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Physical Education Department

Intent, Implementation and Impact

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Intent

The intent of the Physical Education curriculum at Archbishop Tenison’s School is to provide pupils with opportunities to experience a broad and diverse range of physically demanding activities that inspire them to lead healthy and active lives. Through structured and sequenced lessons across each key stage, pupils develop confidence in sport and other physically challenging activities. Our curriculum fosters key Christian values, including fairness, respect, perseverance, humility, and stewardship, ensuring that pupils not only enhance their physical abilities but also grow as individuals of strong moral character. 

Physical Education at our school promotes the stewardship of the body, reinforcing the Christian belief that our bodies are a gift from God and should be cared for responsibly. Pupils are encouraged to develop resilience and perseverance, mirroring the Christian principle of endurance. Lessons also emphasize respect, humility, and teamwork, ensuring that pupils understand the importance of community and service to others. 

Additionally, our curriculum enhances numeracy and literacy skills by engaging pupils in performance analysis, data interpretation, and structured verbal and written reflections. Through individual, partner, and group work, pupils learn the value of cooperation and accountability, reinforcing the Christian values of service and compassion. 

 

Implementation

The Physical Education curriculum is delivered by subject specialists across all three key stages, ensuring progression in knowledge, understanding, and skill acquisition in a variety of activities. Our department is committed to collaborative curriculum planning, providing pupils with opportunities to engage in team and individual sports, gymnastics, dance, athletics, and sports leadership. Regular formative assessment within each unit and summative assessment at two points in the school year, allows pupils to reflect on their performance and recognize their own progression. 

  • Key Stage 3: Pupils receive three periods of PE per week, consisting of one class-based lesson and two half year-group sessions. They develop tactical awareness, technical skills, analytical abilities, and experience competitive play through interhouse competitions. Lessons in Health-Related Exercise (HRE) support pupils in understanding the long-term benefits of physical activity and healthy living, linking to the scheme of assessment at AQA GCSE PE. 

  • Key Stage 4: Pupils can choose to study GCSE PE (typically 30% of the cohort), pursue a Level 1 or 2 Sports Leadership qualification and continue in Core PE, which offers a ‘Fitness’ and ‘Games’ pathway. Pupils also have the opportunity to participate in off-site activities, such as gym visits and outdoor adventure experiences, further broadening their understanding of lifelong fitness. 

  • Key Stage 5: Pupils can study A Level PE. Leadership opportunities in sixth form allow students to mentor younger pupils, embodying the Christian value of servant leadership. There is also a BTEC Level 3, extended diploma option which is run by an external company which concentrates on the holistic side of sport, encouraging 1000 hours of work experience over the two years. 

Beyond the curriculum, the school takes pride in the breadth of extracurricular opportunities, which include competitive fixtures at borough, district, county, and national levels. Enrichment experiences include: 

  • Annual ski trip. 

  • Duke of Edinburgh 

  • Visits to sports exhibitions and museums 

  • Live spectating opportunities at professional sporting events 

All pupils in Years 7-10 participate in Sports Day, fostering school spirit, friendly competition, and unity—values deeply rooted in our Christian ethos. 

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Impact

Physical Education plays a significant role in shaping the character and identity of our pupils at Archbishop Tenison’s School. The house system fosters a strong sense of belonging and camaraderie, with pupils striving to represent their house and school with pride in internal and external competitions. As a result, we have a consistently high level of participation in both recreational and competitive activities. 

  • Academic Excellence: The PE department has a strong track record of achieving GCSE and A Level results above the national average. Approximately 50% of pupils complete a formal PE qualification by the end of Year 11, with many progressing to A Level PE or a BTEC Sport Course. 

  • Further Education & Careers: Many of our A Level pupils pursue Sports Science, Physiotherapy and Sports Rehabilitation at top UK universities. Our curriculum fosters not only academic success but also a deep appreciation for lifelong learning and career aspirations within sport and health-related fields. 

  • Christian Leadership & Service: The values instilled through our PE programme extend beyond school life. We are proud of our former pupils who return to contribute to our community—whether as PE teachers, coaches, or leaders in the Croydon Schools Sports Partnership. Their willingness to mentor and inspire younger students is a testament to the Christian principle of giving back to the community. 

From Year 7 to Year 13, we are immensely proud of the achievements of our pupils, both in their physical performance and in the personal values they develop through sport. Physical Education at Archbishop Tenison’s is more than just physical activity—it is a platform for nurturing discipline, teamwork, humility, and resilience, ensuring that pupils leave with the skills and moral foundation to lead active, purposeful, and values-driven lives. 

