Physical Education

Why should you choose this subject?

This course allows pupils to learn about their own and others’ performances and provides an opportunity to develop/ further enhance their own sporting ability. Physical Education encourages pupils to develop a positive attitude towards a healthy lifestyle and be aware of the contribution that physical activity can make to your personal development. Physical Activity and Sport have been proven to not only improve your physical wellbeing but also your mental health. The enjoyment, fun and sense of achievement found in sport can be second to none.

The self-discipline that is required to be physically active, whether in a team or individual event, is a skill that can be transferred into other areas of your life, such as to learning and the world of work. As well as the personal skills of commitment, determination, self-discipline, co-operation and competition are invaluable in later life and acknowledged as positive factors by employers.

SQA Information

Link to SQA website for Nat 3, Nat 4, Nat 5, Higher and Advanced Higher Physical Education past papers and guidelines

What Skills will you learn?
In S3 you will have the opportunity to investigate all aspects of performance through several different activities as well as gaining an understanding of how to analyse and improve your play. This will involve learning the skills and rules of the game and investigating the aspects of fitness required. You will film and then analyse your own and others’ performance. You will learn how to develop a very brief training programme to improve your performance.  A further task will be to organise and run a tournament for your class whilst you will also learn how to officiate.

The main aims of the Course are to enable the learner to:

• Develop a broad and comprehensive range of complex movement and performance skills, and demonstrate them safely and effectively across a range of challenging contexts.
  
  

• Select and apply skills and make informed decisions to effectively perform in physical activities.
  
  

• Analyse mental, emotional, social and physical factors that impact on performance.
  
  

• Understand how skills, techniques and strategies combine to produce an effective performance.
  
  

• Analyse and evaluate performance to enhance personal effectiveness.

 What topics will you study?
The 5 activities will be chosen from the following:

Athletics                 
Badminton         
Basketball         
Fitness         
Football         
Gymnastics         
Tennis 
Volleyball

Through these activities you will develop your understanding of:

• How to improve skills and techniques
• How to develop fitness
• The tactics involved in different sports
• The importance of mental fitness in sport

Pupils are required to observe and reflect upon performance and apply knowledge and understanding to bring about improvement.

Pupils will study four main Factors which impact on their performance: Physical (Fitness, Skills, and Tactics) / Mental / Emotional / Social.

Pupils will be internally assessed in two components: Performance Skills (Practical) / Factors Impacting on Performance (Written). 

The final Course Assessment is based on a one-off single Performance (60%) and an Exam (40%).

 What Careers are available?
With further study this can lead into the following careers: Fitness Instructor: Personal trainer: Sports Coaching: PE teaching: Leisure/Sports Attendant: Sports Science: Sports Psychology: Sport Nutrition: Sport Law: Sport Photograph:  Active Schools Instructor: Community Education: Youth and Community Worker: Health Promotion: Sports Development officer: Sport Marketing: Sports Club Manager: Volunteering within the Community in a Sporting Context: Exercise Physiologist: Health Club Industry: Police, Fire Service and other Armed Services: Sports Journalism: the majority of employers recognise the value that an interest and commitment in sport has on a person.