Physical Education
Physical Education educates students through physical activities to develop the skills, knowledge, and competencies to lead a healthy lifestyle. At Invicta, the PE department are committed to running a fully extensive programme which enriches students' lives in both PE lessons as well as extra-curricular activities. We aim to stretch and challenge our students by offering a wide range of sporting activities including trampolining, table tennis and netball.
Throughout lessons, the British Fundamental Values of democracy, the rule of law, spiritual and moral values are all incorporated as our students learn the importance of sportsmanship, fair play and the different roles and responsibilities.
We also encourage the key values of determination, resilience and confidence throughout all key stages and offer a safe, and welcoming environment where students want to learn and develop their skills. Students have the opportunity to participate in both individual and team sports to enhance their teamwork, communication and problem-solving skills.
We aim to offer a very broad variety of sports and physical activities so that all students can experience something that they enjoy outside of school and hone their skills to be life-long sports lovers. In Key Stage 3, students learn the skills necessary to take part in a variety of sports and have the opportunity to take part in lots of different activities, for example, netball, sports hall athletics, fitness, rounders, and cricket. When students move into Key Stage 4, the curriculum has a rich offering for students to choose from and fully engage them in, whilst still being able to develop their skills learnt in previous years.
We have excellent facilities at Invicta Grammar including a six badminton court Sports Hall, a newly refurbished MUGA, an 11-a-side 3G pitch, six netball/tennis courts and playing fields. All of these facilities are used in lessons to give the students a great experience of PE.
Students are encouraged to read around the subject, improve their general knowledge and really develop their passion. There are numerous autobiographies which highlight the importance of dedication, resilience, and commitment. Some examples include Jessica Ennis-Hill - Unbelievable, Alex Morgan - Beyond the Goal or Grace, Goal and Glory - My Leap of Faith by Gabrielle Douglas. For students studying GCSE or A Level PE, an article or journal might be of more interest for example SSN exercise and Sports Nutrition Review Update which is an ongoing review of sports nutrition based on muscle hypertrophy and performance enhancement, or Peak Performance which combines the inspiring stories of top performers across a range of capabilities, from athletics to intellectual to artistic, with the latest scientific insights into the cognitive and neurochemical factors that drive performance in all domains. If you feel like listening to a podcast, there is also a wide range available, for example, The Science of Sport with world-renowned sports Scientist Professor Ross Tucker, or That Triathlon Show which focuses on the practical and actionable advice that you can use in your own triathlon training and racing. If you are more interested in the social and commercial side of sports, then The Clean Sport Collective are brilliant podcasts which are comprised of athletes, brands, events, clubs, fans and the public to support the pursuit of clean sport and athletics through the absence of performance-enhancing drugs.
There are also other super-curricular activities that students can take part in with the numerous trips that are arranged. Students have had the opportunity to travel to Barbados to work on their netball skills, Disney Land Paris to compete in international netball and football tournaments, as well as Sri Lanka to help children in an orphanage develop their English language as well as knowledge in sports. There are also day trips which students have the opportunity to attend such as the velodrome at the Olympic Park, visits to universities to learn about the degree courses available to them as well as enhance their knowledge of content such as diet and nutrition, fitness testing and the psychology behind sport, as well as having the opportunity to compete against other schools in a mini-dissertation project lead by the University of Kent.
Key Stage 3
In Year 7, students will experience a wide range of activities to develop the skills necessary to take part in a variety of sports. Some examples of the activities include netball, football, tag rugby, team building, capture the flag, athletics, rounders, cricket, gymnastics, and trampolining. Lessons often involve drills to develop skills but then modified games to give students the opportunity to develop their initiative, teamwork and communication skills.
In Year 8, students experience the same range of sports, however the content of the lesson is developed from what they were taught in Year 7 in order progress. Students will complete more challenging drills in order to increase their skill level and will complete more fully sided games. Students will be assessed on their understanding of the game and their awareness of tactics in order to improve performance.
