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GCE ADVANCED SUBSIDIARY (AS) AND ADVANCED (A) LEVEL SPECIFICATIONS

SUBJECT CRITERIA FOR PHYSICAL EDUCATION

1. Introduction

1.1 A and AS subject criteria set out the knowledge, understanding, skills and assessment objectives common to all A and AS specifications in a given subject. They provide the framework within which the awarding body creates the detail of the specification.

Subject criteria are intended to:

• help ensure consistent and comparable standards in the same subject across the awarding bodies;

• define the relationship between the A and AS specifications, with the AS as a subset of the A level;

• ensure that the rigour of A level is maintained;

• help higher education institutions and employers know what has been studied and assessed.

Any specification which contains significant elements of the subject physical education must be consistent with the relevant parts of these subject criteria.

2. Aims

2.1 A and AS specifications in physical education should encourage students to:

• develop an understanding of the factors influencing performance and the ability to apply these to a range of physical activities;

• develop knowledge and skills of selected physical activities;

• develop the skills necessary to analyse, evaluate and improve performance;

• develop an appreciation of social, moral and cultural issues which affect participation and performance in physical activity.

2.2 In addition, A level specifications in physical education should encourage students to:

• develop the capacity to think critically about the relationships between the different factors influencing performance;
• develop a capacity to explain current provision for participation in physical activity in the context of social issues and global trends.

3 Specification Content

3.1 A and AS specifications in physical education should build on the knowledge, understanding and skills set out in the National Curriculum at Key Stage 4 and accommodate those students who have followed GCSE physical education.

3.2 AS specifications in physical education should be concerned with developing students' knowledge and understanding of the factors influencing performance in a variety of physical activities and how performance may be improved through analysis and practice.

A level specifications should require students to develop further the skills associated with improving performance. They should understand the relationship between theoretical concepts such as the social and cultural bases of sport and recreation in the UK and Europe and how these might inform and explain physical education programmes, elite and recreative sport.

A level specifications should also rquire a deeper understanding of these social and cultural concepts in the UK and Europe and be able to compare trends and systems which have been developed in different cultures, such as North America, the New World and emerging cultures such as Kenya or Argentina.

3.3 Knowledge, Understanding and Skills

A and AS specifications should require students to develop and apply knowledge, understanding and skills of:

Analysis and evaluation of practical performance

• the analysis and evaluation of a selection of activities from: games activities, gymnastic activities, dance activities, athletic activities, outdoor and adventurous activities and swimming activities.

Analysis and evaluation of physical factors influencing performance

• the applied knowledge of the structure of the body
• the principles and methods of training
• the physiological effects of exercise
• energy systems

Analysis and evaluation of determinants of skilled performance

• the learning of skilled performance
• the practice of skilled performance
• cognitive factors influencing skilled performance

Analysis and evaluation of contemporary issues influencing performance and participation

• social, moral and cultural aspects influencing the structure, provision and opportunity for participation in physical activity.

Key skills

4.1 A and AS specifications in physical education should provide opportunities for developing and generating the evidence for assessing the Key Skills listed below. Where appropriate, these opportunities should be directly cross-referenced, at specific level(s), to the criteria listed in Part B of the key skills specifications.

• Communication
• Improving Own Learning and Performance
• Problem Solving
• Working with Others

5. Assessment Objectives

5.1 Knowledge, understanding and skills are closely linked. Specifications should require that students demonstrate the following assessment objectives in the context of the content and skills prescribed.

AS and A level

AO1 Knowledge and Understanding

Candidates should be able to:

• evaluate aspects of practical performance in selected activities showing an understanding of the application of physical factors which underpin performance;

• describe and explain the ways in which skills are learned and applied in practice conditions to improve performance;

• interpret the effects of social, moral and cultural influences on participation and performance in physical activity;

• organise and present information, ideas, descriptions and arguments in a clear, logical and appropriate form, taking into account the use of specialist vocabulary, grammar, punctuation and spelling.

AO2 Skills

• analyse and evaluate performance in selected practical activities;

• apply appropriate techniques and principles designed to develop an improvement in performance.

A level

AO3 Knowledge and understanding

Candidates should be able to:

• analyse and explain the relationships between the physical and skill determinants of performance with contemporary influences on physical education and sport. This might include, for example, an examination of agencies who provide and fund activity and influence participation, teaching and coaching provision and research funding.

