Professional Focus Paper
Health and Wellbeing and Personal
Development: Physical Education
1.
Level: National 1
Who is this paper for and what is its purpose?
This paper is for teachers and other staff who provide learning, teaching and support as learners work towards
Physical Education National 1.
Curriculum for Excellence is a unique opportunity to raise achievement and to ensure that all learners are better
prepared than they have been in the past for learning, life and work. This is because the new curriculum gives real
scope to build learning from 3-18 in a joined-up, seamless way. As a result, progression in learning can be much
stronger with a clear focus on knowledge, understanding, skills, capabilities and attributes. These are delivered
through the experiences and outcomes of the 3-15 Broad General Education (BGE) and, at the senior phase,
through programmes that build directly on the BGE, leading to qualifications. Because of a strengthened focus on
the nature and quality of learning experiences and increased learner participation in every aspect of the learning,
teaching and assessment cycle, self-motivation is likely to be increased and learners consequently more engaged
and enthused. To ensure continuity and progression, qualifications at the senior phase have been designed to
embrace this unambiguous focus on high-quality learning.
Curriculum for Excellence has the flexibility to meet the needs of all learners in their local circumstances, enabling
each to achieve their very best. For example, some centres may take the opportunity to offer qualifications over two
years, whereas others may enable learners to work towards qualifications within one year. In both cases, the
advice in this paper is relevant to the learning and teaching approaches which learners will encounter. This paper,
then, is intended to stimulate professional reflection and dialogue about learning. It highlights important features of
learning which are enhanced or different from previous arrangements at this SCQF level.
How will you plan for progression in learning and teaching, building on the BGE, to meet the needs of all learners?
2.
What’s new and what are the implications for learning and teaching?
At National 1, Health and Wellbeing and Personal Development Units consist of 26 units providing learners with
relevant experiences to develop skills for learning, life and work.
They are grouped together under the 5 strands below:
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Physical Education
Personal Development
Food for Health
Food Preparation
Independent Living Skills
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
The Physical Education strand consists of 4 Units:
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Taking Part in a Group Activity
Taking Part in an Individual Activity
Taking Part in a Water-based Activity
Improving Performance
At National 1, the Units are standalone and to achieve a Physical Education Unit at National 1, learners must be
able to achieve the outcome within the Unit, with the appropriate level of support and resources. At National 1,
learning should be relevant to the learner’s everyday life, their overall learning programme and/or work and leisure.
The outcomes across the range of Health and Wellbeing Units at National 1 and other areas of the curriculum may
be linked together to provide personalised achievement opportunities for all learners, for example;
 Physical Education: Improving Performance could link directly to Physical Education: Taking Part in a Waterbased Activity
 Physical Education: Taking Part in a Group Activity could link directly to Personal Achievement: Performing Arts
Group Activity
The Units may provide progression for learners to other Units, e.g. Cycling Award at National 2 and other units of
the Personal Achievement Awards at National 2. The nature of this progression will depend on the individual needs
of the learner.
What are the key aspects of Physical Education National 1?
Integrated approach to experiences and skills development
At National 1, Physical Education builds on the experiences and the skills developed within the BGE. A range of
contexts, including within the local community, will broaden and extend learners’ experiences and enable them to
apply their skills across a range of curricular areas. For some learners, with more complex needs, specific targets
may be set within their individualised educational programmes to ensure skills are developed across Health and
Wellbeing, including PE. In planning experiences and skill development in PE, staff should also take account of the
targets set in other curricular areas, including Literacy, Numeracy and Personal Development.
Wider range of evidence of learning
There is a clear focus on assessment as an integral part of learning and teaching. Staff will want to use their
interactions with learners to form judgments of how teaching and tasks are to be directed to meet learners’ needs.
At National 1, it is anticipated that most evidence for assessment purposes will be gathered on a naturally occurring
basis. A variety of assessment approaches should be used in order to allow a range of valid and reliable
assessment evidence to be gathered.
Such approaches might include:
 Observation of evidence demonstrated during an activity (using an observation checklist, visual recording,
photography or equivalent)
 Oral questioning before, during and on completion of task (recording using audio–visual or audio recording or
using detailed written assessor notes)
 Centre’s own assessment tools
 Learning and teaching activities which generate physical evidence for assessment
 Identifying opportunities to record evidence within other curricular areas and/or other environments.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
These examples of evidence could be used by learners and/or with staff to build a portfolio to demonstrate
progress across the outcomes in the range of Health and Wellbeing Units. Staff should develop criteria of success
where the focus is placed on small, well defined steps in learning. In this way, the learner with more complex needs
is more likely to achieve success and be able to progress within the level or on to the next level. Staff should
ensure that different approaches to assessment are matched to the individual learner’s needs, including accurate
and regular feedback, as appropriate. Where possible, learners should be at the centre of this process so they
have a clear understanding of what will be assessed and how it will be assessed. They should also be supported
and involved in selecting the assessment evidence which best demonstrates the knowledge, understanding, skills,
capabilities and attributes they have developed and demonstrated. Staff have the flexibility to manage the support
requirements for each learner. They may also keep informal records as part of the learning and teaching
approaches, to show how the learner is progressing.
Hierarchy of Units
Programmes of learning should be planned to encourage learners to aim for the highest level of achievement.
There is no mandatory content at PE National 1 but the aims of the units provide learners with opportunities to take
part in individual, group and water-based PE activities. This may help the learners to improve their own
performance, physical health and sense of wellbeing. These experiences, skills and knowledge will be developed
further in National 2 and beyond and across National 1 Units in other curricular areas. Careful planning of contexts
will be required to ensure learners can move within and between National 1 and National 2 Units, as appropriate.
