PE and Dance

At Hertswood we aim to provide students with the knowledge and skills to live a healthy and active life. Throughout their time with us, we aim to provide the tools and motivation to engage in sport and sustain it throughout their adult life.  Simultaneously, students will be given opportunities to understand the adaptations that occur as a result of physical activity, these include the physical, mental and social benefits.

We aim to ensure all students participate to learn the regulations and systems in a wide variety of sports and physical activities. Those with the drive to excel further are encouraged and stretched to be the best they can be, through academic courses and school representative teams, where we encourage them to strive for the top.

While at Hertswood, students learn about fitness training and testing, components of fitness, methods of training, warm ups and cooldowns, the impact PE has on health, bones, muscles, and the interrelations within these topics. They also study a number of sports such as:  Football, Netball, Rugby, Gymnastics, Dance, Cross Country, Basketball, Handball, Table Tennis, Badminton, Volleyball, Trampolining, Dodgeball. Fitness, Cricket, Athletics, Softball, Rounders, Tennis and Outdoor Education Activities.  Throughout these, students develop teamwork, communication, leadership and resilience.

At Hertswood we aim to provide students with the opportunity to combine expressive and artistic practice with physical activity to ensure they know and understand the importance of dance and the opportunities it provides.  Dance provides students with a positive, sustainable relationship with the arts and physical activity, and gives opportunities for performances within school, the local community and at national events. 

Whilst having an affirmative impact on education, dance also enables students to gain expressive, problem solving, observing and evaluating skills. Simultaneously through these processes, dance improves self esteem, confidence and raises aspirations. Students are challenged to respond to pertinent themes and issues, making choices in terms of choreography and constituent features to successfully communicate a theme. Students will learn and develop performance, choreography and appreciation skills. This allows students to express their own identity and learn about others through non-verbal means, developing a sense of pride and respect for their own and others backgrounds. Through the choreographic processes interrelations are paramount in ensuring a stimulus is well communicated.

Key Stage 3

During Key Stage 3 students are taught the rules, techniques, tactics and skills for a variety of different sports including: Football, Netball, Rugby, Gymnastics, Dance, Cross country, Basketball, Handball, Table Tennis, Badminton, Volleyball, Trampolining, Dodgeball. Fitness, Cricket, Athletics, Softball, Rounders, Tennis and Outdoor Education Activities.

Alongside the practical sports, students gain an understanding of why PE is important to our health, how to warm up and cool down safely, be able to identify the major bones and muscles, know the components of fitness and the corresponding tests and learn how to improve fitness, through learning the different types of fitness training methods.

Key Stage 4

Core PE -- At Key Stage 4, students continue with the practical elements of PE and continue to delve deeper into the tactical side of sports. Students learn how to make informed decisions to outwit opponents.

GCSE PE -- This option runs in addition to the 2 hours of Core PE a week. Students continue with the practical elements of PE and are assessed according to the GCSE Specification on their 3 best sports, including 1 individual and 1 team sport. Students revisit the theory content from Key Stage 3 and also learn about the body systems, health and performance and how to plan and complete a personalised exercise training programme.

BTEC Level 2 -- This option runs in addition to the 2 hours of Core PE a week. Students learn about the roles and responsibilities of officials in sport, anatomy and physiology, how to plan and complete a personalised exercise training programme, and what makes an effective sports leader. Students also have the opportunity to plan and lead group sessions for younger students giving them unique leadership opportunities.

Dance BTEC Level 2 -- Students will study 3 modules: Component 1 - Exploring the performing arts, Component 2- developing skills and techniques and Component 3 - responding to a brief. In Component 1 students will learn a range of professional dance works to allow them to identify different styles of dance, and will gain an understanding of the processes used to create performance. In Component 2 students will learn to perform a professional dance work applying performance skills learnt previously. In Component 3 students will respond to a brief sent by the exam board and create a piece of choreography, making their own decision on actions, music, space and costumes.

Key Stage 5

BTEC Level 3 -- Students study the anatomy and physiology of the human body in more detail, gain an understanding of the different career opportunities available within the sports industry, build upon leadership and teamwork skills throughout a leadership unit and gain a further understanding of how to plan and complete a detailed fitness training programmes.

Extra-Curricular Enrichment

In PE, extra curricular activities run for all year groups and change each term

• Autumn (Years 7-11) -- Football, Rugby, Dance, Netball, Badminton
• Spring (Years 7-11) -- Football, Handball, Basketball, Fitness, Dodgeball, Dance
• Summer (Years 7-11) -- Athletics, Cricket, Rounders, Tennis, Dance

Independent Learning Resources

• The Knowledge
• Quizlet
• Seneca Learning
• Century
• Smart PE Revision and Workbook
• BBC Bitesize - EDEXCEL GCSE PE