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Sport, PE, Health and Fitness


A montage of sports action

Aims

Stockport Grammar’s PE and Sporting provision is modelled on the belief that we provide ‘Sport For All’ and ‘Elite’ for some where participation and competition is equally valued. Stockport Grammar School provides exceptional sporting opportunities for every child. We offer a diverse and inclusive programme of activities in which every pupil participates, through our curriculum (below) and extensive co-curricular programme. In addition to being inclusive, we aspire to the highest level of elite performance in our major games where we believe that participation and competition should go hand in hand ; our teams achieve national success and many of our pupils attain representative honours, including international selection.

The activities on offer are designed to be enjoyable and to challenge pupils’ physical abilities. We also aim to provide as many as possible with the opportunity to represent the school.

SGS Sport Inspires


Staff and facilities

The successful PE and Games program at SGS is run by a large department of over twenty staff members, inclusive of fully qualified PE teachers and dedicated sports coaches. In addition, a small number of academic staff also support the school’s major sports and help co-ordinate the extensive Saturday morning fixture program.

The school benefits from excellent sports facilities including a gymnasium, sports hall, climbing wall, squash court, 25m swimming pool, five netball courts (seven tennis courts in summer), one all-weather pitch (eight tennis courts in summer), four artificial cricket nets, and a recently refurbished fitness room including a mixture of cardio and free-weight equipment.


Subject time per 10-day cycle

  • First Year – two lessons of physical education, two lessons of games and one lesson of swimming
  • Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth Year – two lessons of physical education and two lessons of games
  • Sixth Form – team players have access to four games lessons while others participate in recreational sporting activities for two lessons

Activities during lessons

The main winter games for boys are rugby and football and for girls are hockey and netball.

In the summer, boys concentrate on cricket and athletics, whilst the girls focus their attention on tennis, athletics and rounders.

In Second Year games, all pupils will have climbing taster sessions scheduled during the year.

The physical education curriculum is diverse with activities including ball skills, basketball, dance, football, gymnastics, health-related fitness (including fitness testing), hockey, invasion games, racket sports and volleyball.


Examination Physical Education (GCSE and A-level)

GCSE Physical Education

Pupils who opt to study a GCSE in Physical Education will also have five lessons in the cycle. The specification provides candidates with an opportunity to study both the practical and theoretical aspects of Physical Education.

The Course Content

  • Applied anatomy and physiology
  • Physical training
  • Socio-cultural influences
  • Sport Psychology
  • Health, fitness & wellbeing

Assessment of the Course

  • Written Examination 60%
  • NEA/Coursework 40%

The aims of the course are to enable candidates to:

  • Develop theoretical knowledge and understanding of the factors that underpin physical activity and sport and use this knowledge to improve performance
  • Understand how the physiological and psychological state affects performance in physical activity and sport
  • Perform effectively in different physical activities by developing skills and techniques and selecting and using tactics, strategies and/ or compositional ideas
  • Develop their ability to analyse and evaluate to improve performance in physical activity and sport
  • Understand the contribution which physical activity and sport make to health, fitness and well-being
  • Understand key socio-cultural influences which can affect people’s involvement in physical activity and sport.

Analysis and Evaluation of Performance – written coursework (10% of the overall grade)

This component draws upon the knowledge, understanding and skills a student has learnt and enables them to analyse and evaluate their own or a peer’s performance in one activity.

Practical Performances (30% of the overall grade)

This component will assess core and advanced skills in THREE activities taken from the approved lists:

  • one from the ‘individual’ list
  • one from the ‘team’ list
  • one other from either list

Individual list:

  • Athletics
  • Badminton – cannot be assessed with doubles
  • Amateur Boxing
  • Boccia
  • Canoeing – cannot be assessed with kayaking, rowing or sculling
  • Cross Country Running – cannot be assessed with athletics
  • Cycling Track or Road or BMX (racing, not tricks) only
  • Dance – cannot be used as both a team and individual activity
  • Diving: Platform diving
  • Equestrian
  • Figure Skating – this can only be used for one activity, cannot be assessed with dance
  • Golf
  • Gymnastics – floor routines and apparatus only
  • Kayaking – cannot be assessed with sculling, canoeing or rowing
  • Polybat
  • Rock Climbing – can be indoor or outdoor
  • Sailing – candidates must be assessed within full competitive situations as the helmsperson in one of the following Royal Yachting Association (RYA) sailing boat classifications: Optimist; RS terra sport; Topper; ILCA 4 (laser 4.7). This can only be one activity
  • Sculling – cannot be assessed with kayaking, canoeing or rowing. Cannot be assessed with team sculling
  • Skiing – assessment can take place on real snow, artificial (indoor) snow, artificial (outdoor) snow slope. Cannot be assessed with snowboarding
  • Snowboarding – assessment can take place on real snow, artificial (indoor) snow, artificial (outdoor) snow slope. Cannot be assessed with skiing
  • Squash – cannot be assessed with doubles
  • Swimming – cannot be synchronised, personal survival or lifesaving
  • Table Tennis – cannot be assessed with doubles
  • Tennis – cannot be assessed with doubles
  • Trampolining
  • Windsurfing – candidates must be assessed in full competitive situations in either of the following Royal Yachting Association Windsurfing classifications: Bic Techno 2930D or iQ foil.

