Exam Board – OCR

Qualification – A Level H555

Entry requirements – GCSE grade 5 in physical education, grade 5 in English and maths and grade 5 in science. Sporting performer at club level. Students do not need to have studied PE at GCSE level.

Course specification

Delivered over five lessons per week, of which at least one will be devoted to the practical component of the course. Students are encouraged through a range of teaching techniques to develop responsibility for their own learning.

“Through a mixture of theory and practical lessons I have found physical education engaging and, due to the teachers’ support, thoroughly enjoyable.”

– Student

All students studying A Level physical education are provided with specialist kit which enables them to access all practical lessons. The delivery of the course is split between staff from the physical education faculty. This provides students with a range of teaching methods and styles and thus creating a rounded approach to the whole course. Students are also given the opportunity to take part in extracurricular events and leadership courses which further enhance their standing within the academy. It is expected that A Level physical education students will flourish in such environments.

Studying A Level physical education will give you a fantastic insight into the amazing world of sports performance. Not only will you have the chance to perform or coach a sport through the non-examination component, you will also develop a wide ranging knowledge into the how and why of physical activity and sport. The two year A Level physical education course is studied through a range of different contexts – students study three areas, all subjects in their own right, which further underpin the depth of the study of physical education and sport. You will learn the reasons why we do things, why some people outperform others – mentally and physically.

You will also delve into the ethical considerations behind the use of drugs and also the influence that modern technology is having on physical activity and sport.

A Level physical education is broken down into two components. Section one consists of three theory units which include physiological factors affecting performance, including topics such as anatomy and physiology, exercise physiology and biomechanics; psychological factors affecting performance, including topics such as skill acquisition and sports psychology; sport and society and contemporary issues, including topics such as ethics, deviance, technology and global sporting events.

Section two consists of a practical assessment within physical education. This involves a physical sporting performance in one activity and an evaluation (EPI) of a sporting performance in the same or different activity.

What doors will this open up for me?

Physical education at A Level is recognised as a strong academic qualification which is highly respected by universities, colleges and employers. Subsequently there are now a number of courses at prestigious universities which students can go on to study following A Level PE. These include physical education, sports and exercise science, sports and exercise psychology,
sport business management, physiotherapy, sports media, sports engineering and sports coaching.

Learning journey

Our learning journeys can be used to understand each subject in more detail.

PE