We provide a broad, balanced and knowledge rich curriculum to enable students to lead a healthy, active lifestyle and promote lifelong participation in physical activity.
The Physical Education Department strives to deliver and provide outstanding teaching and learning opportunities for all students regardless of ability. The welfare and progress of our students is at the heart of everything we do, and we endeavour to ensure that all our students achieve their full potential. We strive for all our students to experience a broad range of sports and activities as we aspire for our students to go on to maintain lifelong participation in sport and sustain a healthy, active lifestyle.
Every student at Ormiston Chadwick Academy studies two hours of Physical Education per week at key stage 3 (KS3). As students’ progress into key stage 4 (KS4), they will select their options in which GCSE PE and the BTEC Sport Technical Award Level 2 is available. If not selected, students will continue with two hours per week of core PE in year 10 and one hour a week in year 11.
Year 7 | Year 8 | Year 9 | Year 10 | Year 11 | |
Hours | 2 hours | 2 hours | 2 hours | 2 hours | 1 hour |
Additional x2 hours if selected KS4 option. |
The below table outlines a typical programme of study for students in years 7-9. A wide range of sports will be covered based on the focus and facility the PE group has each half term.
In year 7, students are provided with induction lessons which act as an initial baseline assessment of what abilities and knowledge students already have from their key stage 2 curriculum. Further to this, it allows students to be grouped accordingly which is then reviewed on an ongoing basis. Students will study a range of different sports and physical activities throughout their foundation year. With a range of sports and activities as a vehicle for learning, students build upon their fundamental skills to learn basic skills and often, transferable skills. For example, the concept of receiving and movement into space. Our curriculum theme in year 7 is for students to gain a love of learning and a love for PE. We strive to achieve this a broad and balanced curriculum through invasion games, net games, striking and fielding, and performance/competition.
In year 8, students often explore sports and activities that they have studied in their foundation year at the academy. Within this exploration year, students develop their basic activity-specific skills by refining techniques and their ability to utilise them within conditioned practices and competitive situations. This year in PE has a theme of broadening their sport experience as we hope that students engage more in their enrichment activities and take up opportunities we offer for live sport and residentials.
This is the embedding year at OCA. Students will begin to experience more advanced techniques and a greater emphasis is placed on how students implement these with success and effect into competitive situations. There is more emphasis placed on the decision-making, their ability and confidence to evaluate performance and recognise their strengths and areas for improvement. The theme for our year 9 students is to be striving and thriving in PE as we endeavour to offer students relevant career and post 16 advice, aspirational events such as athletes in schools and an opportunity to start their D of E journey.
As students progress into key stage 4, the focus progresses to students developing a healthy and active future. This is delivered through a range of activities and supplying students with a sense of independence to select an activity that is on offer. At KS4 students will delve deeper into ways in which they can achieve a healthy, active lifestyle and to broaden student understanding of different ways they can maintain a lifelong participation in sport or physical activity. For example, alternative sports such as kinball and presenting opportunities to learn about local provision and the possibilities that are out there for them post 16.
This qualification is an opted course that is split into three components across the two-year course. Below is the outline and overview of each component:
Component 1: Preparing Participants to Take Part in Sport and Physical Activity
This component is taught over 36 guided learning hours in Year 1 of the course. Students are assessed in this component through a Pearson Set Assignment that is released on specific timeframes each academic year. At OCA, students will complete this assignment within five allotted hours which is internally assessed and externally moderated.
Component 2: Taking Part and Improving Other Participants Sporting Performance
This component is taught over 36 guided learning hours in Year 1 of the course. However, the assignment for this component is completed at the beginning of Year 2 and is assigned four hours to students to complete this. Similarly, to component 1, this assessment is set as a Pearson Set Assignment and students will complete this assignment as an internally assessed piece and is externally moderated.
Component 3: Developing Fitness to Improve Other Participants Performance in Sport and Physical Activity (External Synoptic)
This component is an external synoptic which is therefore completed in Year 2, after the completion of component 2. This component is externally assessed in the form of 75-minute exam that is worth 60 marks.
Below are how students are graded overall at the end of the two-year course.
For further information in relation to the course content, here is a link to the qualification’s specification; https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/btec-tech-awards/sport-2022.html
Students at KS4 have the opportunity to select the GCSE PE qualification. Students on this course will have two lessons each week; often one theory and one practical. This is subject to change over the course of the two years to accommodate for the component the students are studying. The programme is split into four components over the two years. Below is the outline and summary of each of the four components:
Written examination: 1 hour 45 minutes (36% of the qualification); scored out of 90 marks. *Examination is sat in May/June of year 11.
Written examination: 1 hour 15 minutes (24% of the qualification); scored out of 70 marks. *Examination is sat in May/June of year 11.
Non-examined assessment: Internally marked and externally moderated (30% of the qualification); marked out of 105 marks (35 marks per activity). *Moderations to take place between Jan-March of year 11.
Non-examined assessment: Internally marked and externally moderated (10% of the qualification); scored out of 20 marks.
For further information in relation to the course content, here is a link to the qualification’s specification; https://qualifications.pearson.com/content/dam/pdf/GCSE/Physical%20Education/2016/Specification%20and%20sample%20assessments/GCSE-physical-education-2016-specification.pdf
The Duke of Edinburgh Award is a prestigious award that is recognised nationwide and is on offer for our year 9 and year 10 students. The DofE was designed to challenge young people between the ages of 14-24 to attain standards of achievement and endeavour in a wide variety of active interests – to serve their communities, experience adventure and learn outside the classroom.