Team list:

  • Acrobatic Gymnastics – cannot be assessed with gymnastics
  • Association Football – cannot be five-a-side. Cannot be assessed with futsal
  • Badminton – cannot be assessed with singles
  • Basketball – cannot be street basketball
  • Blind Cricket
  • Camogie – cannot be assessed with hurling
  • Cricket
  • Dance – cannot be used as both a team and individual activity
  • Figure Skating – this can only be used for one activity, it cannot be assessed with dance
  • Futsal – cannot be assessed with football
  • Gaelic Football
  • Goalball
  • Handball
  • Hockey – must be field hockey
  • Hurling – cannot be assessed with camogie
  • Ice Hockey – cannot be assessed with inline roller hockey
  • Inline Roller Hockey – cannot be assessed with ice hockey
  • Lacrosse
  • Netball
  • Powerchair Football
  • Rowing – cannot be assessed with sculling, canoeing or kayaking
  • Rugby League – cannot be tag rugby. Cannot be assessed with sevens or union
  • Rugby Union – cannot be tag rugby. Can be assessed as sevens or fifteen-a-side. Cannot be assessed with rugby league
  • Sailing – candidates must be assessed within full competitive situations as the helmsperson in one of the following Royal Yachting Association (RYA) sailing boat classifications: RS Feva XL; Cadet – this can only be used for one activity
  • Sculling – cannot be assessed with rowing, canoeing or kayaking. Cannot be assessed with individual sculling
  • Squash – cannot be assessed with singles
  • Table Cricket
  • Table Tennis – cannot be assessed with singles
  • Tennis – cannot be assessed with singles
  • Volleyball
  • Water Polo
  • Wheelchair Basketball
  • Wheelchair Rugby

For further information, please contact Mrs Laura Goddard at goddardl@stockportgrammar.co.uk or visit the OCR website for more information relating to the course.

A-level Physical Education

The two year OCR A-level Physical Education course will increase pupils depth and breadth of knowledge, understanding and skills relating to scientific, socio-cultural and practical aspects of physical education.

Over the two years pupils will develop:

  • Theoretical knowledge and understanding of the factors that underpin physical activity and sport and use this knowledge to improve performance
  • Understanding of how physiological and psychological states affect performance
  • Understanding of the key socio-cultural factors that influence people’s involvement in physical activity and sport
  • Understanding of the role of technology in physical activity and sport
  • Refine and develop their ability to perform effectively in physical activity and sport by developing skills and techniques and selecting and using tactics, strategies and/or compositional ideas
  • Develop their ability to analyse and evaluate to improve performance
  • Understanding of how important physical activity is for health and fitness
  • Develop as an independent learner and as a critical and reflective thinker with a curious and enquiring mind.

The theory content covers (70%):

  • Physiological factors affecting performance, focuses on developing the learner’s knowledge of the science behind physical activity. This includes the structure and function of key systems in the human body, the forces that act upon us and the adaptations we make to our bodies through diet and training regimes.
  • Psychological factors affecting physical activities and sports. This includes models and theories that affect learning and performance in physical activities, how different methods of training and feedback work and why their effectiveness differs from person to person. It also includes psychological factors affecting group dynamics and the effects of leadership and stress on performers.
  • Learners will gain a deeper understanding of the underlying psychological factors that influence our performance in physical activity and sport. They will learn how to apply the theories to practical examples, giving guidance and feedback in constructive ways that are suited to that individual’s personality; therefore assisting in developing practical performance in physical activities and sports.
  • Sociological and contemporary issues that influence and affect physical activity and sport for both the audience and the performer and how sport affects society.
  • The emergence and evolution of modern sport and how social and cultural factors shaped the characteristics of sports and pastimes in pre-industrial and post-industrial Britain.
  • The impact of the modern Olympic Games will be understood as well as the impact on society of hosting global sporting events. The ever-evolving modern technology and its influence on sport performers and spectators will be understood and practical examples will be used by learners to show the effect of modern technology.