Students are taught in their form groups and are assessed on the amount of effort they put into lessons and the progress that is achieved for each individual. This includes values such as communication, team work and confidence as well as their practical ability. Students have a PE lesson each week as well as the option to take part in extra-curricular clubs everyday of the week, both at lunch time and after school.
Timetable
Over a fortnightly timetable, students receive:
- 2 hours of guided class learning
- A range of extra-curricular clubs at lunch time and after school
Enrichment and Extra Curricular
To Read
- Jessica Ennis Autobiography – Unbelievable
- Alex Morgan - Breakaway: Beyond the Goal
- Finishing Kick – Paul Duffau
- Grace, Gold and Glory – My Leap of Faith – Gabrielle Douglas
To Watch
- The Dawn Wall - Legendary free climber Tommy Caldwell tries to get over heartbreak by scaling the Dawn Wall of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.
- Free Solo - Professional rock climber Alex Honnold attempts to conquer the first free solo climb of famed El Capitan's 900-metre vertical rock face at Yosemite National Park.
- The Class of ’92 - Cinematic documentary examining the rise to prominence and global sporting superstardom of six supremely talented young Manchester United footballers - David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Phil Neville, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville
- Pumping Iron - This partly real and partly scripted film documents what many consider to be the golden age of bodybuilding that occurred in the 1970s.
- Eliud - Our short film from inside Eliud Kipchoge's training camp, that explores the philosophies that have made him the greatest marathon runner of all time
To Listen
- Sports Squad - All about staying fit and active! Presented by Ayo Akinwolere and teenager Chanel Kakareko, the show's packed with inspiring interviews with sports personalities and activities you can do to keep active whilst you're stuck at home.
- Effortless Swimming – For any budding swimmers, a show on coach and swimmer Ben Ford sits down to talk to people from all over the swimming world, offering expert advice on how to become a better swimmer.
- Stumped – The BBC’s weekly cricket podcast which features stories on cricket from all across the globe, including test cricket, the Indian leagues, and women’s cricket.
To Visit
- The Snozone Indoor Snow Centre in Milton Keynes
- Mighty Adventures Golf Centre in Southampton
- Lower Grange Farm climbing centre in Maidstone
- High Ashurst Outdoor Education Centre in Surry
- Gravity Trampoline Parks Maidstone
- Buzz Active Bushy Wood Activity Centre in East Sussex
- Bewl Water
- Maidstone Leisure Centre
Year 9 - Foundation Year
Year 9 will be a Foundation Year whereby students will explore the anatomy and physiology of the body. Learning about the skeleton and muscles and using this knowledge to gain a deeper insight into how the body moves and what controls the actions. They will then be able to use this knowledge to apply it to sporting examples that they are interested in. Students will also learn about the benefits of maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle and the components of fitness that are needed to take part in a variety of sports. The importance of a healthy diet is also researched, and the effects that this could have on the cardiovascular system, whilst gaining knowledge on heart conditions/disease for example, heart attacks, angina and cardiovascular disease. As well as learning about the theory, students will also participate in a wider variety of practical lessons where they can put their new theory knowledge to the test and apply it to the sports they are learning.
Topics covered
- Bones, structure of the skeleton and functions of the skeleton.
- Muscles and how they work to create movement.
- Components of fitness and how these are included in sports.
- Training methods and what a performer can do to improve their fitness.
- Structure of the heart, how the heart works and illnesses/diseases relating to the heart.
- Energy use and diet – relating this to an athletes performance.
Timetable
Over a fortnightly timetable, students receive:
- 5 hours of guided class learning
- 2 hours of core practical PE
- A range of extra-curricular clubs at lunch time and after school
Enrichment and Extra Curricular
To Watch
- The Edge
- All or Nothing documentaries
- Michael Johnson: Survival of the Fastest
- Nike: Breaking 2
To Listen
- The Tennis Podcast – Listeners are updated on the latest goings-on from around the sport, as well as sitting down to talk to big name guests.