In year 9, students will undertake their Bronze Award and year 10 will have the opportunity to complete the Silver Award. For both awards, students are expected to commitment to an activity in each of the sections listed below:
All students are required to complete their sections outside of curriculum time but are encouraged to use enrichment on offer to support completing regular hours on each section.
The expedition element of the bronze and silver will be run and completed in the Spring Term 2023 with a small cost to the students and the additional costings being covered by the academy. Both these awards open doors at KS5 to explore either the silver or the gold award to continue their D of E journey.
Gatsby Benchmark | How we will meet this: |
1: A Stable Careers Programme | Career links are made explicit during PE and Sports Science lessons that are appropriate to the topic being delivered. Careers notice board is present in the PE department with relevant information on a range of careers in sport. Links with Wigan Warriors Education post 16. Plans to restart the Loughborough / LJMU university trip that used to run prior to COVID 19. Other post 16 opportunities. |
2: Learning from Career and Labour Market Information | Career display down in the PE department which outlines different career pathways. Career information is available to students and parents at year 8 options evenings. Establish links with employers in the Sport industry. |
3: Addressing the Needs of Each Pupil | Specific advice and information can be given to students based on their interests and passions during option evenings and parent evenings. PP funding for students that have interests in Sport and Performing Arts to have wider opportunities. |
4: Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers | Careers are linked to the schemes of learning and signposted to the students during these lessons to enhance their understanding of different careers. Staff career profiles are shared in the PE department. Career board is on display in PE and an excellence wall art to inspire to be a professional athlete. |
5: Encounters with Employers and Employees | Continue working with Halton Borough and Joe O’Biro for leadership roles with the primaries. Wigan Warriors. Athletes in Schools. Army Outreach project. Eventbrite – Careers in Sport lecture. |
6: Experiences of Workplaces | Work Experience is provided in the PE department as a PE technician for our Year 9 students. |
7: Encounters with Further and Higher Education | Continue to use links already established with LIPA, Athletes in Schools, Wigan Warriors, LJMU, Loughborough university. |
8: Personal Guidance | Use of the excel document used in morning enrichment on the careers that students are currently considering. Student voice termly. |
These courses are linked to the colleges and FE institutes within the local area of Halton.
Here are some degrees that students could pursue at university level should they deem it a requirement to achieve their desired career pathway:
Many of these courses are based on the those from universities in the North West of England such as Liverpool John Moores, Liverpool Hope University and Edge Hill. However, some courses are from Loughborough University where OCA have taken students on educational visits in the past.
The different pathways mentioned below are not the only career pathways that are opened up to our students through studying and gaining a qualification in sport. There are many more that are available; some of which become more accessible through the choice of FE courses once they have left the academy.
Intervention will be implemented over the course of a year to accommodate the emerging needs of our KS4 students to support their learning. Sessions that will take place over the year are as follows:
GCSE Physical Education Edexcel Revision Question Cards
All GCSE PE and BTEC Sport students are given access to the platform The EverLearner. This resource enables students to watch bitesize videos on content covered in both courses as well as giving students the opportunity to practice exam-style questions which gives instant feedback.
There are plentiful opportunities each year for students to have an experience to watch live sport across a range of sports. The aim at OCA is for all students to have experienced a live sport event before the end of their OCA journey. Examples of live sport opportunities in the past are:
As well as opportunities for students to participate in sport enrichment activities; students can represent the academy in a number of different sports. Each year, we enter teams for a number of events and leagues in which we compete with other schools in the borough:
Each year sports day is a whole-school event that usually takes place in the last week of the summer term. This is a fantastic opportunity for all students to take part in some capacity with the wide range of events and activities over the course of the day. Events include some of the more traditional events such as 100m sprint, 200m sprint and the 4x100m relay; but also, events such as rounders, football and indoor glow sports. Students have a chance to work together as a team with peers in their form and house to compete for the crown of ‘Sports Day Champions’.
The PE department are known for the running of the London residential and prior to COVD19, the water sports residential to France. The trips are running every two years to allow suitable time for parents/carers to pay for the trips with a sufficient amount of time. Since COVID19, the first residential took place in July 2023 to London for the Wimbledon trip which was a huge success!
This is a 3-day residential to central London that is available to all students from years 7-10 with numbers up to 60 students. The trip is jampacked with experiences including; a trip to the London Eye, Madame Tussauds and a full day at the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament.
The trip is 8-days and up to 40 students across years 7-9 are eligible for this trip. The trip is organised with an experienced, qualified ski company. As part of the package, students are able to loan ski boots and equipment as well as receive a 6-day ski lift pass for the resort. Each day, students receive 4-hour ski lesson from a qualified instructor. The hotel is well located to the piste with some evening entertainment on offer after dinner. The flights are usually out of Manchester Airport.
To build aspirations and broaden our student’s horizon; there are opportunities for students in years 9-11 to attend different universities. These trips in the past have been organised with Liverpool John Moores, Edge Hill and Loughborough University to provide students with a taste of life in further education. Many of the trips are tailored to suit the passions of the students and with information on how to achieve their career aspiration. Last year for example, students with a passion and interest in careers in sport, attended a career event at Old Trafford Cricket Ground.