GCSE Physical Education – OCR Exam Board

AIMS OF THE COURSE:

To encourage candidates to be inspired, moved and challenged by following a broad, coherent, satisfying and worthwhile course of study and to develop an awareness and appreciation of their own and others’ cultures in relation to Physical Education. Creativity and decision-making skills will be encouraged to enable students to plan effectively for performance and to respond to changing situations. Teachers should prepare candidates to make informed decisions about further learning opportunities and career choices. GCSE specifications in Physical Education must enable candidates to:

• become increasingly physically competent through being actively engaged in a range of physical activities
• become increasingly effective in their performance in different types of physical activity and roles, such as player/participant, leader and official
• develop their ability to engage independently and successfully in the processes of different types of physical activity
• develop and maintain their involvement in physical activity as part of a healthy active lifestyle.

THE COURSE:

The scheme of assessment consists of one question paper and coursework (Practical). The full range of grades (G to A*) is available.

Summary of Content:

Unit B451: An Introduction to Physical Education - 20%

Key concepts - Competence, performance, creativity and healthy active lifestyle.

Developing skills and technique - Motor skills etiquette role of the performer, coach and official.

Physical and Mental capacity - Components of fitness, warming up and cooling down, characteristics of skill, goal setting, bodies readiness for exercise

Informed choices of a healthy active lifestyle - Effects of diet, smoking, alcohol, fast food, age, gender and performance enhancing drugs on performance. Methods of training.

Opportunities, pathways and participation in PE - Reasons for participation, schools influence, pathways of involvement.

Unit B452: Practical Performance and Analysis 1 - 30%

Two performances from two different activity areas

 An Analysing Lifestyle Task (AL) - Seven hour controlled assessment

Unit B453: Developing Knowledge in Physical Education - 20%

Developing skills, techniques and motivation - Learning skills, feedback, motivation and goal setting.

Developing physical and mental capacity - functions of the skeletal and muscular systems, joint, type of movement and mental preparation.

Informed decision making using the principles of training and safe exercise - short and long term effects of exercise, training principles, methods of training and potential hazards.

Opportunities, pathways and participation in Physical Education - Levels of participation, sportsmanship, media, local and national facilities and Government initiatives.

Unit B454: Practical Performance and Analysis 2 - 30%

Two performances from any activity areas

An Analysing Skill Performance Task (AP) for one activity - Seven hour controlled assessment

PRACTICAL COMPONENT:

Candidates are internally assessed through Controlled Assessment in the roles of performer and/or coach/leader or official. Candidates are required to demonstrate effective performance, the use of tactics or techniques and the ability to observe the rules and conventions in two chosen activities under applied conditions in each unit and assessment is carried out by the teacher using generic assessment criteria and activity-specific links to these criteria.

In unit B452 candidates must be assessed in two activities from two different activity profiles.

In unit B454 candidates can be assessed in any two activities but they cannot repeat an activity in the same role that was assessed in unit B452 – i.e. they cannot be a performer in football in B452 and a performer in football again in B454, but they could be a coach in football in B452 and a performer in football in B454 or vice versa.

Candidates may only choose to be assessed in the role of either coach/leader or official once across both units B452 and B454. Therefore, if a candidate is a coach or official in either unit B452 or B454, they must then be assessed in the other three activities undertaken in those units as a performer.

Activity Areas Activities

Assessment of Theoretical Work:

For each piece of theoretical work completed you will receive two marks:

E.g.   A / 1    A / 2    B / 3

The first mark awarded is based on your effort, based on the same criteria as is used throughout Gordon’s School.

1 = Excellent Effort

2 = Good Effort

3 = Good with inconsistencies

4 = Unsatisfactory Effort (could do better)

5 = Poor Effort

The second mark awarded is for your attainment and is marked using the GCSE grading system A* - G. The criteria on how to achieve each grade is described in the “grade descriptor” booklet.

For more information please see the OCR GCSE Specification below.