- The England Athletics Podcast – Features stories from Athletics Clubs from all over England to discover more about athletics as well as seasoned competitors.
- Stumped – The BBC’s weekly cricket podcast which features stories on cricket from all across the globe, including test cricket, the Indian leagues, and women’s cricket.
To Visit
- The Snozone Indoor Snow Centre in Milton Keynes
- Mighty Adventures Golf Centre in Southampton
- Lower Grange Farm climbing centre in Maidstone
- High Ashurst Outdoor Education Centre in Surry
- Buzz Active Bushy Wood Activity Centre in East Sussex
- Bewl Water
- Maidstone Leisure Centre
- Gillingham Ice Skating Rink
- Go Ape! Leeds Castle
Key Stage 4
During Key Stage 4 PE, students are offered more freedom over the curriculum by having options of activities to participate in whilst still being able to further develop the skills they have learnt in Key Stage 3. This is in the hope that students will find a sport that they can continue once they have left school and once PE in school is no longer compulsory. The range of activities offered to students is vast, including trampolining, volleyball, table tennis, netball, health related fitness and yoga. Students are also encouraged to take on additional roles other than a performer, such as an official, or a coach to develop their confidence, knowledge of the sports and communication.
Students also have the option of taking GCSE PE.
Examination Board/Qualification: AQA - GCSE PE
- 2 x 75-minute written papers at the end of Year 11 (worth 60%)
- Practical performance assessed out of 100 for 2 sports along with a written analysis and evaluation of performance in a chosen sport (worth 40%).
Students will learn about the anatomy and physiology of the body, movement analysis, physical training, use of data, sport psychology, socio-cultural influences, and health, fitness, and well-being. Students will complete their written NEA in Year 10. Students receive an additional 5 lessons of PE a fortnight if they were to choose GCSE PE.
Students are encouraged to take part in wider activities to support the knowledge that they gain from lessons. Icarus is a brilliant film to watch about a filmmaker who sets to uncover the truth about doping in sports, or Nike: Breaking 2 is another inspirational documentary relating to a project about how to break the two-hour barrier for the marathon. Students are also encouraged to read journals such as Touching the Void by Joe Simpson which is a harrowing account of Simpon's and Simon Yates' calamitous assault in Peru, which has rightly transcended the sport of climbing and become a legendary fable for what humans are capable of doing to survive.
Topics Covered
Year 10
- Muscles of the body, antagonistic and agonistic pair
- Structure of a synovial joint, types of freely moveable joint
- The pathway of air, mechanics of breathing, EPOC
- Structure of the heart and the cardiac cycle, cardiac output, stroke volume and heart rate
- Aerobic and anaerobic exercise, immediate, short term and long term effects of exercise
- Lever systems, analysis of basic movements, planes and axes of movement
- Health and fitness, components of fitness, fitness testing
- The principles of training – SPORT/FITT
- Training methods – weight, circuit, interval, fartlek, continuous, plyometrics
- Effective use of warm-ups and cool-downs
- Data collection
Year 11
- Health, fitness and well being
- The consequences of a sedentary lifestyle, different somatotypes
- Energy use, diet, nutrition and hydration
- How to optimise training session including seasonal aspects of training.
- Socio-cultural influences – Engagement patterns of different social groups in physical activity and sport
- Commercialisation and sponsorship (positive and negative effects)
- Ethical and socio-cultural issues including prohibited substances, the advantages and disadvantages of performance enhancing drugs.
- Why hooliganism occurs and how we can combat it.
- The impact of technology in sport.
Timetable
Over a fortnightly timetable, students receive:
- 2 hours of guided practical learning
- 3 hours of guided classroom learning
- 2 hours of core practical PE
- A range of extra-curricular clubs at lunch time and after school
- 3 x 40 minutes guided independent homework
Enrichment and Extra Curricular
To Read
- Touching the Void by Joe Simpson
- Bounce – Matthew Syed
- Chrissie Wellington – Autobiography – A Life without Limits
To Watch
- The Edge
- All or Nothing documentaries
- Michael Johnson: Survival of the Fastest
- Nike: Breaking 2
To Listen
- The Tennis Podcast – Listeners are updated on the latest goings-on from around the sport, as well as sitting down to talk to big name guests.