• critically evaluate and justify current provision for participation in physical activity in the context of social and cultural issues in the UK, Europe and other comparative cultures. Analyse these trends through a consideration of global events such as the Olympic Games, World Cups and World Championships that provide opportunity for international competition and reflect a country's policies, priorities and prejudices.

5.2 In each assessment scheme, the assessment objectives are to be weighted as follows:

	Weighting
	AS	A2	A level
AO1	70 - 80%	30 - 40%	50-60%
AO2	20 - 30%	20 - 30%	20-30%
AO3	0%	40 - 50%	20-25%

5.3 The assessment objectives apply to the whole specification. Awarding bodies will be required to allocate a specific weighting, within a given range, to each assessment objective.

6. Scheme of Assessment

Internal Assessment

6.1 All AS and A level specifications in physical education should have a minimum internal assessment weighting of 20% and may have a maximum internal assessment weighting of 40%.

Synoptic Assessment

6.2 All specifications should include a minimum of 20% synoptic assessment. Five percent (5%) of the total synoptic requirement may be internally assessed and the remaining 15% should be externally assessed. All synoptic assessment unit should be taken at the end of the course. The synoptic element will be assessed through assessment objective 3.

The definition of synoptic assessment in the context of physical education is as follows:

Synoptic assessment in physical education should require candidates to bring together their knowledge of principles and concepts of connections across areas of the subject, for example, applying knowledge and understanding of a number of areas to a particular situation and using specialist vocabulary where appropriate.

Ways in which synoptic assessment might be conducted include:

• evaluation exercises that require candidates to draw together knowledge, understanding and skills learned throughout the course to tackle a decision, problem or issue that is new to them;
• providing a specific unit of assessment which covers physical education issues or problems and requires candidates to apply knowledge, understanding and skills learned in other units of assessment.

Key Skills Assessment

6.3 The Key Skill of Communication must contribute to the assessment of physical education at AS and A level as stated in paragraph 13 of the Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced level qualification-specific criteria.

The requirement for all A and AS specifications to assess candidates' quality of written communication will be met through assessment objective 1.

7. Grade Descriptions

7.1 The following grade descriptions indicate the level of attainment characteristic of the given grade at A level. They give a general indication of the required learning outcomes at each specified grade. The descriptions should be interpreted in relation to the content outlined in the specification; they are not designed to define that content. The grade awarded will depend, in practice, upon the extent to which the candidate has met the assessment objectives overall. Shortcomings in some aspects of the examination may be balanced by better performances in others.

7.2 Grade A

Candidates:

• use an extensive range of theoretical principles and concepts and apply these to practical performances at a consistently high level
• demonstrate high order analytical skills clearly matched to underpinning theoretical principles, and use these to refine practical performances
• demonstrate a deep understanding of all physical factors affecting training, exercise and energy systems and their influence on a wide range of practical performances
• demonstrate a thorough understanding of the development of skilled performances and how these are achieved through learning, practice and the influence of cognitive factors
• demonstrate an astute insight into how social, moral and cultural components and wider global issues interact and contribute to the provision of and participation in physical activities
• demonstrate a sophisticated appreciation and understanding of the connections between all areas of the subject
• have a good command and understanding of a range of technical language and can apply it accurately and effectively

7.3 Grade C

Candidates:

• use a good range of theoretical principles and concepts and apply these to practical performances
• demonstrate a good understanding of analysis and evaluation of practical performances using a range of theoretical principles, and through this identify ways of improving performance
• clearly identify physical factors which affect training, exercise and energy systems and influence practical performance
• demonstrate a good understanding of how skilled performances are developed through the interaction of learning, practice and cognitive influences
• demonstrate a good understanding of social, moral and cultural influences and global trends and how these interact to affect the provision for and participation in physical activity
• display a clear ability to identify and draw together different areas of subject knowledge
• have a good range and application of technical language related to all subject areas

7.4 Grade E

Candidates:

• use a basic range of theoretical principles and concepts and apply these to practical performances
• demonstrate a basic understanding of analysis and evaluation of practical performances using theoretical principles, and how performances might be improved
• identify how physical factors affecting training, exercise and energy influence practical performances
• understand how skilled performances are developed through learning, practice and the effects of cognitive factors
• demonstrate a sound understanding of social, moral and cultural issues and global trends and their effects on provision for and participation in physical activity
• have the appropriate ability to identify and draw together different areas of subject knowledge
• understand and apply a sound range of technical language.