BOYs' P.E.

Aims of the department

The department aims to educate pupils thoroughly through the physical education in the following dimensions: the physical, the intellectual, the emotional and the social dimensions of human experience.

Year 7

In this year, the pupils experience courses in games, swimming, gymnastics and athletics, including some timed cross country running. In games, the boys take part in rugby union, basketball, badminton, tennis and cricket. Activities emphasise the development of basic skills and the development of team work. In gymnastics the boys study body management in the theme of travelling. In swimming, the boys follow a course of stroke improvement and experience a variety of water based activities including an introduction to water polo. In athletics, the pupils learn the basic skills and rules for all athletic events (track and field) up to 1500m.

Year 8

Pupils experience courses in games, swimming, gymnastics and athletics, including some timed cross-country running. In games the boys take part in rugby union, basketball, badminton, tennis and cricket. Activities encourage the further development of basic skills, the development of teamwork and introduce elements of self-assessment. In gymnastics, the boys study balance. In swimming, pupils continue their work on stroke improvement and stamina and explore a variety of water based games, many of which they devise themselves. Match play in water polo is developed. In athletics, the boys work on a full range of athletic events (track and field) up to 1500m.

Year 9

The pupils follow courses in gymnastics, athletics, including some timed cross country running and Outdoor and Adventurous Activities. In games the boys follow courses in rugby union, basketball, badminton, tennis, athletics and cricket. Activities emphasise the further development of skills, the development of unit and team skills, elements of self assessment and the analysis of team roles. Opportunities for full scale match play are very regular. In gymnastics, the boys study body management on the theme of flight. The exploration of different levels and the linking of the elements of flight are explored. Match play in water polo is further developed. In O.A.A. the boys follow a full range of courses during their residential week at the Bewerley Park Centre.

Year 10

Pupils select an option for games from either rugby union or hockey. In both these options, the emphasis is placed on the development of specialised individual skills and team drills and tactics. In rugby union some seven-a-side- rugby is considered. In basketball the emphasis is placed upon team drills and zone defence. In swimming some stroke improvement is done but the emphasis is increasingly placed upon water fitness and water polo. In athletics, boys continue to work at a rang of events but are encouraged to develop more advanced techniques in chosen specialist events and are encouraged to enhance personal physical fitness and conditioning. In racket sports, pupils are given opportunities for developing individual skills within match play.

Year 11

In line with Curriculum 2000 all students partake in two curricular areas. The first of these is swimming in which stroke improvement, techniques and drills are considered. The swimming is focussed mainly on the swimming of lengths with some regular endurance swimming considered. Drills are designed to improve speed, endurance and efficiency in the water. A consideration of life saving techniques will be considered. The second area studied is that of games. Students select from rugby union, soccer or hockey in the winter and tennis, athletics and cricket in the summer. Techniques, tactics and team roles are considered. There will be opportunities for officiating provided during match play.

Sixth Form

Students are free to do games or not. Many select from rugby union, hockey or soccer. The rugby union tends to be the most intense as the group consists largely of squad players. In the summer, students are free to consider tennis, athletics or cricket.

Health Related Fitness

Strong elements of H.R.F. are included in all lessons at all ages. Cross country running, swimming and athletics are clearly very appropriate media for the enhancement of fitness and health but all games lessons at all ages contain long warm up runs, stretching and flexibility routines. Very often gradient running is included.

Fitness levels are measured against national statistics as developed through the Cooper Run (12 minutes).

Curricular Time Allocation.

Years 7, and 8 have three experiences each week. Two of these are of 40 minutes duration and one of them is of 80 minutes duration. (Ten percent of curricular time.)

Years 9, 10 and 11 have two experiences each week. One of these is of 40 minutes duration and one is of 80 minutes duration (Eight percent of curricular time.)

Assessment

Is done through the national curriculum level descriptors for the Key Stages. Pupils are levelled across the range of activities and meaningful descriptions, which explain the standards within the levels, are published on a very prominent notice board. Pupils are frequently seen using the posters to inform themselves more fully and staff often use the same posters to prompt discussion amongst the classes. Levels are published frequently and pupils are given a strong sense of how to work towards the next level. Levels are subdivided into three sub levels.

Extra Curricular Activities.

There are regular clubs for games and practices take place both in lunch times (early lunch ticket system in operation for participants) and after school. Rugby fixtures are regular and come from a variety of sources: Northern Conference tournaments (Aire Valley Rugby Group), Daily Mail Rugby Cups (Seniors and Under 15s), Yorkshire Cups (Under 14s and Under 13s. Friendlies are also arranged against regular and traditional opponents (E.G. Harrogate G.S. and Ermysted’s G.S.) and the recent trend towards R.F.U. generated tournaments provides high quality ten -a- side tournaments.

Cricket fixtures are generated in the local area in friendly but competitive matches and Yorkshire Cups and Lord’s Taverners cups provide cup competition for all ages. In addition, R.G.S. holds two of its own six-a-side invitation tournaments annually.

Athletics area trials are regularly attended and many boys do well enough to go through to Carnegie in Leeds for advanced competition.

Tennis fixtures take place on a less regular basis for boys. There are some soccer fixtures for Under 16 boys and for a joint senior team of players from Ripon G.S. and from Ripon College. Last year, this joint team reached the semi final of the North Yorkshire conference.

House competitions in all main sports are held and the boys’ soccer house competition generated twenty-five matches spread over one whole term. Matches were played during lunch times.

Representative Honours 2005-06

Matthew Pickles and Dan Craven represented Yorkshire Senior Schools in cricket and both played in the counties festival at Ampleforth. Dan was awarded the “Player of the Week” award. George Owram represented North Yorkshire in cricket at Under 15 level and Oliver Ward represented Yorkshire Schools in cricket at Under 13 level. A host of players played in the representative sides at local area level. Conor Hurley represented North Yorkshire in rugby at Under 16 level and poor Alec Porter missed selection to England School’ Under 16 rugby team by a whisker but consoled himself with a pristine Yorkshire Schools’ jersey at fly half. Paul Smith, a daily commuter, has represented Durham Under 15s at scrum half, preferring trials nearer to his home. Sam Coles and Sam Watkinson have spent long periods at Leeds Tykes rugby academy. Duncan Birtwistle seems to have held the British Schools’ Orienteering championship for years. Alex Green, Nick Strong and Will Whitford all represented Harrogate and District in senior soccer and Alex went on to play for the West Riding and Yorkshire at senior level. Jack Laugher is a national standard diver and Mark Graham represented Ireland in the men’s swimming team despite his tender 15 years of age. Mark specialised in breast stroke.