Head of Department
Mrs N Pardy
Why choose the subject?
This course will appeal to anyone who has an active interest in sport. It is a suitable course for careers such as Physiotherapy, Sports Centre/Leisure Industry, PE Teaching, Professional Sports Coaching, Armed Forces, Police, Nursing, etc.
This A level is accepted as a qualifying A level by all universities.
Who is eligible?
It is essential that you are competing and training in your chosen sport at club, county or above level, have a commitment to academic study and have the ability to express yourself fluently on paper. It is imperative that you should be enthusiastic and interested in sport. A minimum of Mathematics, PE and Science at GCSE (grade 6 – 9) is necessary.
Qualification Type: A Level only (2 year)
Specification: Year 2023/2025 Advanced Level Award Examination Board: Edexcel
Scientific Principles of Physical Education
Topic 1: Applied anatomy and physiology
Topic 2: Exercise physiology and applied movement analysis
Psychological and Social Principles of Physical Education
Topic 3: Skill acquisition Topic 4: Sport psychology Topic 5: Sport and society
Practical Performance
Skills performed in one physical activity as a player/performer OR Skills performed in one physical activity as a coach
Performance Analysis and Performance Development Programme
Topic 1: Applied anatomy and physiology
Topic 2: Exercise physiology and applied movement analysis
Topic 3: Skill acquisition
Topic 4: Sport psychology
Component 1: Scientific Principles of Physical Education
Written examination: 2 hours and 30 minutes, 40% of the qualification, 140 marks.
Component 2: Psychological and Social Principles of Physical Education
Written examination: 2 hours, 30% of the qualification, 100 marks.
Component 3: Practical Performance
Skills performed in one physical activity as a player/performer OR Skills performed in one physical activity as a coach Non-examined assessment: internally assessed, externally moderated.
15% of the qualification, 40 marks.
Component 4: Performance Analysis and Performance Development Programme
Non-examined assessment: internally assessed, externally moderated. 15% of the qualification, 40 marks.
An excellent platform – Students receive a well-rounded and full introduction to the world of PE, sport and sports science. This complete grounding in the subject provides a fantastic base from which to build when they move on to higher education, employment or further training.
Open up the world of sport – The course encourages students to immerse themselves in the world of sports and PE with the chance to perform or coach a sport (through the non-exam assessment component), and delve into the how and why of physical activity and sport.
Skills for a modern world – Students can develop a range of practical skills, including communication using appropriate language, dealing with pressure, split second decision-making, analysing and evaluating performance, and more.
This course is commonly studied with:
As an A-Level subject, PE complements several other A-Level courses, including drama, biology, physics and design technology.
Future Careers:
Sports science. PE teacher. Physiotherapist. Professional sportsperson. Sports coach/consultant. Sports policy at local and national level. Diet and fitness instructor. Personal trainer.