Physical Education

Jump to: NCEA Level 1 | Pre-Q | NCEA Level 2 | AS Level | NCEA Level 3

Introduction

The Physical Education department at Auckland Grammar School offer a broad range of physical activities as well as a rigorous academic programme at the senior levels. Every master also coaches one or more of the competitive teams at the School.

Physical Education is compulsory for junior students. They are encouraged to take part in the range of sports covered throughout the year, including Swimming, Cross Country, Hockey, Volleyball, Rugby, Football, and more. This dedication to physical activities helps students stay fit and healthy throughout the year and encourages them to join one of the many teams on offer at the School.

If students choose to continue with Physical Education in Forms 5, 6 and 7, the course changes focus to the academic side of physical education, covering optics such as Anatomy, Physiology, Biomechanics, and Motor Learning.

Core Minor Subject

Prerequisites: None

Course outline: The course is covered in blocks of approximately four weeks and aims to introduce and develop the skills of a large variety of sports and physical activity.

The emphasis is on ensuring that all students can understand and participate in physical activity regardless of their expertise.

The aim of Physical Education is to develop the following:

• Whanaungatanga (Build Connections) – The Grammar Way = Respect
• Mahia te Mahi (Actively Participate) – The Grammar Way = Excellence
• Takina te Wero (Accept Challenges) – The Grammar Way = Courage
• Kotahitanga (Unity / Togetherness) – The Grammar Way = Respect
• Whakaaro (Think) – The Grammar Way = Commitment
• Noho Haepapa (Take Responsibility) – The Grammar Way = Integrity
• The benefits of being active
• An introduction to Biophysical concepts
• Skill development
• Game understanding and tactical awareness

Methods of assessment: 

• Demonstration of The Grammar Way
• Attitude within the lesson
• Level of skills, through individual, peer, group, and teacher assessment
• Level of students’ ability to build connections, unity, and togetherness with their team members, in a variety of activities
• Level of students’ decision making and thinking skills in game situations
• Level of students’ ability to take responsibility for themselves and others
• Level of students’ ability to accept challenges and actively participate

Special equipment/costs: All students must wear the correct School Physical Education uniform which can only be purchased from the School Shop.

Continuation of subject: Core subject at Forms 3 and 4, as well as offered as a subject in both the Cambridge and NCEA streams.

Form 5 (NCEA Level 1)

Recommended achievement levels: Selected students currently in 4P and 4R will be required to select this course if they wish to do Form 5 Physical Education. Students who have gained good grades in Form 4 Physical Education and have a genuine interest in Physical Education theory and practical work are likely to do well in Form 5 Physical Education.

Course description/aims:

• Investigate how Hauroa (Health and Wellbeing) relate to and are influenced through being active
• Develop knowledge of movement and skills related to a variety of physical activities and outdoor education activities
• Demonstrate performance in physical activities.
• Demonstrate self-management strategies to help develop good personal values and character behaviours
• Participate in a variety of physical activities and understand how factors affect participation.
• Develop key interpersonal skills that are required to become a good team member and develop Kotahitanga (unity, togetherness, and collective action)
• Develop knowledge and understanding of how Biophysical and Socio-Cultural factors influence movement

Course outline:

• 1.1 – Demonstrate movements in context [5 Credits, Internal]
• 1.2 – Demonstrate understanding of strategies which promote kotahitanga in movement [5 Credits, Internal]
• 1.3 – Explore the relationship between movement and Hauora [5 Credits, External]
• 1.4 – Demonstrate understanding of influences on movement in Aotearoa New Zealand [5 Credits, External]

Methods of assessment: Form 5 Physical Education will be assessed using internal and external Achievement Standards. Coursework assessment includes examinations, common tests, practical grades, and assignments.

Special equipment/costs: Physical Education uniform.

Continuation of subject: NCEA Level 2 and Level 3 is offered.

Form 5 (Pre-Q)

Recommended achievement levels: Students who have gained good grades in Form 4 Physical Education and have a genuine interest in Physical Education theory and practical are likely to do well in Form 5 Pre-Q Physical Education.

Course description/aims: Pre-Q Physical Education aims to develop knowledge, skills and an understanding of a range of relevant physical activities. Candidates’ knowledge, skills and understanding come from both practical and theoretical aspects of Physical Education. Successful Pre-Q Physical Education students gain lifelong skills, including:

• An ability to plan, perform, analyse, and improve, and evaluate physical activities
• Knowledge of how biophysical principles affect performance
• Knowledge, skills and understanding of a range of relevant physical activities
• An understanding of effective and safe performance
• An understanding of the role and significance of physical activity in society and factors that affect participation level
• Demonstrating a variety of interpersonal skills to help a group or team function successfully.
• Develop leadership skills and understanding of different leadership styles
• An enjoyment of physical activity
• An excellent foundation for advanced study (NCEA Level 2 and 3 and Cambridge AS and A Level)

Course outline:

Unit 1:

• Anatomy, Biomechanics and Physiology
• The skeletal muscular system
• Circulatory, respiratory and energy systems Biomechanical principles of stability and balance, force summation and production of forces
• Using Newton’s laws

Unit 2:

• Factors affecting participation and the role and significance of physical activity.
• Barriers and enablers to physical activity involvement
• Socio-cultural factors and their effect on participation levels
• The role and significance physical activity has on people’s lives.

