Is the new PE GCSE considered very difficult and if so why?

[blockbustin]

I'm asking because DC's school is doing BTEC instead of GCSE PE. They say it's too difficult to get the higher grades in the new GCSE PE. Just curious as to what's so difficult about it?

Thanks Glacinda that’s what I thought I’d read.

It sounds wonderful - right up my DS’s street.

Someone told him that his football refereeing could “count towards it”. This seems dubious to me: anyone know anything about this? I’m sure it depends on exam board etc but doesn’t seem very likely.

Taffeta refereeing used to be allowed but not under new spec (although you should double check your DS's exam board)

Thanks BlueBelle

Good grief Im a bit scared now. DS1 is in year 8 and has just had to complete his options (they do EBACC) and he has picked PE (his PE said it was a good option for him). He plays football for a team but is no where near county level. He will be good at the theory part though as loves science.

PE teacher has suggested football, handball (whatever that is?) and some kind of athletics thing such as javelin or shot-put (He is very strong) but nothing was mentioned about stuff outside of school apart from the football which they know about.

You have to really excel in the sports you choose. My ds is in year 10 and he is one of those natural all rounders,. Of course you don't have to play at county level, because that would exclude a lot of kids, but you do have to be at a very high standard.
Our school was very honest about who was good enough and who wasn't I think some parents had a bit of a reality check about their little darlings.
Btw the academic part is hard and they do have to put the work in. I think my ds has had a bit of a shock.

I don't think you necessarily have to be a super high standard, but you have to know enough about the sport to assess your playing technique. County level athletes tend to get higher level coaching so it's a bit easier to learn the skills. Dd is doing swimming, football and equestrian.

The school can film the evidence however school level sport won't show your child's ability off if they are a high level player. They need to be filmed in the highest league, toughest game type scenario to get the best scores. You dont have to film week after week and an iPad seems to be ok. You just need to get footage of them playing at their best.

Back - I thought all the evidence was collected by School?

Not in the case of the girls (from I think 6 different schools) that play in dd's team. I mean I can't speak for all the country, but that is 6 schools from 3 different Education Authorities.....

I suspect it’s one of those that parents decide to get over involved in....!
It certainly isn't these parents' choice . There is a lot of complaining about it by the parents doing it. Well, perhaps not complaining, but worry about missing bits and batteries running out and how to film and hold the gadget you are filming on, in the rain, and how to concentrate on filming your dd and not watch the match, and how to make sure you don't record some of the parents' comments on the soundtrack . Then, the week the weather and your iPad's battery and storage, and consent from the other team and your availablility as a parent all come together, will obviously then be the week your dd either - has a poor match, or misses a lot of the game as they are sub, or gets injured, or does their best play on the far side of the pitch, and so forth. We were talking about how much easier it is for another friend that my dd rock climbs with, as that isn't weather dependent, and isn;t dependent on others, and is much shorter, and is purely 'on her' while she does her climb, etc. Team sports are just so much less predictable.

I spoke to head of pe yesterday and showed him this thread. He obviously can't speak for other schools but he has assured me that parents are not expected to film/collect evidence, nor does any pupil have to play any sport at County level, just be proficient. Each sport is worth 10% of the overall grade, filming every week and being as stressed about it as some of these comments suggest would be utterly out of proportion

in fact, now I think about it a lot of the science geeky type kids that are terrible at sport were encouraged to take GCSE PE as they said its basically a science these days which complements triple science really well with the biology and anatomy and physics of movement etc

Our school is clear that the performance aspects can all be done in school, in the timetables exam PE lessons, plus regular PE lessons and the normal offerings of lunchtime/after school sessions (which are for the sport, not for the exam IYSWIM).

It's only if you want to show a sport that the school does not offer that parents need to get in to evidence gathering.

I guess a lot depends on which grade you're aiming for, given that a 7/8 is the equivalent of old A/A* and there is now a grade 9 to aim for. There will be plenty of parents students out there who will be aiming for nothing less than a 9.

he has assured me that parents are not expected to film/collect evidence

In equestrian you are. If you are happy to let the school film them doing fairly mediocre school sport then go ahead.

My Y9 DS has just picked PE gcse option. His teacher explained that the school would arrange to visit his sports clubs outside school to film him for evidence (trampolining and cricket). No county standard required, they recommend the gcse to good 'all-round sport' students who they are confident can also cope with the theory content. Definitely not an 'easy option'!!

The thing is that county standard means different things Inn different sports.

Ds isn’t taking PE though he considered Btec but the sports his school can provide is limited. He played hockey which they don’t do but he’s was the 2nd choice goalie. Most of the kids doing gcse were playing in the team every week & attending the JDC.

Also if you play a sport such as badminton but there are no other badminton players in your school at your standard you’d have to collect the evidence outside school surely.

I did GCSE and a level pe years back, and even then we were all expected to take our chosen sports really seriously. Not just the actual performance of the sport, but nutrition, psychology, tactics, etc. I think when I did it, there was a 50-50 split between theory and practical. The a and p stuff was not soft!! Same as any subject, to get a*, you had to know your stuff across all domains. It was quite new to our school at the time, and there was a misperception that it was easy option. I loved it. But many people struggled to get over a c. (Back in the 90s).

It's only if you want to show a sport that the school does not offer that parents need to get in to evidence gathering

So that rather limits the sports then..... I think netball, rounders or trampolining would be the only options at dd2's school.

Then of course, there is the standard you can get to in a 40min lesson within school, which is going to be quite a way below the standard you are likely to be playing at in a regular league...... If you are happy to let the school film them doing fairly mediocre school sport then go ahead. Grades in PE are about the level you reach, not about 'improvement' or 'effort'. It is quite different from doing a maths equation or translating an MFL or something which you can do anywhere. So if you play a sport such as badminton but there are no other badminton players in your school at your standard you’d have to collect the evidence outside school surely is exactly the point.

The practical skills are now a smaller % than they were, so the science ability is crucial, but ultimately, you are unlikely to get high grades for the practical side if you are just doing school PE lessons.

I don't know about GCSE but I know for A level the level of physical prowess required is ludicrously high. My son trains with an older boy who is national level and has been selected to represent England and GB, yet his times for the event would only get him a C!

You'd literally need to be Mo Farah to get an A.

DS is in Y11 and he's doing GCSE PE he's really enjoying it and I think if you love your sport and have an interest in how it effects the body then it would be a good option, you learn a lot its not all about whether you are going to get an 8/9 .

Dd1 is predicted an A in PE A level. She's good at what she does but not national level! She doesn't need any specific times or distances

DD doing GCSE PE, her sports are Netball (plays for school and club, but not county), Equestrian and Rock climbing (this last one will be covered on an outward bounds trip).
We will need to film her equestrian and ensure we get her both in competition and out at a certain level. (She has the requirements from the spec).
DS did old GCSE PE, he did rugby (we had to film, wasn't played at school), badminton (all done at school) and cross-country i think (once again done at school). He got an A (and his theory levels were low).

.. sorry meant to say, filming for DS was a nightmare - he had to actually be playing, be passed the ball etc - all done very last minute (on iphones). DD is far more organised and has always had friends record her riding so she can self-critique :)