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Home > School Life > Senior School Curriculum > Physical Education

Physical Education

Head of Department:   Miss D Smith                                      
Mrs B Ansell
Ms A Calder
Mrs A Grafton
Mrs P Milton
Mrs S Noble-Layng
Miss L Raper
Mrs K Scorer

             

GCSE Physical Education

Years 10 and 11 have the opportunity to study PE as one of their GCSE options. This subject has a practical bias, 60% of the total marks being allocated to personal performance in four different activities.  The remaining 40% of the marks are derived from a written paper on exercise, training, and applied anatomy and physiology.

Rowing

Rowing is available as a curriculum option for Year 8 and above.  

A level PE

The A level course includes a study of exercise, training and performance, skill acquisition, contemporary issues, sports sociology and sports psychology as well as practical performance in two activities. After the first year of study, the group sits the first three units of the AS examination, and the marks go forward to the full A level award. The practical performance unit at A2 is assessed on one activity.  

Extra-Curricular Activities

All girls throughout the school are encouraged to participate in a wide range of extra-curricular activities held during the lunch hour and after school. Most of the activities are non-selective but as safety is paramount some of the clubs and team practices have to be limited to a certain number and a selection process has to take place. Girls from Year 10 upwards can participate in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme. They start at Bronze level and go through to Gold.

Trips, Visits and Tours

• Annual Ski Holiday
• Adventure Holiday
• Day at Wimbledon for the Tennis team
• The Senior Netball and Hockey teams went on tour to South Africa in August 1999, Australia in 2001 and to Singapore and Malaysia in August 2003.
• The most recent long haul trip was to South Africa in August 2005
• In 2007, the teams are travelling to Australia.  

As a former winner of Bedford's Sport School of the Year Award, it has been recognised that the sporting opportunities available at Dame Alice, both within the curriculum and extra-curricular, are second to none.