PE and Sport
At Guildford County School we are proud of our reputation for providing excellent sporting provision and coaching for athletes of all abilities. Sport at Guildford County is rich with history and tradition, balanced with modern day emerging sports, providing students with a purposeful and rewarding physical education experience. Guildford County is successful in a variety of sports and its success on the field makes a major contribution to the students’ academic achievement, co-curricular participation and social skills.
The Physical Education Department offers access to excellent local facilities, dynamic and experienced teaching staff, a multi-dimensional and diversified syllabus, a vast co-curricular programme and varied and stimulating material involving applied sports theory and practical sessions.
Boys and girls of any ability are catered for, able to participate in a wide range of sports under the care of our staff. Guildford County provides a variety of sports ranging from traditional activities such as football, rugby, gymnastics and netball, to exciting emerging sports such as handball, lacrosse and American football aimed at meeting the different needs, interests and ability of our students. We also host various House competitions, and compete in county and national competitions.
The Guildford County Sport & PE Department is an exceptional, enthusiastic and forward-thinking department. The department is made up of the following:
Mr H Hoadley - Head of PE and Games / Head of Tudor House
Miss C Leworthy – PE teacher and Head of Year 12
Mr N Morris – PE teacher and Acting Head of Year 11
Miss L Cook - PE teacher
All members of the department, as well as a large number of other staff, contribute to the excellent delivery of the National Curriculum, GCSE and A Level Physical Education, plus a full commitment to our extensive & rapidly expanding extra-curricular sports programme.
Guildford County follows the OCR syllabus at GCSE and A Level. The courses have grown in popularity in previous years and the department is very proud of the increasing numbers taking the course and going on to take further qualifications in the sports industry.
Career opportunities exist in the ever-growing leisure industry, teaching and coaching, recreational management, the health and fitness industry, sports marketing and professional sport. As a fully-recognised A level qualification, Physical Education will support applications for a wide variety of degree courses.
To study Academic PE it is important that candidates are literate with a sound GCSE base. They should be interested in sport and society and linking theory to practice. It is also necessary to be an excellent athlete or games player.
Our sport teams at Guildford County are always very competitive and participate deep into competitions. We have won a vast array of sporting trophies in recent years, regularly winning district and county competitions. We have a proud tradition of maintaining high standards in competitive school sport across a number of activities that we provide, and we aim to give a high class standard of coaching and facilities to enable the boys and girls to reach their potential and to have the best experience possible in sport.
The majority of the facilities we use are off-site and these include football pitches, a full size rugby pitch, synthetic turf pitch, outdoor cricket nets, sports hall, gymnasium, tennis courts and access to the local swimming pool. The school also benefits from the use of rowing machines and sports field.
Departmental Vision:
The focus of our PE department mirrors our school ethos by providing an inclusive approach to delivering sport and Physical Education. We want our students to benefit from both the physical and mental benefits of physical activity in a safe and enjoyable environment. We believe it is important to use sport as a tool to raise self-esteem and build resilience in each individual, encouraging participation post 16 years old. If a student enjoys their experiences of Physical Education at secondary school then we will be able to instil a deep love for sport and living a healthy active lifestyle.
Summer 2024 Clubs - Years 7-11
Summer 2024 Clubs - Sixth Form
Lower School (Years 7-9)
We offer a high-quality physical education curriculum that inspires all pupils to succeed and excel in competitive sport and other physically-demanding activities. It provides opportunities for pupils to become physically confident in a way which supports their health and fitness alongside opportunities to compete in sport and other activities that build character and help to embed values such as fairness and respect.
The national curriculum for physical education aims to ensure that all pupils:
• Develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities.
• Students are physically active for sustained periods of time.
• Students engage in competitive sports and activities.
• Encourage students to lead healthy, active lives.
In the curriculum, pupils should will build on and embed the physical development and skills learnt in key stages 1 and 2, becoming more competent, confident and expert in their techniques, and apply them across different sports and physical activities. They will learn to understand what makes a performance effective and how they would apply these principles to their own and others’ work. Pupils will develop the confidence and interest to get involved in exercise, sports and activities out of school and in later life, and understand and apply the long-term health benefits of physical activity.
