PE as a compulsory GCSE - how usual is this

[FrayedHem]

Checking the website of our local secondary, it states all children take GCSEs in:
English, English Literature, Mathematics, Science (the majority will do Core and Additional Science: some do a Triple Science Option in Biology, Physics and Chemistry), Physical Education, Philosophy and Ethics.

It then also states below there are lessons in personal development, Physical Education and Computing. Then goes on to list optional choices such as languages, humanities and a few others.

Our next nearest has it as an optional GCSE subject, as does the school DS1 is going to.

Just interested if it's a common thing, it wouldn't be something I envisaged DS2 doing, but then to be fair I don't know much about the subject as a GCSE and he's only Yr5.

My DD did GCSEs four years ago, and it wasn't compulsory as a GCSE in her school then. They did all have to do PE as a noun examined lesson,

I had to do Physical Education in KS4, it was compulsory but it wasn't a GCSE course unless you took GCSE PE. It's similar to PSHE, it wasn't a GCSE but it was compulsory.

Thanks for the replies.
I know it's always been a core subject and you have to have PE lessons throughout, I was just surprised to see it was listed as a compulsory GCSE but a MFL is optional.

Never heard of that!

Maybe they will use the same reasoning as for schools that do RS in that if they are using some timetabling time to do it they may as well get a qualification from it too. Possibly it will be a 1/2 GCSE rather than a full one.

Depends on the school I guess... MFL was a compulsory GCSE for me but I went to a Language College

We had short course PE which was compulsory and long course PE which was optional. Just meant we had to submit a bit of coursework (minimal) and I think we had a v. short exam whereas the long course included sport science. Afaik everyone I know had to do the same

I would check if it's just compulsory PE and not PE GCSE.
Kids who don't want to be doing 9 hrs PE/fortnight must be a nightmare.

Every pupil has to do a set number of hours in PE so many school get them to do the BTeC or short course GCSE. Same with RS.
Things will be changing though OP as the baccalaureate increases importance as an MFL and either Geography or History will need to be done alongside the others

It's 100% listed as a compulsory GCSE on their website. I'd not heard of the short course style GCSE so maybe it is that. I'll dig around a bit further but I don't think I could bring myself to ring and check. It does possibly explain why they were so inflexible when I asked about PE adjustments for DS1 (dx ASD has an EHCP). Fortunately got him in somewhere better suited.

Fingers crossed Good to know it may change with the Ebacc.

Thanks everyone

wow, do they need to perform highly in 2-3 different sports, then? Sounds challenging.

I'm in Scotland so it's all different...

But I've known of schools that put all pupils through the exams for core subjects because they decided it was only a small amount of extra teaching time on top of what is compulsory so it was worthwhile to just do the exam course instead.

A-ha. I did some further digging and found the Year 8 Options list for 2016 and PE is not compulsory on there as a GCSE, just a core subject. So they have either not updated their website, or incorrectly listed it with the compulsory GCSEs. Either way I am a little relieved tbh!

It's the same on the website for my son's school. It says all students do RE GCSE, but they don't. They just mean all do it at KS4 (unless their parents remove them).

PE is compulsory, but not a PE GCSE. If they have an open evening, go along and check this out

Does the short course PE GCSE still exist?

There have been changes to the full one - lots more human biology content and new limits on which performance sports can be offered and in what combinations. And for some reason I thought the short course had been abolished.

If I am (as I expect) utterly wrong about that, then compulsory short course PE makes sense, just as the half-qualification in RE that some school insist on (though pupils can be opted out from RE)

It may be a hangover from when a school was a sports college? Few insist on PE GCSE and it clearly will not suit some! My two definitely! It is good that it is available but not compulsory.

A friend's dd goes to a school where either GCSE PE or Dance is compulsory.

Another local school used to have compulsory GCSE PE but I'm not sure if they still do since they changed to an academy.

The bit that listed them as a GCSE was for the year 9's and it was definitely listed as GCSE as they make referene to other core subjects that aren't GCSEs. The Year 8's options list have it as an optional subject and a big bit about the Ebacc so it's plausible they've changed it. I vaguely remember it previously being a technical college. It's reputation was more for sports than academics but it has really improved - parents' used to appeal to get into other schools to avoid and are now clambering to get their DC into it. Which is reassuring as DS2 is more maths than sports, though he does try hard. He's Yr5 so I will have time to check it out.

Thanks everyone.