Physical Education
National 4/Higher and Practical Performance
All pupils who opt to study Physical Education in the senior phase will start by following the National 4 or Higher course. In S4 pupils will have the option to complete the Higher course over one or two years depending on their competency. This will allow pupils to progress, at their own pace, and still achieve the same attainment at the end of S5 as they would if they completed National 5 in S4. For those that do not meet the standard for Higher, we will use National 5 as a fall back and they will complete the assessment to allow them to gain the award. For some pupils the starting point will be National 4 to give them additional support to progress in S5.
This course will offer students the opportunity to study Physical Education at a challenging level. The course has performance as its prime focus. Students will engage in integrated practical experiential studies which will advance their skills and techniques while developing knowledge and understanding, evaluating, investigating and performance analysis.
These courses consist of three units:
- Performance
- Analysis of Performance
- Practical Activity/Added Value/Exam
Performance and Analysis of Performance units will be studied at the same time. The physical activities undertaken will arise from a process of consultation between staff and students, which take account of the interests and talents of the student and the constraints on both staff and student.
There will be an option to complete Practical Performance units (PPU). This course will offer programmes to develop your performance skills in activities and a chance to achieve qualifications that explicitly grow skills for learning, skills for employment and skills for life.
Entry requirement – no entry requirement for National 4/5/ Higher and PPU. Presentation level will depend on progress through the course.
Advanced Higher (by application)
The Advanced Higher Physical Education course design enables content from the three mandatory Units, Performance, Perspectives on Performance Development, and Analysis and Development of Performance to be integrated and taught concurrently. This offers the opportunity to establish a broad conceptual base and a more thorough understanding of the full and rich nature of performance and performance development.
Performance at Advanced Higher is focused on the development of the refined technique that candidates require to perform effectively in the increasingly more complex and demanding performance situations they now experience.
This requires a broad consideration of current performance qualities, strengths, weaknesses and needs and the setting of performance development goals.
Candidates specialise in the development of performance in a single activity at this level.
Advanced Higher Physical Education is not for the feint hearted, it requires a lot of independent learning, research and personal development. There is minimal practical performance. 70% of the overall grade is determined by the candidate’s individual development project. This project requires candidates to produce a report displaying an in-depth knowledge in their chosen area and must show measurable developments within their chosen area of performance.
Entry Recommendation – a pass at Higher Physical Education and A/B pass in Higher English
Home Learning
Home learning activities are an important part of all courses.
Further Information – SQA Subjects Pages – http://goo.gl/uBaz0
Education Scotland Subject Pages – http://goo.gl/A2i1f
