What’s it all about?
A Level PE provides students with a fantastic insight into the world of sports performance. Assessment of the course is 70% written and 30% practical, which allows students to explore theoretical concepts and apply them directly in their own sport. The theoretical element of the course aims to equip students to be able to evaluate factors affecting participation in sport and factors affecting optimal performance. Physical Education is studied across a range of sport disciplines including anatomy and physiology, psychology, biomechanics and the socio-cultural factors surrounding sport.
What skills will I need to be successful?
Studying Physical Education requires a varied skill set and broad knowledge base. Examples of skills developed through the course include interpreting numerical data from physical performance, analysing subjective information on the psychology of sport and evaluating historical information on the development of sport.
A proportion of the units will cover topics that link directly to Biology and therefore a passion or interest in this field is necessary. Students will be required to use their analytical skills and establish links across different disciplines of sport to draw conclusions on performance and participation. Strong literacy and numeracy skills will be beneficial to students to enable them to access the varied units of the course. A Level PE has many commonalities with a number of other courses and is complemented particularly well by Biology, Psychology, History and to a lesser extent Maths and Physics.
As there is a practical assessment, students will need to be playing or coaching in a recognised sport to a high standard. As with any performance in sport, dedication, resilience and a commitment to improvement are all prerequisites of the course.
Where can it take me in the future?
A Level PE is seen as a scientific A Level at most UK universities and as such can be a stepping stone towards degrees level courses in Sport Science, Sport Studies, Management, Sociology, Psychology, Medicine and Nursing.
Possible career pathways for those who study A Level PE include Match Analyst, Nutritionist, Journalist, Sports Development Officer, Physiotherapist, Sports Massage, PE teacher and many more.
