Physical Education

Head of A Level PE: Mrs Carla Ward

Exam board: OCR

The A Level PE course is broadly divided into four sections: the sporting body, the sporting mind, sport in society and the practical application and evaluation of performance. The two year linear course not only assesses the practical skills of students but also their understanding of theoretical aspects of sport. Throughout the course, students develop a holistic understanding of sports performance, what constitutes a healthy lifestyle and how sport has developed in today’s society.

Within the practical units, students develop their evaluative and analytical abilities during the observation of sport performance. Students also learn about the application of modern technologies and understanding of biomechanics, in order to enhance performance in sport.

The academic strands of A Level PE link with other subjects such as biology, physics, history and psychology.

Three exam papers are taken at the end of the course. Paper 1 (30%) covers physiological aspects of sport, paper 2 (20%) covers psychological aspects of sport and paper 3 (20%) covers socio-cultural aspects of sport. The final component of the course (30%) is a non-examined assessment taken before March in Year 13. This assesses a student’s practical ability in their chosen sport and also includes a spoken piece of coursework.

Exam Results

The average of the A Level results in PE over the most recent three year period (2023, 2022, 2021) is:

A*39%
A* – A54%
A* – B79%