Head of Department
Mrs H Ledsham
Why choose the subject?
A Level PE is an exciting and rewarding subject that combines practical sport with the science behind performance. It is ideal for students who enjoy sport, exercise, and understanding how the body and mind work. It can open doors to a wide range of careers including physiotherapy, professional sports coaching, teaching and exercise and health sciences.
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 grade 6 in an English GCSE and a Science at GCSE is necessary.
Qualification Type: A Level only (2 year)
Specification: Year 2026/2028 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 biology, psychology, physics and mathematics.
Future Careers:
Sports scientist. Physiotherapist. Sports nutritionist. Sports psychology. Sport Engineering. Sports rehabilitation and therapy. Chiropractor. Sports Management. Teacher. Sports coach/consultant. Sports Technology. Professional sportsperson. Personal trainer. Sports policy at local and national level. Armed forces. Police.