Paper 1 (30%) Physiological factors affecting performance
90 marks/2 hour written paper

Topics covered: Applied anatomy and physiology, Exercise physiology and Biomechanics.

Paper 2 (20%) Psychological factors affecting performance
60 marks/1 hour written paper

Topics covered: Skill acquisition and sports psychology.

Paper 3 (20%) Socio-cultural issues in physical activity and sport
60 marks/1 hour written paper

Topics covered: Sport and society and contemporary issues in physical activity and sport.

Non-exam assessment (NEA – 30%) Performance in physical education
60 marks

Topics covered: Performance or coaching in one sport, Evaluation and Analysis of performance for improvement (EAPI).

The physical activities are:

Activity Restrictions and allowances
Acrobatic Gymnastics
Amateur Boxing
Association Football Can’t be five-a-side
Athletics
Badminton
Basketball
Blind Cricket
BMX Racing only (not trick)
Boccia
Camogie
Canoeing
Cricket
Cross Country Running
Cycling Track or road cycling only
Dance
Diving Platform diving
Equestrian
Figure Skating
Futsal
Gaelic Football
Goal Ball
Golf
Gymnastics Floor routines and apparatus only
Handball
Hockey Must be field hockey
Hurling
Ice Hockey
Inline Roller Hockey
Kayaking
Lacrosse
Netball
Polybat
Powerchair Football
Rock Climbing Can be indoor or outdoor
Rowing
Rugby League Can’t be tag rugby
Rugby Union Can be assessed as Sevens or fifteen-a-side. Can’t be tag rugby
Sailing Royal Yachting Association recognised sailing boat classes only. The list can be found here.
Sculling
Skiing Must take place on snow, can be indoor or outdoor
Snowboarding Must take place on snow, can be indoor or outdoor
Squash
Swimming Not synchronised swimming, personal survival or lifesaving
Table Cricket
Table Tennis
Tennis
Trampolining
Triathlon Sprint only
Volleyball
Water Polo
Wheelchair Basketball
Wheelchair Rugby
Windsurfing

This course will prepare pupils for the further study of Physical Education or Sports Science courses as well as other related subject areas such as Psychology, Sociology and Biology.

Learners will also develop the transferable skills that are in demand by further education, Higher Education and employers in all sectors of industry. Over the years Stockport Grammar School pupils who studied A-level Physical Education went onto university to study:

  • English
  • Psychology
  • Physiotherapy
  • Forensic Science
  • Paramedic Science
  • Teaching
  • History
  • Nutrition

Please consult the Sixth Form Handbook (pdf) for further information


Co-curricular activities

There is a comprehensive co-curricular programme including:

School teams

The school fields a large number of teams in both its ‘major’ and ‘opportunist’ sports. During an average academic year Stockport Gramm School is represented across 12 sports, comprising of 190+ teams, playing in over 100 fixtures across both the Junior and Senior School involving upwards of 900+ pupils.

The major sports represented for include rugby, football, tennis, and cricket for the boys and hockey, netball, tennis and cricket for the girls. Both boys and girls can take part in school teams for cross-country, swimming and athletics.

Fixtures also feature in the sporting calendar for girls’ football, girls rugby, boys hockey, basketball and badminton.

All of these play on a regular basis (both Saturdays and midweek), and up to 350 pupils represent the school on a Saturday. The school teams have an excellent reputation, gaining success in regional and national competitions. Individuals frequently gain representative honours with both county and national teams.

House sports

Girls race around a bend on the track during the 2023 First and Second Year Sports Day

The inter-house sports competition has a central role within the school. It incorporates a total of 20 activities, from rugby to chess, and provides a very important level of competitive, representative experience for large numbers of pupils.

Clubs

Clubs are organised in an increasing number of activities. These include dance, fitness, climbing, basketball, swimming, ultimate frisbee, rounders, running club, badminton and kayaking. These activities are not concerned with producing school teams as such (although some fixtures may occur), but rather to encourage widespread participation, enjoyment and a love of healthy living.


School team tours

The school engages in a range of tours both within the UK and abroad.


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