All pupils in Years 7 to 9 receive 4 one hour lessons per fortnight. The pupils engage in a range of different sports such as Football, Rugby, Hockey, Netball, Basketball, Badminton, Table Tennis, Tennis, Rounders, Athletics, Cricket, Health Related Exercise, Dance, Gymnastics and Trampolining.

Each year the pupils will build on their knowledge from the previous year so that they can develop their skills and ability levels. PE is taught in single sex classes throughout all of Key Stage 3. Pupils are assessed in a variety of ways upon entering the school and are then placed into ability-appropriate groups. In order to maximise learning and skill development, pupils are taught a sport for a series of lessons before moving onto another activity. A range of individual sports and team sports for all pupils are included within the curriculum to engage all learners, as we place great importance on being fully inclusive.

Whilst outdoor and adventurous activities are not discretely taught within the PE curriculum, there are opportunities to participate in activities of this nature offered throughout KS3; Enrichment Week activities such as High Ropes in Year 7 and Watersports in Year 9, locally at SCOEC.

Fundamentally, within the PE curriculum we are seeking to develop the whole person through sports: teamwork, problem-solving, confidence-building, growth mindset and strategies to overcome difficulties are vital strands of the ethos of the PE Faculty, ensuring pupils are given the preparation needed for life.

PE is a compulsory subject and all pupils will have 3 hours of PE lessons per fortnight. In these lessons the pupils will have 2 practical lessons per fortnight covering a wide range of sporting activities such as netball, hockey, rugby, football, volleyball, trampolining, tennis and athletics. Within these lessons pupils will further develop their skills and tactics within a competitive environment. The third lesson a fortnight is a fitness lesson to ensure all pupils understand why there is a need to be fit and different ways in which greater fitness can be achieved so they are equipped with this knowledge for when they leave school and have to make life choices as a young adult.

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The faculty offer a GCSE in Physical Education and over the last 5 years have achieved outstanding results. This year will see an introduction of a new course which has now been approved. The course consists of:

• PRACTICAL – 40% of final mark. 30% for 3 internally assessed practical sports which are then externally moderated. Includes a written piece worth 10% of the 40%.
• THEORY – 60% of the final mark, assessed by two written exams of 1 hour and 15mins at the end of the course.

PRACTICAL Content:

Assessed in 3 different practical activities (from September 2020):

• One individual sport –  Amateur boxing, Athletics, Badminton, Canoeing/Kayaking (slalom), Canoeing/Kayaking (sprint), Cycling, Dance, Diving, Figure skating, Gymnastics (artistic), Golf, Equestrian, Rock climbing, Sailing, Sculling, Skiing, Snowboarding, Squash, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Trampolining, Windsurfing.
• One team sport – Acrobatic Gymnastics, Association Football, Badminton, Basketball, Camogie, Cricket, Dance, Figure skating, Futsal, Gaelic Football, Handball, Hockey, Hurling, Ice Hockey, Inline Roller Hockey, Lacrosse, Netball, Rowing, Rugby League, Rugby Union, Sailing, Sculling, Squash, Table Tennis, Tennis, Volleyball, Water Polo.
• One other choice from above.

Where a sport is in both the individual and team list, you may only do it once.

THEORY Content:

Paper 1 Written exam – 1hr 15 mins

• Applied Anatomy and Physiology – Skeletal, muscular respiratory and cardio-vascular system, aerobic and anaerobic exercise, short and long term effects of exercise.
• Movement Analysis – Lever systems, planes and axes of movement
• Physical Training – Health and Fitness, components of fitness, fitness testing, collecting comparable data, principles of training an overload, types of training, training thresholds ,mathematical calculations, prevention of injury, altitude and seasonal training, warm-up and cool downs.
• Use of Data – Quantitative and qualitative data, methods for collecting both, presenting data and the analysis and evaluation of data.

Paper 2 Written exam - 1 hour 15 mins

• Sports psychology – classification of skills, basic/complex, open /closed, goal setting and SMART targets to optimise and improve performance, information processing model, guidance and feedback, mental preparation for performance e.g arousal, inverted U theory, aggression, personality, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.
• Socio-cultural influences – effects of gender, race, age, peers, disability affects performance, role models, disposable income, commercialisation, sponsorship and media, technology positive and negative influences on the performer, sport, official, audience and sponsor, etiquette, drugs in sport, spectator behaviour, hooliganism in sport and strategies used to combat hooliganism.
• Health, fitness and well-being – effect of physical activity on health and well-being, obesity, somatotypes, diet and nutrition, the consequences of a sedentary lifestyle
• Use of Data.

We have a variety of Extra Curricular Sports clubs and practice sessions running after school.   Read more...

We have an impressive range of sporting facilities which are well-used by the school and local sports clubs. These include AstroTurf pitch, a second small AstroTurf area, extensive playing fields (maintained by the school groundsman), tennis courts, a fully equipped and generously sized Gym, a large Sports Hall and an Atrium area available for use. The faculty also has a wide range of sports equipment that is fully used to enhance and enrich the learning opportunities of pupils in Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4.

Our facilities are used by local sports clubs such as Cirencester Hockey Club, Cirencester Table Tennis League, Gloucestershire Cricket Foundation, Rubytots and more.