physical e duc a t i on
AS/A2 Physical Education
Why choose P.E. at Carmel? Anyone who has an enthusiastic interest in sport and is a keen participant or performer will enjoy the challenges that an A Level course in PE will present. It is an ideal subject to allow you to develop the skills in your specialist practical areas while at the same time making you aware of all the other factors that contribute to improving performance. The subject has a well respected theoretical foundation and will give you many of the skills required to enhance your career aspirations. Carmel’s courses in PE have now been running for nearly 20 years and in that time the department has built up a strong reputation for delivering lessons which extend the students in an enjoyable, productive environment and where they gain success. The course is delivered by experienced staff, a blend of youth and experience who understand what is needed to maximise the potential of the student.
AS/A2 Physical Education EXAM BOARD: OCR
WHAT WILL I STUDY?
meet the students BOBBIE GOULDING Fairfield High School
Studying: P.E., Biology, Psychology, Spanish
Carmel is a great place to study. The tutors are really helpful and will always support you if have questions or problems with your subject. The facilities for students are excellent; there are lots of computer suites and plenty of resources in the library to enable you to complete homework and do private study. Outside of college I play Rugby League for Warrington Wolves U18s and England Academy and I am looking forward to representing England against France in June. When I leave Carmel I hope to pursue a career in Rugby League and then go to university and study to be a PE teacher. I aim to keep my Spanish on board too and hopefully work abroad some day.
meet the tutors MICHAELA BYRNE Head of Department and Team Leader for OCR, co-author of OCR textbook.
TONY HIGGINS P.E. Tutor and Team Leader for OCR
On completing the course you will have specialised in two of your favoured sports and developed the skills required to improve your performance, this improvement is part of your assessment. The theory component develops a range of skills involving: the study of physiological aspects e.g. anatomy and exercise
Ski Trip 2010
physiology; some psychological aspects e.g. motivation and arousal; and also sociological aspects which include issues such as discrimination, sponsorship and the roles of the sporting bodies that contribute to sporting success in Britain. Each week you will have a practical session and three theory sessions where you will be expected to make links between how the theory complements the practical performance i.e. how does knowledge of the theory make me a better performer?
Girls Football Team 2010
Every opportunity is used to illustrate the theory through relating it in a practical situation and you will be involved in group work and individual situations which are used to highlight and reinforce topics from the classroom.
Student Rugby League Plate winners 2010
What support will I receive? The PE department is as caring as Greenpeace! You will receive excellent support throughout the course and will be closely monitored so that should you be experiencing difficulties there will be individual tutorials to get you back on track.
What is the PE department like? The department is equipped with all the modern facilities that you would expect to deliver a modern day sport course. This includes a fitness training and assessment suite. All students have access to the latest resources, produced for effective delivery and understanding, which are regularly updated.
HOW WILL I BE ASSESSED? Your practical skills will be continually assessed as part of your coursework with a formal assessment made at the end of the module. At AS Level you will be expected to verbally analyse performance and develop a programme for improvement while at A2 Level, this element will include links with classroom theory. The coursework comprises 40% of the total marks with the remaining 60% being assessed by one exam at the end of each year.
WHERE DOES THIS COURSE LEAD? Approximately half of our PE students go on to Higher Education to carry on with sport related degree courses ranging from teaching to sport science or sport development. Physiotherapy has also been a popular avenue to follow. The remaining 50% have used their A Level in PE to go on to enter other degree courses spanning as wide a field as medicine to accountancy.
In completing the coursework module, you will have acquired confidence in your communication skills and in your ability to apply theoretical knowledge to practical situations.
How will I enrich my PE studies? All PE students are expected to get involved with the Enrichment Programme and in particular the sporting opportunities on offer through this programme. The range of activities available is extensive from the more recreational, available throughout the week by way of clubs e.g. Basketball or Badminton to the competitive fixtures played every Wednesday in Rugby, Football, Netball and Hockey, as part of the North West Colleges sports league. The department also runs an annual ski trip where students can take the opportunity to use this activity as part of their PE assessment.
meet the students KATHRYN SUMNER St Aelred’s
Studying: P.E., Business Studies, Media Studies, Photography I like studying P.E. because you can use the facilities such as the gym in the practical lessons to improve your fitness. I compete in Athletics competitions in the Hammer throwing events. Carmel is a really successful college which pushes you to want to do well and the teachers go the extra mile to meet your needs. When I leave Carmel I want to do a sports course at Edge Hill University or go to America to do a scholarship where I can train and develop my athletics ability.
meet the tutors KATE MCDONNELL P.E. Tutor
GARTH THOMAS Further Education Sports Co-ordinator
STEPHEN POWELL Sports and Health Assistant
Frequently Asked Questions DO I NEED TO HAVE STUDIED GCSE PE? No it is not essential. You will soon get up to speed with those who have, but you should ideally be participating in a sport on a regular basis.
HOW GOOD DO I HAVE TO BE PRACTICALLY? You don’t have to be a world beater but you should be good at one sport/activity and at least competent in your second.
WHAT SPORTS ARE ASSESSED? Our main sports are Athletics, Badminton, Gymnastics, Dance, Football, Netball, Rugby (both codes), Swimming and Trampolining. For other sports such as Golf or Basketball or Cricket and any others, you should be undertaking these out of college preferably as member of a club and you will then be considered for assessment based on the skills you’re developing out of college.
How successful are Carmel’s PE students? Students have done well over an extended period with pass rates being above the national average at over 97% in six out of the last seven years. In addition to the excellent grades that Carmel’s PE students achieve, sporting excellence is also well represented. In 2010, Carmel’s Netball team won the British Colleges North West Plate; the Rugby team won the Student Rugby League Plate and the second team Football were finalists in the North West U19's competition. There are many individual achievements too: in rugby, Paul Clough who left Carmel in 2006 is now firmly established in the St
Helens RLFC line-up and fulfilling his undoubted potential; lower sixth student Bobbie Goulding has been selected for England U18’s rugby league and no doubt hopes to follow in the footsteps of his illustrious father; Kathryn Sumner is an aspiring Hammer Thrower who is in the top 20 in the North West having recently beaten her Personal Best; Sophie Foo continues to progress in the world of Fencing and is in the top 100 nationally; and Tom Dempsey received the Best Newcomer Award for rugby at the annual college Sports Presentation Awards.
Netball Team
Tom Dempsey
Football Team
Stephanie Marsh
MORE INFORMATION For detailed information on the syllabus content visit the OCR website –
www.ocr.org.uk