- The England Athletics Podcast – Features stories from Athletics Clubs from all over England to discover more about athletics as well as seasoned competitors.
- Stumped – The BBC’s weekly cricket podcast which features stories on cricket from all across the globe, including test cricket, the Indian leagues, and women’s cricket.
To Visit
- The Snozone Indoor Snow Centre in Milton Keynes
- Mighty Adventures Golf Centre in Southampton
- Lower Grange Farm climbing centre in Maidstone
- High Ashurst Outdoor Education Centre in Surry
- Buzz Active Bushy Wood Activity Centre in East Sussex
- Bewl Water
- Maidstone Leisure Centre
- Gillingham Ice Skating Rink
- Go Ape! Leeds Castle
Key Stage 5
In the Sixth Form, students have the opportunity to broaden their knowledge from GCSE and can study AQA A Level PE. Students will develop their knowledge from GCSE and learn in more detail about the anatomy and physiology of the body, skill acquisition, sport and society, exercise physiology and biomechanics, sport psychology, and sport and society and technology in sport.
Examination Board/Qualification: AQA - A Level Physical Education
- 2 written papers x 120 minutes at the end of Year 13 – (70% of the course)
- Written analysis and evaluation on a sporting performance as well as an assessment as a performance or coach in a full sided version of one activity – (30% of the course)
Topics Covered
Year 12
- Applied anatomy and physiology
- Skill acquisition
- Sport and society
- Written analysis and evaluation of weaknesses of defensive skills and tactics and strategies of a sport of their choice.
Year 13
- Exercise physiology and biomechanics
- Sport psychology
- Sport and society and technology in sport
- Written analysis and evaluation of weaknesses of defensive skills and tactics and strategies of a sport of their choice.
- Practical moderation on one sport that the individual currently plays.
Timetable
Over a fortnightly timetable, students receive:
- 8 hours of guided class/practical learning
- 8 hours of guided independent homework
Enrichment and Extra Curricular
To Read
- SSN exercise and sports nutrition review update
- Peak Performance
- Getting into physiotherapy course – James Barton
- Running Like A Girl – Alexandra Heminsley
- Your Pace or Mine? – Lisa Jackson
To Watch
- Icarus
- Kissed by God
- Sunderland Till I die
- The English Game
- Tyson – The Movie
To Listen
- The High Performance Podcast - An intimate glimpse into the lives of high-achieving, world-class performers who have all excelled in their field with first-hand experiences and lessons to share.
- House of Rugby – Offers listeners an insight into all aspects of the world of rugby union- from on pitch action to a discussion of grassroots rugby.
- The Guardian Football Weekly – Offering a twice-weekly round-up of the biggest stories in football.
- Ant Middleton, Mind over Muscle – Training your body for a marathon is tough. Training your mind is even harder. The former special forces soldier, and star of SAS: Who Dares Wins, has recruited five first-time Virgin Money London Marathon runners who have recently faced-up to a variety of mental health challenges. Supported by elite marathon runner Mara Yamauchi and sports psychologist Dr Josephine Perry, Ant is on hand to help them battle through their self-doubt, anxiety and fears, can they overcome their psychological barriers to reach the finish line?
- James Smith – Everyday waffle from the fitness industry’s no nonsense personal trainer.
- The Pete Crouch Podcast – Episodes include insight on everything from dressing rooms, transfers, keeping on the good side of your manage and where to sit on the team bus.
To Visit
- Top 5 University’s for Sport - https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings/sports-science
- Stadium Tours
- Science Museum
- Maidstone Leisure Centre
Careers
We have a wealth of information on our Careers page - Please click here to visit.