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Physical Education

Keystage 3

 

Year 7

  • Safety principles when preparing for and recovering from physical activity

  • Prepare independently for exercise and physical activity, including preparing others and selecting and using relevant resources

  • Major muscle groups

  • Components of Fitness

    • Muscular endurance

    • Cardiovascular endurance

  • Athletics

    • Technique fundamentals

      • Running

      • Jumping

      • Throwing

  • Games (Football / Netball / Basketball / Rugby / Handball)

    • The rules and skills needed to keep possession in game

      • Control

      • Passing

      • Movement

      • Tackling/interception

      • Rules/positions

  • Gymnastics/Dance

    • Fundamental movements

      • Rolls/turns

      • Jumps

      • Travelling

      • Balancing

  • Cricket/Rounders

    • The rules and skills needed to perform in a game

      • Bowling

      • Batting

      • Fielding

  • Racquet Sports (Table Tennis, Badminton, Tennis)

    • The rules and skills needed to perform in a game

      • Movement

      • Making your opponent move

      • Grip/stance

 

Year 8

  • Types of Training

  • Components of Fitness

    • Speed

    • Power

    • Agility

    • Strength

    • Reaction time

  • Types of Training

    • Interval

    • Fartlek

    • Plyometric

  • The difference between Aerobic and Anaerobic Training.

  • Games (Football / Netball / Basketball / Rugby / Handball)

    • Scoring

    • Methods of scoring

    • Producing an advantage

  • Dance

    • Refining movements

    • Introducing partner balances

      • Counterbalance

      • Mirror/match

      • Cannon/unison

    • Choreographing routines

    • Formation

  • Athletics

    • Refine technique for Performance

      • Jump

      • Throw

      • Run

  • Cricket/Rounders

    • Consistently and effectively apply key skills to a game situation.

      • Bowling

      • Batting

      • Fielding

 

Year 9

  • Principles of Training

  • Immediate and Long-Term Effects of Exercise

  • Importance of a balanced Diet and Nutrition

  • The consequences of a sedentary lifestyle including Obesity

  • Games (Football / Netball / Basketball / Handball / Rugby / Volleyball)

    • Advanced tactics and set plays / outwitting opponents

    • Positioning

    • Movement

    • Feedback

    • Problem solving/decision making

    • Individual techniques, skills and compositional ideas required for the full context of the activity

    • Individual tactics and strategies that are effective in the specific activities

    • Construct feedback in a positive way to allow performers to improve

 

  • Dance

    • Performance

      • Precision

      • Control

      • Technique execution

      • Musicality

  • Athletics

    • Further refining of technique for performance

      • Jump

      • Throw

      • Run

 

 

AQA – Physical Education GCSE

 

Examination (60%)

  • Paper 1: The human body and movement in physical activity and sport

    • Applied anatomy and physiology

    • Movement analysis

    • Physical training

    • Use of data

 

  • Paper 2: Socio-cultural influences and well-being in physical activity and sport

    • Sports psychology

    • Socio-cultural influences

    • Health, fitness and well-being

    • Use of data

 

Practical Performance (40%)

  • Practical Performance in 3 activities marked out of 25.

  • Performances are marked on skills in isolation and in a competitive context.

  • One activity must be a Team activity, one must be an Individual activity whilst the third can be either a Team or Individual activity.

  • Written coursework analysing personal strengths and weakness and suggesting how to improve.

 

 

Leaders UK – Sports Leaders Level 1 Award

 

Teacher Assessment (100%)

  • Pupils are assessed on their ability to plan, structure and deliver physical activity to primary school aged children.

  • Pupils complete a reflective booklet/log book

  • Pupils follow the following units

    • Unit 1 - Planning, preparing and assisting a simple sporting activity

    • Unit 2 - Basic communication skills for leading a sporting activity

    • Unit 3 - Principles and practice in delivering a basic health and fitness session

    • Unit 4 - Understanding fair play in sport

    • Unit 5 - Understanding the role of the sports official

    • Unit 6 - Understanding the scope of local sport and recreational activities

    • Unit 7 - Demonstration of leadership skills in sport

 

 

AQA Physical Education A Level

 

Examination (70%)

  • Two 2 hours exams on the following content

    • Applied anatomy and physiology.

    • Skill acquisition.

    • Sport and society.

    • Exercise physiology.

    • Biomechanical movement.

    • Sport psychology.

    • Sport and society and the role of technology in physical activity and sport.

 

Practical Performance and Written/Verbal Analysis of Performance (30%)

  • Students assessed as a performer or coach in the full sided version of one activity.

  • Written/verbal analysis of performance.

  • Internal assessment, external moderation

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