1. National Curriculum Introduced by the Govt. in 1990’s.
All state schools are expected to follow the guidelines set
Physical Education is a core subject = compulsory.

2. Aims of N.C.P.E. Achieve physical competence & confidence.
Perform in a range of activities.
Achieve physical skillfulness.
Gain knowledge of the body in action.
Become a ‘Critical Performer’.
Learn competitiveness, creativity, face up to challenges.
Learn how to plan, perform & evaluate.
Discover their abilities, aptitudes &make choices for lifelong learning.

3. Intended
To make children aware of the need to adopt a healthy lifestyle.
Enable them to choose suitable & a selection of activities.
Develop imagination, creativity, problem solving
Raise awareness of other roles within sport; officiating, spectating, coaching & leadership roles

4. N.C.P.E six activity groupings
Games – invasion, striking & fielding, net/wall.
Athletic Activities
Swimming
Gymnastics
Dance
Outdoor & adventururous activities.

5. Key stages of a child’s learning
K.S. 1 = Years 1 & 2 (infants) PP1 + PP2
Dance, gymnastics & games.
Developing simple skills & movement sequences individually & in a group.
K.S. 2 = Years 3 to 6 (Juniors) PP3 to 10’s
Follow all 6 activity areas.
Skill level & understanding should increase.
Complete sustained periods of exercise.
Great in theory but not in practice – Primary teachers are not specialist PE teachers.
Aim = Child Centred, participation & play

6. Key stages of a child’s learning
K.S. 3 = Years 7 to 9 (Lower Secondary school) 11’s to 13’s
Refining motor skills & developing complexity of movements.
Involved in smaller versions of adult activities.
Learning rules & tactics.
K.S.4 = Years 10 to 11 (upper Secondary school) 14’s & 15’s.
Follow games + 1 other
Plan, follow & evaluate an exercise programe
Aim = Competitive, tactics & awareness of the benefits of exercise
All to adopt a Healthy Lifestyle post school education & onwards.

7. Assessment Teachers complete after each K.S. in all 6 areas.
Provides goals & motivation for students.
Public debate to the value of these assessments.
Does it take away from the fun & participation element of PE?

8. Extra - Curricular School sport – teams. Different to PE.
Huge decline from the 1990’s onwards
Teachers are not paid for their time & commitment.
Additional costs of running fixtures has increased – facilities, kit, refs, health & safety.

9. Conclusion
The N.C.P.E provides a broad framework for schools to follow.
Parents judge the quality of the PE programme on the facilities available.
Depending on the school, the pressure to be strong at a specific sport may be reflected in the time allocation for that activity.

10. Level of enjoyment…
Many factors influence students enjoyment & success in this subject.
Facilities is a key factor to this, leading to
Dual use were education & the local community share facilities.

11. Negatives of Dual Use Overuse of the facility = constant repair.
Little time for maintence.
Poor management of the facilities during school holidays.
Can’t target groups (unemployed, pre school children, OAP’s) because facilities in use during th day.

12. Teachers Make or break a students enjoyment in the subject.
Amount & quality of teachers vary hugely from school to school.