Subject Leader - Physical Education
Mr Coles - [email protected]
Aims
At St. Boniface’s, our aim is to use PE lessons to develop confident and competent young men who possess the skills and knowledge to remain active for life. We believe that Physical Education is about more than just improving a student’s sporting ability—it is an opportunity to nurture the whole person. For this reason, we assess each student across the following strands:
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Physical – The ability to develop movement patterns and skills while engaging in a variety of activities. Enhanced physical competency allows students to participate in a wide range of sports, setting them up to be active for life.
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Emotional – The ability to understand, regulate, and express emotions and behavior during physical activity. Strong emotional intelligence enables students to work well with others, face adversity, and develop sportsmanship.
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Cognitive – The knowledge and understanding of concepts within a sport or topic and the importance of physical activity. A solid understanding of the health benefits of an active lifestyle fosters motivation for participation.
Additionally, our PE curriculum aligns with the Catholic values of prudence, fortitude, temperance, and justice. Prudence is cultivated through decision-making in sport, whether selecting tactics in a game or making health-conscious lifestyle choices. Fortitude is developed by encouraging resilience in competition and the perseverance to overcome challenges. Temperance is promoted through discipline, self-regulation, and respect for fair play. Justice is reinforced through teamwork, inclusivity, and treating opponents and teammates with fairness and respect. These values are embedded throughout our PE lessons, ensuring that students grow not just as athletes but as ethical and responsible individuals.
KS3 Curriculum – Years 7-9
During KS3, students have the opportunity to explore and develop their skills in a wide range of activities. Year 7 students rotate through a carousel of different sports to experience the various ways they can be active. In Years 8 and 9, we build upon this foundation by exploring these sports in greater depth, enhancing the core skills introduced in Year 7. The topics covered in KS3 include:
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Rugby
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Football
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Basketball
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Lacrosse
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Handball
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Dodgeball
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Table Tennis
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Softball
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Cricket
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Athletics
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Gymnastics
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Health-related fitness
Assessment
Every half term, students receive a grade from their teacher based on their physical, emotional, and cognitive development. Students reflect on their progress and set personal targets for improvement in each strand. With the support of a workbook, all pupils have access to a checklist outlining the skills and abilities they need to develop throughout KS3 to be successful in PE.
KS4 Curriculum – Years 10-11
During KS4, the focus shifts toward refining the physical literacy skills that students developed in KS3. Students take on increased responsibility in their lessons to help prepare them for sustained physical activity beyond school. PE lessons take three forms:
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Games Lessons – Using traditional sports, students compete in activities they select, practicing participation in ways that mirror real-life sporting experiences beyond school.
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PE Lessons – These lessons aim to broaden students' horizons by introducing them to alternative sports and activities, providing opportunities to learn new skills and rules.
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Fitness Lessons – Students develop the knowledge and techniques required to enhance personal fitness and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Assessment
In KS4, students continue to focus on physical, emotional, and cognitive development. However, at this crucial stage of education, we also emphasise developing personal and employable qualities. PE helps students build skills such as teamwork, leadership, resilience, and communication, which are assessed alongside their sporting performance.
Examination PE – OCR Cambridge National in Sport Studies
As an option subject, students can choose to study for a Cambridge National in Sport Studies. The units covered in this qualification include:
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Contemporary Issues in Sport – Written Exam (40% of grade)
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Performance and Leadership in Sports Activities – Coursework (40% of grade)
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Sport in the Media – Coursework (20% of grade)
This qualification provides an excellent opportunity for students who wish to progress to further studies in sport, social sciences, or media-related fields.
Extra-Curricular
The PE department at St. Boniface’s takes great pride in its extra-curricular provision. We work closely with the Plymouth Schools Sports Partnership to provide students with access to regular sporting fixtures across various sports. Additionally, we offer a wide range of after-school sports clubs to encourage further participation and skill development.