Pupils are taught to
• Use a range of tactics and strategies to overcome opponents in direct competition through team and individual games (for example, badminton, basketball, cricket, football, hockey, netball, rounder’s, rugby and tennis)
• Develop their technique and improve their performance in other competitive sports (for example, athletics and gymnastics)
• Take part in outdoor and adventurous activities which present intellectual and physical challenges and be encouraged to work in a team, building on trust and developing skills to solve problems, either individually or as a group (for example, climbing)
• Analyse their performances compared to previous ones and demonstrate improvement to achieve their personal best.
• Take part in competitive sports and activities outside school through community links or sports clubs.
Upper School (Years 10-11)
Pupils will tackle complex and demanding physical activities. They will get involved in a range of activities that develops personal fitness and promotes an active, healthy lifestyle.
Pupils should be taught to:
• Use and develop a variety of tactics and strategies to overcome opponents in team and individual games (for example, badminton, basketball, cricket, football, hockey, netball, rounder’s, rugby and tennis)
• Develop their technique and improve their performance in other competitive sports, (for example, athletics and gymnastics), or other physical activities (for example, dance) take part in further outdoor and adventurous activities in a range of environments which present intellectual and physical challenges and which encourage pupils to work in a team, building on trust and developing skills to solve problems, either individually or as a group evaluate their performances compared to previous ones and demonstrate improvement across a range of physical activities to achieve their personal best.
• Continue to take part regularly in competitive sports and activities outside school through community links or sports clubs.
Goals
The three major goals that guide program development in Sport Education are for students to become competent, literate, and enthusiastic players (Siedentop, 1994). This means that teachers must design learning experiences that facilitate students learning what this means and what it would look like in realistic settings. According to Siedentop (1994);
• A competent player has sufficient skills to participate satisfactorily, can execute strategies that are appropriate for the complexity of the game being played, and is a knowledgeable player.
• A literate player understands and values the rules, rituals, and traditions of sport, and is able to distinguish between good and bad sport practices in a variety of sport settings.
• An enthusiastic player is one who preserves, protects, and enhances the sport culture through participation, involvement, and appropriate behaviour.
Objectives
In order to achieve these goals, students need to develop a set of objectives which Siedentop (1994) has identified.
1. Develop skills and fitness specific to particular sports.
2. Appreciate and be able to execute strategic play in sports.
3. Participate at a level appropriate to their stage of development.
4. Share in the planning and administration of sport experiences.
5. Provide responsible leadership.
6. Work effectively within a group towards common goals.
7. Appreciate the rituals and conventions that give particular sports their unique meanings.
8. Develop the capacity to make reasoned decisions about sport issues.
9. Develop and apply knowledge about umpiring, refereeing, and training.
10. Decide voluntarily to become involved in after-school sport.
Digital Technology
In the Guildford County PE department digital technology is used for 3 main reasons -
• The monitoring and assessment of student performance
• Improving students' literacy
• Develop student’s ability to evaluate and improve performance
Technology in sport is now widely used and continues to be an ever growing market, from Hawkeye in cricket to the video referee in rugby. The GCS PE department aim to use this digital technology inside and outside the classroom to not only benefit learning, but to provide students with a different skill set which they could potentially use in elite sports performance or other careers in sport. We have found that the iPad can provide students with an alternative stimulus for learning which we have found to improve pupil engagement, enjoyment, and has catered for an increase in student progress.
Below is a list of essential and suggested apps which students can use in and outside of the classroom that will benefit their learning and enrich their Physical Education experience.
Essential Apps
- Explain everything
- Coaches’ eye
- Socrative
Suggested apps
- HeartDecide
- KneeDecide
- MB Anatomy
- Living Lung
- VisAnatomy
- Ess. Skeleton 4
- Exercise Physiology
- Explain Everything
- Football Coach
- Cricket Coach
- Tennis Coach HD
