AQA · A-Level · Physical Education
Course version: 7582 · Version from Sept 2016
Concepts of physical activity and sport: School sport.
School sport is the organised sporting activity that schools provide outside the timetabled physical education curriculum, often at lunchtime, after school or through fixtures.
Checked against the AQA 7582 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 5 of 5
- 3 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
School sport is the organised sporting activity that schools provide outside the timetabled physical education curriculum, often at lunchtime, after school or through fixtures. It is usually voluntary, though some schools encourage participation, and it may involve teams, clubs, house competitions or links with community clubs. For example, a school might run after-school football training, enter a district athletics meeting or host an inter-house netball tournament. School sport develops performance, competition and commitment, and it can extend what is taught in physical education, but it is not the same as the curriculum subject because attendance and assessment differ. It also acts as a bridge to community and elite pathways.
What earns the marks
- Defines school sport as organised sporting activity provided by schools outside curriculum physical education lessons.
- Recognises typical settings such as lunchtime, after-school clubs, fixtures and competitions.
- Explains that participation is generally voluntary rather than a timetabled requirement.
- Distinguishes school sport from physical education in terms of purpose, assessment and compulsion.
- Describes how school sport can link to community clubs and performance pathways.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Equating school sport with physical education lessons.
Put it right: School sport occurs outside the timetabled curriculum and is usually voluntary.
Assuming all school sport is elite or team based.
Put it right: It includes recreational clubs, house competitions and individual activities as well as representative teams.
Thinking school sport has no educational value.
Put it right: It develops performance, commitment, teamwork and links to lifelong participation.
Believing school sport is compulsory for every student.
Put it right: It is generally optional, even where schools strongly encourage it.
Exam tips
- Check whether an option places the activity inside timetabled lessons, because that points to physical education rather than school sport.
- Use the voluntary and extracurricular features as quick elimination criteria.
- Choose options that mention competition, clubs or fixtures, which are typical of school sport.
Try the lesson
The start of the Concepts of physical activity and sport: School sport. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Which type of physical activity is organised by a school and normally takes place outside the timetabled curriculum?
Listen
School sport is the organised sporting activity that schools provide outside the timetabled physical education curriculum, often at lunchtime, after school or through fixtures. It is usually voluntary, though some schools encourage participation, and it may involve teams, clubs, house competitions or links with community clubs. For example, a school might run after-school football training, enter a district athletics meeting or host an inter-house netball tournament. School sport develops performance, competition and commitment, and it can extend what is taught in physical education, but it is not the same as the curriculum subject because attendance and assessment differ. It also acts as a bridge to community and elite pathways. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Defines school sport as organised sporting activity provided by schools outside curriculum physical education lessons. Recognises typical settings such as lunchtime, after-school clubs, fixtures and competitions. Explains that participation is generally voluntary rather than a timetabled requirement. Distinguishes school sport from physical education in terms of purpose, assessment and compulsion. A common slip: Equating school sport with physical education lessons. Instead, school sport occurs outside the timetabled curriculum and is usually voluntary. Exam tip: Check whether an option places the activity inside timetabled lessons, because that points to physical education rather than school sport.
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Voluntary participation
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Competition and fixtures
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Community links
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
See every definition
- Voluntary participation
- Taking part is generally voluntary rather than a timetabled requirement, though some schools encourage participation.
- Competition and fixtures
- School sport may involve teams, clubs, house competitions or fixtures, and it develops performance, competition and commitment.
- Community links
- School sport may involve links with community clubs and acts as a bridge to community and elite pathways.
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