Does your child’s school or college still offer A-level PE?

[SoftIce]

Inspired by @clary's post on another thread.

I think many schools have dropped A-level PE in recent years and replaced it with a BTEC in sport or sports science. I have nothing against BTECs but I do think it is nice for A-level students to be able to do three A-levels and they should not have to swap one for a BTEC just because they want to continue with PE.

Does your child's school / college offer the A-level? And if not, why not?

My DS’s has obviously stopped it, it’s my post that Clary commented on.
I can see positives and negatives about it tbh. My older DS needed A-Level PE to get to the Uni he needed to go to and without it would have really struggled on his course. It is however a much much harder A-Level than people think it is. He got an A, however that grade was from the exam. He got virtually no marks in his practical element despite being a fairly decent footballer.
DS2 on the other hand is a very talented sportsman in 2 sports but is lacking DS1’s academic ability so if I’m honest would struggle at A-Level. I think him doing the Cambridge Technical is a good idea however I think the Uni’s need to be more open to them.

Just checked and DS2's school still offers A level PE. I agree it is not an easy ride as many seem to think (on MN too haha). DS said he was basically taking double biology (he also did bio A level).

The very highly rated school up the road offers Btec sport, which is one reason DS didn't want to go there (he was also not impressed with the maths teachers at the open evening). The other school he looked at (another excellent school in the city) did not offer A level PE for his year but that was due to numbers; I know a YP taking it who is in year 13 there this year.

I think if fewer people want to take it, perhaps bc it is viewed as lesser, or maybe bc fewer YP can take the GCSE due to lower choices, then I guess it will be less common. Also there is a valid alternative or actually two (Btec and Cambs Tech) whereas for, say, French, it's A level or nothing.

That said, it was always a popular choice in my DCs' school. And at GCSE. The other school we went to had about 11 students taking the GCSE that year (hence not running the A level) whereas there were two full groups in DS's school.

My DD's school used to offer A level PE. They now just offer the BTEC/CTEC at KS5. I think A level PE is a challenging A level - you have to have both good sports performance & be strong at science - particularly biology. I dont know why the dropped it. Poor results? Lack of demand? Difficult to get staff to teach it? It is a small 6th form which probably feeds into the decision. There is a college in the vicinity that offers the A level, but it isnt a viable journey for every student.

At KS4 GCSE PE & a CTEC is offered. However, students no longer get to choose which one they take. If you choose PE at KS4 you are assigned to either GCSE or the CTEC based on sports performance & current science grades. Only students with at least average science grades and good all round sports performance seem to get the GCSE (PE is a very popular option - there are multiple classes). It is the only subject to do this & a new system. In all other subjects students pretty much have free choice if there is a GCSE or a vocational version of a subject. I assume that the change was due to some students struggling with the GCSE.

My sons old 6th form still offers it but it's easier to get a D at BTEC sport so unless a child is looking to do a PE related degree or is aiming for the small number of universities which may not accept BTEC's the question maybe is there any point.

My son has at least one friend who missed their offer due to a B at A level PE but they would have easily obtained a D for the single BTEC sport which can be completed in 1 year.

It's the reason my son chose BTEC sport instead of A level PE

This is why several schools jlining together for Sixth Form can be beneficial... more pupils makes niche subjects viable.

Local Sixth Firm offers both. It has aroubd 1000 pupils per year.

Excellent! An “A level PE is really hard actually” post!

I agree it is a challenging A level, bc of the science content; that’s why ds2 wanted to take it. He was less interested in the content of the Btec and felt it was less challenging.

I have no issue with the Btec being offered and taken, but it’s a shame not to offer the A level as well just bc it’s harder!

That’s like saying, why offer GCSE music with the challenging composition and other elements when the Btec is much easier. (FWIW my DCs school offered both).

I suspect the difficulty for schools is the lack of interest in A level PE due to BTEC sport and therefore it's not cost effective to run A level PE. I think about six children took A level PE in my son's year.

Lots of children probably find BTEC sport more interesting and easier so for many children there is little point in choosing the A level over the BTEC when the grade obtained is likely to be lower

Yes, ours still does. Dd will be applying for degrees in sports science, so likely doing Biology, Psychology and PE. Who knows if that will change in the next couple years though? The college does have a strong sports focus.

Yes, my DS is doing A-level PE as well. His school still offers it, which I’m glad about because it gives students the option to continue with a subject they genuinely enjoy alongside their other A-levels. I do think it’s a shame when PE is no longer available simply because there aren’t enough students taking it.

I wonder if the standard of the practical work of A-level is way too high. Using the example that @mrsconradfisher posted: how can you get almost no marks in the practical work if you are a fairly decent footballer. To me that suggests something is wrong with the course. (I get people choosing BTEC to avoid or reduce science content, but I would have assumed the practical at least should be equally accessible on both courses.)

The 11-16 schools + 6th form college set up really comes into its own here. Here in Hampshire a large college will offer A-level PE, and BTEC Sport at Extended Certificate, Diploma, and Extended Diploma levels (that’s 1, 2 and 3-A-level equivalent), covering everyone’s needs.

To put it into context, as far as I’m aware the marks for the practical element (as least with the exam board DS did) are weighted so need to be multiplied to give an overall practical mark. I can’t remember off the top of my head how low it was now but his teacher assumed the weighting hadn’t even been applied because it was that low. He only played grassroots football but to a fairly decent standard, to me the mark he got for the practical implied he could hardly kick a ball which just wasn’t true.

An element of the practical IIRC (any way the spec DS2 took) was analysis of your performance and also another player's performance. DS2 got a pretty high practical mark – he was a decent goalkeeper for a couple of clubs but nothing high level (not good enough to get into the uni team for example, tho tbf that was Lboro – he switched sports with greta success btw). So I do wonder if the practical element has a certain inconsistency across schools.

DS2 was a TAG year and all the PE grades were a bit lower than expected bc the school was worried about a mass external markdown as I think had happened before in a different subject.

No. Sixth form and lower school here only do btec. A level withdrawn years ago.
i agree A level more academic and science focused which is good.

We didn't replace one with the other- they were both offered. The A level has been discontinued because of lack of takers.

Ours do both

DS2 is doing A level PE. I’m glad it’s still offered at his sixth form as I think the A level suits him better.

DD’s school only offers the A level.

She’s in a class of 2. Since 2024 the biggest class has been 5 so it’s fantastic that they offer it. They only offer A levels, no BTECs.

I thought your son was taking maths, English (can't recall if lang or lit?) and chemistry?