The National Curriculum
Why was the National Curriculum implemented?
What are the aims and structure of the National Curriculum?
What changes did the 2008 curriculum bring?
National Curriculum PE
(1988-2008)
By the end of the 1980s the government wanted
 More control of education
 More teacher accountability
 National standards for physical education
 Wider range of activities to be taught
 Education Reform Act (1988) lead to the introduction of the NCPE
 Return to the centralised approach to education
 All state schools now follow set guidelines and are inspected by Ofsted
 PE’s status was reinforced by making it compulsory for all 5-16 year olds
 Through PE children should be able to
 Achieve physical confidence
 Be able to observe and analyse activities
 Improve self confidence
 Learn how to plan, perform and evaluate
 Perform in a range of activities
 Improve cognitive skills and decision making
 Improve health and fitness
 Improve social skills and leadership qualities
National Curriculum PE
(1988-2008)(cont.)
Key Functions
 Therapeutic functions
 Raise awareness of the need for a healthy lifestyle (combat more sedentary lifestyle of modern society)
 Creativity
 Greater emphasis on creativity through formal assessment
 Recreational breadth
 Range of activities has risen (formal requirement)
 Schools have better facilities and greater use of community facilities
 More activities which you try the more likely you are to find one which you enjoy (lifelong participation)
 Critical performer
 Provide other roles in sport (official, coach and leader)
 Gives appreciation of other ways to be involved in physical activity
Area of activity
Games
Swimming
Dance
Athletic activities
Gymnastics
OAA
National Curriculum PE
(1988-2008)(cont.)
Structure
4 key stages split over primary and secondary school. (1 & 2 = primary, 3 & 4 = secondary)
 Key stage 1 (5-7 year olds)
 Limited range of activities with no choice
 Pupils are required to study gymnastics, games and dance
 Key stage 2 (7-11 year olds)
 All six areas should be studied
 Primary school teachers aren’t usually specialists in PE
 Recently NGBs have begun to use lottery finding money to provide sports coaches
 Key stage 3 (11-14 year olds)
 Wider range of activities on offer at secondary school
 Key stage 4 (14-16 year olds)
 Gives a choice of activity
National Curriculum PE (cont.)
2008 NCPE
No longer have prescribed areas of activity to cover
 Instead have a range and content which they must target: Outwitting opponents, as is games activities
 Accurate replications of actions, phrases and sequences, as in gymnastics
 Exploring and communicating ideas, concepts and emotions, as in dance activities
 Performing at maximum levels, as in athletic activities
 Identifying and solving problems to over come challenges of an adventurous nature, as in OAA and swimming
 Exercising safely and effectively to improve health and well being, as in fitness and health activities
 Greater freedom for schools to deliver the curriculum which they wish
 Double edged sword?
 Can use specific local facilities surfing in Cornwall
 rock climbing in Forest of Dean