The Senior Phase Section contains all pages related to the National Qualifications and Courses that are delivered within the PE Department.
Levels Available: National 4, National 5, Higher
Course Outline: The National Qualifications PE course will allow candidates to investigate how Physical, Emotional, Social and Mental factors impact on performance. We use the Sampling Approach to deliver the key content of the National Qualifications course which means you will take part in several different activities over the course of your two year block. In S4 you will, on average, have one period in the classroom and two periods of practical per week. In S5 you will have two periods in the classroom and two periods of practical. The number of classroom sessions will increase closer to the exams.
Key Assessments and Homework Tasks in Year 1 of the 2 Year Higher
- Block 1 End of Block Test (Pre-October Holidays) – Approaches / Methods of Gathering Information on Factors and Features Impacting on Performance
- Block 2 End of Block Test (Pre-Christmas Holidays) – Approaches to Developing Factors and Features Impacting on Performance
- Block 3 End of Block Test (Pre February Holidays) – Approaches / Methods of Monitoring and Evaluating Factors Impacting on Performance
- Pupils will then complete an End of Year Assignment and preparations will begin for the S4 Prelim Exam.
All pupils will complete a Higher Prelim at the end of S4. This Prelim will reflect 75% of the demand of the final Higher Exam that pupils will sit at the end of S5.
This will mean that by the end of S4 your teacher will have the following information about your progress:
- Performance in the 12 Standardised Homework tasks across the year
- Performance in the 3 End of Block Tests
- Performance in the End of Year Assignment
- Performance in the End of Year Prelim
- Practical Performance Evidence
A combination of all of this work will be used to determine your level of presentation upon entering S5.
As you approach the end of S4 you will also begin discussions with your teacher about your activities you would like to be assessed in. These activities can also include ones that your participate in outside of school. Upon entering S5 the activities you and your teacher have identified will form the sole focus of your practical periods. Your teacher will set up tasks during lessons that allow you to develop your performance and knowledge for the exam (Higher), portfolio (National 5) or added value unit (National 4) at the same time. Your classroom periods will then be used to reflect on your practical experiences in order to complete questions at your level of presentation.
Assessment
National 4- You will complete one performance in an activity of your choice. This is internally assessed and you will have to pass each out assessment outcome in order to pass the course.
National 5- You will complete two performances in activities of your choice. These are internally assessed and you will achieve a mark out of 30 for each activity. You will also complete a 60 mark portfolio which is externally assessed by the SQA. Your overall mark out of 120 will determine you final grade.
Higher – You will complete two One Off Performances in two different activities of your choice. These are internally assessed and both performances are marked out of 30, to give a total out of 60. This mark is then scaled back to 50. There is also an external exam set by the SQA which is marked out of 50. This contains questions related to the mandatory course content. The scaled performance mark out of 50 and the exam mark out of 50 are added together to give a total mark out of 100 and this mark determines your final grade.