What are the key features of learning in Physical Education National 1?
Active learning
Learners will be expected to take an active role in the learning process, working individually and collaboratively to
develop skills. Learners may require individualised differentiation of tasks and activities to promote their
engagement in learning and to support their achievements at PE National 1. Learners will require varying degrees
of support to enable them to achieve the Outcomes and Assessment Standards. Some learners may take part at
an experiential or sensory level, where they require full support. Some may require frequent direction and support
to enable them to take part, while others may take part independently or with intermittent support. For a few
learners, with more complex additional support needs, where the outcomes in a National 1 PE unit may not be fully
achievable, the experiences gained in PE will enhance learning and may contribute to their success within other
National 1 units. Using a variety of different methodologies, active learning approaches and support models will
ensure learning experiences meet the needs of all learners.
Personalised learning and learning independently
At National 1 in Physical Education, learners have real opportunities to develop skills for learning, life and work in
ways which are stimulating, challenging, relevant and enjoyable. These opportunities may be related to their
specific needs, interests and choices which in turn promote engagement. For example, a learner may be working
on keeping safe and is supported in the proper use of equipment to allow them to undertake an activity which they
enjoy. This will develop skills and knowledge through application within the practical activity, such as using
armbands correctly when swimming or using the brakes when cycling. Learners with complex needs will require
varying degrees of staff support for all or part of the tasks. Well defined assessment tasks will determine the level
of support an individual learner may require at any given point within the learning and teaching environment.
Learners should be given the opportunity to use their normal mode of communication and have access to the
appropriate resources identified to support their learning for example:
 Horse riding (pictorial representation of the equipment used for riding, step-by-step audio/visual clues of the
routines for mounting and dismounting a horse)
 Voice Output Communication Aids, signing and pictorial/symbol systems
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
 Identified level of staff support to access, participate and achieve in tasks
 Adapted environment
How will you plan opportunities for learners to learn independently as appropriate?
How will you plan contexts to ensure there is progression without unnecessary repetition of content?
Responsibility for learning
The quality of relationships, of the range of staff, supporting the learner and a clear understanding of individual
needs will enhance the learner’s ability to engage in and, as appropriate to the individual needs, take responsibility
for their learning. Learners progress at different rates and will require different levels of support depending on the
task/activity to be undertaken. Staff should be aware of the types and range of supports required, to enable the
learner to experience success and achievement, with the least possible intervention. Personalised learning, with
clear links to previous learning, progress and achievement ensures that learning and teaching and individual
educational programmes are tailored to the learners’ needs across the contexts for learning. Learners preferred
methods of communication and the increasing use of technology will play an important role in allowing the learner
to take increased responsibility for learning.
Learners should be encouraged to monitor their own progress, where appropriate. Learners can be guided towards
building their own understanding of the learning process using a range of strategies. For those learners who are at
the earliest stages of reading and writing or who require positive behaviour support strategies the following could
be used:
 Visual self-assessment (photographic, pictorial, graphic)
 Oral, gestural, signing responses
 Achievement reward system (stickers, certificates)
How will you support learners to take responsibility for and plan their own learning?
What key areas will you communicate with learners to ensure they are making progress with the aims of the
course?
Collaborative learning
Learning and teaching approaches should encourage and develop collaborative working, including learning from
each other. When planning collaborative learning and teaching approaches, staff will want to consider how
individual learners can be encouraged and supported to take on roles that provide appropriate challenge and also
meaningful opportunities to contribute to the group and to experience success. Many practical activity contexts rely
on learners working with a partner and in a group. Working collaboratively provides the relevant and real-life
contexts and situations that promote knowledge and understanding of life outside of home and school.
Performance development is likely to be enhanced in activity contexts where learners are encouraged to take on a
range of roles and responsibilities. In experiencing different roles learners will help to provide information and
support that can shape and guide a performance. The variety of roles could include learners acting as score
keepers, referees and coaches to their peer group in a variety of different contexts. Working together and
supporting each other in this way will encourage learners to build positive relationships while demonstrating
awareness and respect for others.
How might you develop collaborative approaches to learning and make effective use of technology?
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Applying learning
For learners with complex needs, learning experiences linked to strengths, interests and choices will enable the
learners to develop practical skills and knowledge within the area of physical education. Staff should ensure that
tasks and activities are clearly linked to outcomes, which in turn will allow the learner to demonstrate their
knowledge, understanding, skills, capabilities and attributes, accompanied by whatever support model has been
identified for the individual. There will be learning opportunities which develop thinking skills as well as literacy and
numeracy skills across the PE Units. A central theme is to encourage learners to continue participating in physical
activities and sport and to develop an awareness of the link between physical activity and wellbeing. Learners
could be introduced to elements of emotional wellbeing by demonstrating fairness and respect to build positive
relationships. For example, learners should demonstrate tolerance and co-operation while working in team or group
situations. Learners will be able to apply their developing skills and knowledge to enrich their learning across all
aspects of the curriculum.
How can you ensure that learners can access opportunities to apply their learning in other curriculum areas?
3.
Qualification information
The SQA website provides you with the following documents:
 Unit Specification
 Support Notes
 Unit Assessment Support Packages
Full information on arrangements for this qualification is available at the SQA website:
Further information on the developments in National Units is available on SQA's National 1 Unit web page:
www.sqa.org.uk/national1.
T +44 (0)141 282 5000 E enquiries@educationscotland.gov.uk W www.educationscotland.gov.uk
Education Scotland, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston EH54 6GA
© Crown copyright, 2012
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