Sports at the Academy

The Sports and Healthy Lifestyles department aims to offer a diverse programme of activities in which every pupil participates. The activities on offer are designed to be enjoyable and challenge pupil’s physical abilities. The Academy benefits from superb facilities for a wide variety of sports, including a multi-use games area, three netball/tennis/basketball courts, a sand long jump, two full size grass football pitches, a small sized 9-a-side grass pitch for Year 7 students, a full side sports hall and fully equipped gym.

Our Key Stage 3 lessons are designed to prepare students for later assessments in GCSE PE where they will be assessed in three different individual and team sports. Students will be taught by expert practitioners in each sport to allow them to develop their skills, techniques and strategies over the course of Key Stage 3. The activities focused on include; football, table tennis, volleyball, trampolining, athletics as well as many other activities which include orienteering and rock climbing.

The Academy has a strong focus on student leadership and each sport has students who act as a sports leader to promote and lead on their selected sport. These leaders include regional and county-level performers in Volleyball and Table Tennis.

In addition to excellent Sports and Healthy Lifestyles lessons, there are many extra curriculum and competitive inter-schools matches. The Academy has an impressive record of success at local, regional and national competitions. 

The KS3 PE curriculum is designed to cover a broad and balanced set of activities known as our “target sports” which are selected to cover the national curriculum, and enable all to succeed, regardless of age, ability, gender or socio-economic status.

  • Volleyball
  • Table tennis
  • Trampolining
  • Basketball
  • Athletics
  • Dance
  • Fitness
  • Orienteering

In addition, year 7 students have the chance to choose a “Niche Sport” as one of their electives to experience sports from outside our curriculum. These activities include:

  • Swimming
  • Rugby
  • Hockey
  • Cricket

Our team includes expert practitioners in each target sport who have written high-quality schemes and provide ongoing support for colleagues; all teachers in the team attend or lead CPD in each of our target sports.

To enable success at GCSE, and to encourage lifelong participation in physical activity and sport, we ensure all students are at least “competent” performers in our target sports.