An Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta

Department of Education and Science

 

Subject Inspection of Physical Education

REPORT

 

 Saint Aloysius College

Carrigtwohill, County Cork

Roll number: 62140P

 

 

Date of inspection: 14 March 2006

Date of issue of report: 26 October 2006

 

 

This Subject Inspection report

Subject Provision and Whole School Support

Planning and Preparation

Teaching and Learning

Assessment and Achievement

Summary of Main Findings and Recommendations


Report on the Quality of Learning and Teaching in Physical Education

 

This Subject Inspection report

 

This report has been written following a subject inspection in Saint Aloysius College, Carrigtwohill.  It presents the findings of an evaluation of the quality of teaching and learning in Physical Education and makes recommendations for the further development of the teaching of this subject in the school.  The evaluation was conducted over one day during which the inspector visited classrooms and observed teaching and learning.  The inspector interacted with students and teachers and had discussions with the teachers.  The inspector reviewed school planning documentation and teachers’ written preparation.  Following the evaluation visit, the inspector provided oral feedback on the outcomes of the evaluation to the principal and subject teachers.  The board of management of the school was given an opportunity to comment on the findings and recommendations of the report; the board chose to accept the report without response.

 

Subject Provision and Whole School Support

 

Saint Aloysius College, Carrigtwohill is a single-sex girls’ secondary school with a total student enrolment of 668 students and a teaching staff of forty-four teachers, forty-one of whom are employed in a permanent whole time capacity.  There are two full-time, very experienced teachers of Physical Education who have responsibility for the delivery of a comprehensive curriculum in Physical Education and who, with the cooperation of management, have ensured that the subject has a high priority and healthy status in the school. 

 

Classes are banded in junior cycle and classes in senior cycle are split into higher and ordinary level for examination purposes.  Students are allocated to classes on entrance to the school based on their performance in assessment tests and in consultation with their primary school.  It is school policy that the placement of all first-year students is reviewed at Christmas and there is regular movement, in consultation with parents, for Irish, English and Maths in all year groups. 

 

Although Physical Education has a high profile in the school, the time allocated to the subject is less than the two hours per student per week recommended in the Department of Education and Science Rules and Programme for Secondary Schools 2004/05, (Pages 7, 141).  Only in Transition Year are students receiving the recommended amount of Physical Education and it is of particular concern that there is a significant decrease in the amount of Physical Education which students in fifth and sixth year receive.  In fifth year, students have an optional block of Physical Education for approximately eleven weeks per year.  This usually involves six weeks of health and fitness work and five weeks of games.  Although it is acknowledged that many students in senior cycle are involved in extra-curricular sport in the school, this level of curricular provision still falls well below desired levels.  It is also particularly regrettable that sixth year students have no timetabled lessons in Physical Education.  The recent recommendations of the National Task Force on Obesity, as well as other publications, have highlighted the vital role that quality Physical Education can play in the fight against obesity as well as its role in providing students with the foundation for an overall healthy, active lifestyle.  At a time when the drop-out rates from physical activity among teenage girls is a cause for concern (“Consultations with Teenage Girls On Being and Getting Active” – Health Promotion Department, North Western Health Board; “School Children and Sport in Ireland” ESRI 2005) there is a particular onus on schools to create a positive attitude towards physical activity among these girls.  There is a significant danger that, by having a reduced provision for Physical Education in fifth year and having no Physical Education at all in sixth year, the perception may inadvertently be created among this population that physical activity is a low priority for them and that it is mainly for boys or for younger girls.  It is therefore recommended that, timetabling difficulties notwithstanding, all students are provided with timetabled lessons in Physical Education in accordance with Department of Education and Science guidelines. 

 

Though eighty minutes’ lesson time is allocated to Physical Education in junior cycle, it is unfortunate that this time is broken up into two forty-minute periods on different days of the week for some classes.  This is unsatisfactory from a teaching and learning point of view as schools that are involved in implementation of the revised Junior Cycle Physical Education Syllabus are expected to provide a double-period (totalling eighty minutes) of Physical Education as a minimum (circular M15/05).  The inability of teachers and students to explore a topic in any great depth in a forty minute lesson is one of the main shortcomings of having single periods of Physical Education as, having allowed time for students to change at the start of the lesson and to change and possibly shower at the end of the lesson, there is very little time remaining for actual physical activity in the lesson.  It is recommended that the splitting of timetabled lessons in Physical Education into two single periods be avoided if at all possible.  Even if this necessitates timetabling two classes from different year groups concurrently for Physical Education, the Physical Education teachers will still be in a position to plan different activities for each class, thereby avoiding any clash in the use of facilities. 