Unit 3:

• Health, fitness, and training
• Components of fitness and methods and principles of training
• Design and implement a fitness training programme.
• Health, diet, and energy sources

Unit 4:

• Skill learning and sports psychology
• Skill classification, skill learning, types of practice and the importance of feedback
• Goal setting, mental preparation, and motivation

Methods of assessment: School Examinations:

• 1 x 1-hour examination
• 1 x 2-hour examination
• 1 x 3-hour examination (Pre-Q)
• Component 1: End-of-year Written Examination (50% weighting)
• Component 2: Practical (30% weighting), Physical performance across three physical activities
• Component 3: Course Work Assignments (20% weighting). An ability to analyse their own sporting movement, apply biophysical knowledge to suggest ways to improve their performance and design and evaluate their own training programme to help improve their performance

Special equipment and costs: Physical Education uniform.

Continuation of subject: Physical Education is available as a continuation at NCEA Levels 2 and 3 and Cambridge AS and A Level. These are in-depth courses that would suit a student who wishes to further his education in the Sport, Education, Recreation and Health Science industries.

Form 6 (NCEA Level 2)

Prerequisites: None, although students who took Pre-Q or NCEA Level 1 Physical Education have an advantage.

Course description/aims:

• Monitor personal performance in regular exercise and relate this to concepts of fitness and health
• From observation, examine how principles of anatomy and biomechanics relate to physical activity
• Describe principles and methods of training and apply these to participation in physical activity
• Through physical activity, describe and apply principles of skill learning and sport psychology
• Demonstrate performance in physical activities.
• Investigate the sociological significance of a sporting event, physical activity or festival
• Demonstrate knowledge of safety issues and apply safety management procedures in a physical activity

Course outline:

Module 1 – Theory into Practice:

• 2.2 – Demonstrate understanding of how biophysical principles relate to the learning of physical skills [5 Credits]
• 2.4 – Perform a physical activity in an applied setting [4 Credits]

Module 2 – Understanding Fitness and the Biophysical Aspects of Training:

• 2.3 – Demonstrate understanding of the application of biophysical to training for physical activity [4 Credits]

Module 3 – International Sporting Events and Outdoor Education:

• 2.5 – Demonstrate understanding of the significance for self, others and society of a sporting event, physical activity, or festival [4 Credits]
• 2.7 – Demonstrate understanding of the application of risk management strategies to a challenging outdoor activity [3 Credits]

Module 4 – Personal and Social Responsibility and Leadership:

• 2.8 – Consistently demonstrate social responsibility through applying a social responsibility model in physical activity [3 Credits]

Methods of assessment: Form 6 Physical Education will be assessed using internally assessed NCEA Level 2 Achievement Standards. Course work assessment includes examinations, common tests, practical assessments, assignments and outdoor education activities.

Special equipment and costs: Physical Education uniform, outdoor education activities ($100), and a course book.

Continuation of subject: Form 7 NCEA Level 3 and Cambridge AS are offered.

Form 6 and 7 (AS)

Prerequisites: Human Biology studied at any level would be an advantage but is not a prerequisite.

Recommended achievement levels: This course is academically challenging and is only available to those students who are following the Cambridge pathway.

Course description/aims: This course should:

• Provide a knowledge and understanding of the conceptual basis, structure, and function of representative selection of Physical Education activities.
• Develop understanding and problem-solving skills (interpretation and evaluation)
• Develop planning and practical skills for effective performance.
• Develop an understanding of the scientific, sociocultural, and environmental factors which influence Physical Education
• Provide an experience, which is valuable, both as a means of personal development and as a foundation for employment or more advanced study

Course outline: Component 1 is a written paper (examination) to be assessed externally in a 1 hour, 45 min examination (50% weighting), covering the following 12 topics:

• Joints movements and muscles
• Biomechanics
• The cardiovascular system
• The respiratory system
• Skill and ability
• Theories of learning
• Information processing
• Practice and learning
• Sociocultural issues
• Ethics and deviance
• Commercialisation and the media
• The use of technology

Component 2 is a course work component (50% weighting), in which candidates are assessed in two physical activities available in this syllabus. The assessment of performance will take place in competitive conditioned practices and formal competitive games, competitions, or situations. This will be internally assessed and externally moderated by Cambridge. Candidates enter for both Components 1 and 2.

Special equipment and costs: Physical Education equipment, course numbered t-shirt essential for identification.

Continuation of subject: This is an in-depth course that would suit a student who wishes to further his education in the sport industry, exercise science, health science or as a Physical Education teacher or coach.

Form 7 (NCEA Level 3)

Prerequisites: Students must have studied Level 2 Physical Education and gained a minimum of 10 Level 2 credits to study at Level 3. Any exceptions to this must be from approval by the Head of Physical Education.

Recommended achievement levels:

• Students averaging 15 or more credits in NCEA Level 2 Physical Education have an appropriate level to study NCEA Level 3 Physical Education
• Students averaging 10-15 credits in NCEA Level 2 Physical Education will find NCEA Level 3 Physical Education difficult
• Students averaging less than 10 credits in NCEA Level 2 Physical Education are not recommended to take NCEA Level 3 Physical Education

Course outline:

• 3.2 – Analyse a physical skill performed by self or other (Golf, tennis or discrete skill of your choice) [3 Credits, Internal]
• 3.3 – Evaluate the effectiveness of a performance improvement programme [4 Credits, Internal]
• 3.4 – Demonstrate quality performance of a physical activity in an applied setting (Duathlon/Mountain Biking) [4 Credits, Internal]
• 3.5 – Students will examine a current physical activity event, trend or issue impacting on New Zealand society [4 Credits, Internal]
• 3.7 – Analyse issues in safety management for outdoor activity to devise safety management strategies [3 Credits, Internal]

Special equipment and costs: Physical Education uniform ($45), Mountain Biking in Term 2 ($140).

Continuation of subject: This can be a prerequisite for various sports-oriented courses at universities and polytechnics.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our staff today.