refinement of practical skills; competitive performance; and assessment preparation. | Students demonstrate competence and confidence in practical activities, applying advanced tactics and techniques in preparation for assessment. |
| 11 | Socio-cultural influences and wellbeing in physical activity and sport | Hooliganism; performance enhancing drugs; social groups; and health, fitness and wellbeing. | Students will learn how the mind affects performance, why social factors influence sport, how commercialisation impacts sport and the role physical activity plays to help health, fitness and wellbeing. |
Key stage 4 – GCSE assessment information
| Assessment | Topic | Information |
| Practical assement | Performance in selected sports and activities. | Assessment of practical performance, application of skills, tactics and decision-making in individual and team activities. |
| Coursework / controlled assessment | Analysis of performance and personal improvement. | Students analyse strengths and weaknesses and demonstrate understanding of how performance can be improved. |
| Exam | Paper one | The human body and movement in physical activity and sport. |
| Paper two | Socio-cultural influences and well-being in physical activity and sport. |
Key stage 5
Visit our sixth form sport course information page for more details on our key stage 5 offer.
Careers and future pathways
| Further study opportunities | Career pathways |
| A level physical education | PE teacher |
| Sport and exercise science | Sports coach |
| BTEC sport | Personal trainer |
| Sports coaching qualification | Physiotherapist |
| Sports therapy | Sports development officer |
| Higher education in sport | Sports scientist |