 

The school has an excellent range of facilities available for the teaching of Physical Education.  There is a full-sized hall, an all-weather pitch, an athletics track and tennis courts.  Although the hall is spacious and well-maintained, some concern was expressed by the Physical Education teachers that the floor covering appears to have come away from the under surface in certain places and needs to be replaced.  This matter should be monitored on an ongoing basis by the Physical Education professionals and school management to make sure it does not become a health and safety concern.  It is commendable that the school has arranged usage of the local GAA pitch and fitness suite to augment the facilities available on-site and also uses the local community hall on occasions when the school hall is unavailable.  It is highly commendable, and an indication of a forward-thinking and proactive subject department and school management, that the school intends collaborating with a local company to equip the balcony area of the school gymnasium with fitness equipment.  The provision of such facilities can be expected to impact positively on the Physical Education experience of all students in the school, particularly those in senior cycle. 

 

There is an excellent level of provision of extra-curricular and co-curricular physical activity in the school and this takes place with the cooperation of a significant number of staff members.  Among the activities provided are basketball (in which the school recently won an All-Ireland championship), hockey, athletics, camógie, Gaelic football, badminton, tennis, swimming and nature walks.  In addition to this, the school is unique in offering its own internal equestrian competition.  This range of activities could not take place without the generous contribution of many staff and the commitment of management and is highly commended.  The provision of these activities may be the first step in a life-long interest in health and physical activity for many students.  The philosophy underpinning this provision in the school is also highly commendable as the emphasis is on inclusion and enjoyment and the participation of as many students as possible, not solely the success of school teams in competitive arenas.  It is commendable also that management has decided to pay external coaches to provide for areas of activity which could not be provided by the school’s own staff. 

 

Planning and Preparation

 

The quality of planning and preparation in this school is very good, with comprehensive whole-school planning in place and individual lessons very well planned.  The school is commended for its involvement in the implementation of the revised Junior Cycle Syllabus in Physical Education and the insightful, comprehensive planning which the Physical Education department has undertaken in line with this syllabus.  A broad range of activities have been planned for all year junior cycle classes, although it is suggested that the amount of gymnastics, aquatics and adventure activities provided be increased if this can be facilitated. 

 

The Physical Education department meets informally on a regular basis and also meets formally as part of school development planning (SDP) meetings.  Among the whole-school policies that have been created and revised as part of SDP are the school’s admissions policy, code of behaviour, ICT, dignity in the workplace, and religious education.  Reviews of the school’s policies on special educational needs, Social Personal Health Education (SPHE) and drugs awareness are ongoing.  Various subject groups meet for collaborative planning as part of the school’s involvement in SDP and the composition of these groups varies in order to facilitate teachers in attending meetings for two or more subject groups if they are teaching two or more subjects.  Cross-curricular planning takes place particularly between the Physical Education department and the SPHE department and part of the duties of a teacher with a special duties post of responsibility involves the promotion of “positive health” initiatives in the school.  A healthy eating week is among the activities organised annually as part of this initiative. 

 

A detailed subject department plan for the development of Physical Education in the school has been compiled.  This reflects the school’s mission statement and value system.  This document contains a wealth of useful information that can be used to enhance teaching, including a list of useful internet sites and other resource locations, brain teasers, ice-breaking activities, sample circuit training and other physiological information sheets etc.  Future possible areas for development of this plan might be the area of teaching and assessment methodologies and this could be addressed as part of the next SDP day.  It is commendable that the school has decided to invite guest speakers to address students from time to time on areas of physical activity as these speakers can be inspirational for many students and can provide the motivation to become involved in physical activity for others.  Among these was an Irishman who had climbed Mount Everest and his talk was very well received by all students. 

 

The Transition Year Physical Education programme is interesting and varied.  It gives students the opportunity to take part in activities not normally provided in school and as such is in keeping with the spirit and ethos of the programme nationally.  Among the activities provided are modules in first aid, dance, aerobics, kick-boxing, and swimming.  Students also take part in a programme of adventure activities at an outdoor education centre.  The aims of the TY programme are clear and well established and cross-curricular work is facilitated.  It is also highly commendable that the school has demonstrated its willingness to take the views of students into account in looking at certain whole-school issues.  As an example of this, a TY group called “Pressure Points” carried out a survey looking at the pressures that are faced by Leaving Certificate students in the school and suggested ways, including the allocation of time to Physical Education at Leaving Certificate level, in which these pressures could be alleviated.  It is commendable that students are encouraged to both research and report on issues such as this in school as this openness helps to empower them and increases their sense of ownership of their education.

 

Teaching and Learning

 

The quality of teaching and learning observed during the inspection was very good with an excellent rapport in evidence between teachers and students.  Class management was excellent and lessons took place in an atmosphere of mutual respect and cordiality between teacher and students.  All lessons began promptly and, during the introductory phase of the lesson, students were informed of the subject matter and the lesson aims and objectives.  This is to be commended as the sharing of the learning goals with students helps to give them a focus and direction for the lesson and helps them to place the lesson in context with previous learning. 

