Physical Education

INTRODUCTION

The aim of the P.E. Department must be to educate the individual in all aspects of physical development, health and the acquisition of skills, to enable enjoyment, interest and participation in a variety of activities, not only in the school environment, but throughout life.

King Henry VIII School offers its pupils the provision to take part in a range of sports throughout their school life. We have an extensive team and individual sports program, which forms a huge part of our school extra-curricular program. More information can be found here.

Along with the health and wellbeing benefits, King Henry VIII pupils will develop the mental, physical, technical and tactical skills that will shape their person for later life involvement.

The Sports Department has four key aims:

  1. to provide adequate exercise for every pupil such that all can live healthy and fulfilling lifestyles both at and beyond;
  2. to provide opportunities for competitive sport for all in our major games. We strongly believe in the educational value of training to work as part of a team towards goals, competing according individual levels of attainment.
  3. to allow pupils the opportunity to experience a wide variety of sports, both team and individual, through the PE and games programmes, so that they are able to enjoy sport for years to come;
  4. to identify, nurture and support those individuals who have the talent and ability to progress in their chosen sport to representative, international and professional levels.

The Sports Departments Core Values:

  • Team work and Leadership
  • Respect and Sportsmanship
  • Enjoyment and Hard work
  • Honesty and Discipline

FACILITIES/RESOURCES

Facilities at King Henry VIII have been modernised and improved over the last few years. We have a sports hall which accommodates full sized playing areas for Hockey, Netball, Basketball, Badminton, Tennis and Volleyball and a climbing wall . There is an upstairs Gymnasium/Dance studio which is also used for Table Tennis and other activities.

A state of the art 6 lane 25 metre Swimming pool which also accommodates a full sized fitness suite and a classroom for the teaching of A Level P.E.

Outside facilities include shared use of a double, floodlit astro-turf, 3 Netball courts, 3 Tennis courts, 7 Rugby pitches, 3 cricket squares, an artificial cricket wicket, outdoor cricket nets, 2 junior football pitches, mini astro-turf, floodlit junior pitches and 2 senior football pitches.

WHAT WE DO

Years 8–11 receive one Physical Education lesson of 50 minutes per week, and all pupils are timetabled for one Games afternoon per week of approximately 2 hours. Pupils in Year 7 have 2 P.E. lessons a week, one of which is a swimming lesson. The department is currently staffed by two full-time female and two full-time male specialist teachers, who are assisted by several part-time specialists. A large number of academic staff help on Games afternoons, and coaches are employed in a number of sports.

The major winter activities are Rugby, Hockey, Footbal and Cross Country in the Boys’ department, and Netball, Rugby and Hockey in the Girls’ department.  Dance and Aerobics are offered to girls in Year 10.  As the pupils progress into the senior years in school, the option system allows them to choose from a wide range of team and individual activities, both on and off site.

The PE programme includes Gymnastics, Dance, Basketball, Badminton, Volleyball, Health-related fitness, Tennis, Athletics, Rounders, Softball, Swimming, Strength & Conditioning, Invasion Games, Movement and Literacy.

STAFF

Director of SportMr J Fitt
Assistant Director of Sports, Head of Girls’ PE and GamesMrs L Harrison
Teacher i/c of Boys’ Hockey and Academic PEMr C McKee
Head of Girls’ RugbyMr N Jones
Teaching staff: Miss L Ainsworth, Mrs K Owens

A LEVEL PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Many of the students who have studied A-Level PE have gone on to pursue degree courses related to the ever expanding industries of Sport Science, Sport Management/Development and Sports Injury at Universities all over the UK. For example, Edinburgh University, Durham University, Exeter University, Oxford Brookes University, Loughborough University, Bournemouth University and Coventry University. Other recent students of A-level PE have secured places at a range of universities on a variety of courses: