Physical Education is at the very heart of Stoke Newington School and our inspiring curriculum will help all pupils to experience competitive situations, working as a team, leadership and creativity. Physical Education plays a big part in our physical, social and mental development. It also helps to motivate pupils to take part in regular exercise and draw a correlation between physical health and general well-being, which resonates outside of the gym or classroom.

Pupils take part in physical education from Year 7 to Year 11 and as pupils progress through the school they will grow in confidence and widen their sporting role to become performers, leaders and officials. Opportunities to compete in sport and physical activity helps with mental well-being, helps to build character and also to embed values such as fairness, sportsmanship and respect.

Pupils at Stoke Newington School have a wide range of physical ability and we provide suitable learning opportunities for all pupils by matching the challenge of the task to the ability of the pupil. In doing so we help to raise pupils’ health and fitness levels, improve physical skills and develop resilience and perseverance.

Our intentions are to:

  • Enable pupils to develop and explore physical skills.
  • Encourage working with others in a range of group situations.
  • Develop the way pupils apply rules for different activities.
  • Show pupils how to improve the quality of their performance.
  • Enable pupils to recognise and describe how their bodies feel during exercise.
  • Develop the pupil’s enjoyment of physical activity through creativity.
  • Develop an understanding of how to evaluate their own success.
  • Encourage all pupils to engage in our extra-curricular programme.

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Physical Education at Key Stage 3

In Year 7 and Year 8 PE lessons, students engage in a range of activities honing their skills, techniques, and tactics across a diverse spectrum of sports and physical activity. These include invasion games such as football, rugby, netball and basketball, gymnastics, dance, trampolining, table tennis, badminton and summer sports including athletics and rounders. Pupils are assessed on how well they apply the rules and tactics of a sport (head), demonstrate understanding of the benefits of physical activity (heart) and master the practical skills of a sport (hands).

Year 7 Curriculum Map | Year 8 Curriculum Map
Year 7 Assessment Grid | Year 8 Assessment Grid

Physical Education at Key Stage 4

All upper school pupils at Stoke Newington School participate in four lessons of PE in their two week timetable. Within their lessons pupils take part in a range of on and off-site activities that encourage healthy active lifestyles. Year 9 and 10 pupils participate in various activities across the year, building on the knowledge, understanding and skills they learnt but also developing new skills in varying sports not undertaken in lower school. Year 11 pupils participate in various activities across their final year continually participating in active lessons in which they are encouraged to utilise the time to refocus and build relationships with their peers. Pupils are delivered enjoyable, active lessons with varying activities including badminton, team building, yoga, fitness, trampolining and football.

GCSE PE (AQA)

The GCSE PE course equips students with the knowledge, understanding and skills to develop their own performance in sport. Pupils will also develop their understanding of socio-cultural influences on participation in sport, and the benefits of physical activity to health, fitness and well-being. GCSE PE comprises three different assessments:

  • Two written exams: Physical factors affecting performance (30%) and Socio-cultural issues and sports psychology (30%)
  • Written performance analysis coursework (10%)
  • Practical performance in three sports both team or individual (30%)

Year 9 PE curriculum map | Year 10 PE curriculum map | Year 11 PE curriculum map
Year 9, Year 10 and Year 11 GCSE PE Curriculum Map
Key Stage 4 Resources

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Sport at Key Stage 5

Edexcel BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate in Sport (Equivalent to 1 A-Level/single award)

Edexcel BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in Sport (Equivalent to 2 A-Levels/double award)

Pupils who choose to study the BTEC Sport qualification are typically those who are committed to pursuing a career or higher education pathway in sport after the age of 18. We offer two options: the Single Award, equivalent to one A Level, and the Double Award, equivalent to two A Levels. Both courses provide a broad insight into the wider world of sport, delivered through a range of units and assessment methods.

These courses are practical and hands-on, giving pupils opportunities to develop real-world skills such as coaching, administering first aid, and conducting fitness assessments. Students also work closely with the PE department to help deliver elements of the school’s inter-form sport competitions. The independent and intensive nature of the course enables pupils to build a strong skillset, leaving Stoke Newington well prepared for careers in the sport industry or further study at university.

Over the two-year programme, students complete 14 units, four of which are externally assessed. Topics include Anatomy and Physiology, Fitness Training and Testing, Sports Leadership, and Sports Psychology.

Both qualifications offer comprehensive coverage of the practical and academic foundations of sport. Students who pursue these courses are typically highly motivated, engaged, and passionate about sport and physical activity

Year 12 BTEC Sport curriculum map (single) | Year 12 BTEC Sport curriculum map (double)
Year 13 BTEC Sport curriculum map
Key Stage 5 Resources

Enrichment

We pride ourselves in promoting and delivering a broad range of activities at lunch times and after school. They range from, but are not exclusive to; table tennis, gymnastics, football, netball, basketball, dance, handball and athletics. Many of these clubs are open to everyone and all of them are free of charge. As a result of this extensive enrichment programme we have an excellent record of success across the capital.

Career and future pathways

Our alumni of successful athletes:

Paige Bailey Gayle - professional footballer

Sean Clare - professional footballer

Aaron Rowe - professional footballer

Tao Geoghegan Hart - professional cyclist

Lawrence Okolie - professional boxer European cruiserweight champion

Jim Pope - climber Team GB

Lauren George - footballer scholarship to Alabama University

Lotte Wubben Moy - professional footballer

We have had students leave us to go on and study sport related degrees at Loughborough, Brunel, Bath, Exeter, Canterbury and Manchester universities. We have also had students who have studied the A Level or BTEC and go on to do degrees unrelated to sport, complete apprenticeships, work as a sports coach and personal training. We are experienced in producing pupils who are prepared and adept in a range of transferable skills.

Potential careers you could pursue post 18 could be:

  • Sports coach
  • Physiotherapist
  • Fitness instructor
  • Leisure centre manager
  • PE teacher
  • Professional athlete
  • Sports journalist
  • Sports psychologist
  • Nutritionist
  • Masseuse