 

Warm-up activities were performed conscientiously by students, in accordance with teacher instructions, in advance of any vigorous physical activity.  The range of exercises chosen as part of the warm-up phase of the lesson focused on raising the heart rate and systematically warming up the major muscle groups before attending to the smaller muscle groups.  This, again, is considered good practice and it was also good to note that students were questioned on the reasons for doing a warm-up during this phase of the lesson.  It is suggested that this phase of the lesson can also be used to question students regarding the names of the various muscle groups being exercised, thereby helping to increase their anatomical knowledge.  Teachers at all times placed the emphasis on performing warm-up exercises safely and thoroughly.  Students were adept at performing all exercises correctly, indicating familiarity with the practice of performing stretching and mobility exercises in advance of participation in more strenuous activity.  The range of activities performed as part of the warm-up was sufficient to maintain student interest and enjoyment.  This is regarded as essential, as a monotonous, one-dimensional warm-up can often be de-motivational for students and can lead to a lack of engagement with the remainder of the lesson. 

 

An excellent range of class materials was available for the lessons observed with charts, handouts and improvised circuit-training materials all prepared in advance by teachers.  The provision of these materials added greatly to the learning experience of students and they were used appropriately by teachers.  As an example of this a handout had been prepared for students to enable them to keep a record of their weekly progress using fitness equipment at the local GAA fitness suite.  On the reverse side of this handout the teacher had included some important health and safety information regarding the safe use of the equipment.  This attention to detail is highly commendable and helps to ensure an enjoyable experience in Physical Education for all students.  In another circuit training session taking place in the school’s Physical Education hall, the teacher had made improvised dumb-bells by filling plastic bottles with sand.  The use of these items of equipment enabled certain exercises, focusing on upper-body strength, to be performed which would not otherwise have been possible.  Of equal significance is the fact that their use made it clear to students that it is possible to exercise and to remain healthy using minimal equipment, much of which is in everyday use and that staying fit does not necessitate joining a leisure centre or similar facility.  It is highly commendable that this point was regularly reinforced by teachers throughout the lessons and students were encouraged to reflect on their activity patterns to see how they could incorporate more exercise into their everyday lives.

 

The difference in emphasis between a circuit focussing on muscular endurance and a circuit focussing on aerobic fitness was clearly explained to students using language and terminology appropriate to their developmental age and level of understanding.  In this context it is recommended that a circuit training lesson which has aerobic activity as its focus should involve students in taking and monitoring their own heart rate at some point in the lesson in order to increase student understanding of the physiological response of the body to exercise.  Even if the measurement of heart rate via the carotid or radial pulse is an acquired skill that may be difficult for younger students in particular to perform accurately, the process itself is valuable as it provides students with a basic method of monitoring their own fitness levels and performance and encourages more autonomous learning.  During an aerobic circuit it was also good to note that students demonstrated an ability to recall and apply previous learning.  Teachers were at all times sensitive to students who were experiencing difficulties, with individual and group attention given as required.  Students’ questions were encouraged, were expertly handled by teachers and were frequently used as a stimulus for further discussion.  Individual questioning by teachers reinforced the key points of the lessons and increased student involvement and engagement. 

 

During one lesson, which involved two classes from the same year group, teachers used this opportunity to team-teach both classes.  This worked very well and teachers moved with ease from group to group ensuring that exercises were performed safely and emphasising the need to perform exercises slowly and thoroughly in order to obtain maximum benefit.  All lessons concluded with teachers using the cool-down phase to recap on learning that had taken place and place the current lesson in context with future lessons.  This practice is again highly commendable as it helps students to see each lesson as part of an integrated block of learning.

 

Assessment and Achievement

 

The evidence of the lessons observed during the course of the inspection together with the responses of students to questioning by both their teachers and the inspector indicate that students are achieving to an excellent level in Physical Education in this school.  Students were very well behaved and cooperative throughout all lessons and are clearly enjoying their lessons.  The disappointment expressed by some students, who had only a single period of Physical Education on the day of the inspection, at having to stop and get changed at a time when they were fully engaged with the lesson is clear evidence of a positive attitude towards the subject. 

 

Physical Education forms part of all school reports sent to parents for students in all years except sixth year as these students currently do not have Physical Education.  These written reports are sent home twice each year and it is commendable that a system of “comment-only” marking is in place in Physical Education as this is regarded as a very useful means of formative assessment.  Although teachers maintain records of student attendance and participation in Physical Education lessons and teachers assess students informally on an ongoing basis, it is recommended that formal written records or comments on student progress and achievement during each term or block of learning be maintained.  This will inform reporting to parents and will also be valuable as reference material during parent-teacher meetings, all of which are attended by the Physical Education teachers. 

 

Summary of Main Findings and Recommendations

 

The following are the main strengths and areas for development identified in the evaluation:

 

As a means of building on these strengths and to address areas for development, the following key recommendations are made:

 

Post-evaluation meetings were held with the teachers of Physical Education and with the principal at the conclusion of the evaluation when the draft findings and recommendations of the evaluation were presented and discussed.