An Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta

 Department of Education and Science

  

Subject Inspection of Physical Education

REPORT

 

Ursuline Secondary School

Blackrock, Cork

Roll number: 62650P

  

Date of inspection: 17 May 2007

Date of issue of report: 6 December 2007

 

Subject inspection report

Subject provision and whole school support

Planning and preparation

Teaching and learning

Assessment

Summary of main findings and recommendations

 

 

 

 

Report on the Quality of Learning and Teaching in Physical Education

 

 

 

Subject inspection report

 

This report has been written following a subject inspection in Ursuline Secondary School. 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 two days during which the inspector visited lessons 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 teacher. The board of management was given an opportunity to comment in writing on the findings and recommendations of the report; a response was not received from the board.

 

Subject provision and whole school support

 

Ursuline Secondary School is an all-girls post-primary school with a total enrolment of 339 students. The school is proud of its educational tradition as the oldest girls’ secondary school in the country, having been founded in 1771. There are thirty teachers on staff, twenty-five of whom are employed in a permanent wholetime capacity. The school has relocated in recent years to a new building on the original school grounds and high-quality physical education and sports facilities have been built as part of this redevelopment.

 

The time allocation of a double period to Physical Education is not uncommon in many post-primary schools but still falls short of the two hours per week recommended in the Department of Education and Science Rules and Programmes for Secondary Schools 2004-2005. It is recommended that the school work towards this level of provision and it is commendable that recognition of the need to do so is stated in the Physical Education subject plan. In addition, it is also recommended that the practice whereby Physical Education is part of a rotation with Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in Transition Year (TY) and is part of a rotation with Career Guidance in sixth year should also be reviewed as it is considered essential that all students are guaranteed timetabled provision in Physical Education each week.

 

Physical Education in the school is being delivered primarily by one, fully qualified physical education teacher. A second teacher who does not hold physical education teaching qualifications is also deployed to teach a small amount of Physical Education. Although the commitment and dedication to providing a positive, high-quality experience for students on the part of both teachers was quite evident during the inspection, there are some issues regarding the deployment of teachers who do not hold physical education teaching qualifications to teach physical education lessons. These relate firstly to the competency of these teachers in relation to Physical Education and the range of activities that they are able to deliver, and secondly, with regard to their knowledge and application of relevant health and safety procedures in Physical Education. Notwithstanding the fact that the teacher without physical education teaching qualifications has expertise in areas relevant to Physical Education and is timetabled concurrently with the qualified physical education teacher, it is recommended that the school review its policies with regard to the deployment of teachers to teach Physical Education with a view to ensuring that all lessons are taken only by teachers who hold appropriate qualifications recognised by the Department of Education and Science. Only a qualified physical education teacher can be expected to have the range of specialist subject knowledge and expertise to deliver an in-depth understanding of a broad range of physical activities as outlined in Department of Education and Science syllabuses.

 

The facilities available for the teaching of Physical Education are excellent and reflect the priority which the Ursuline Order give to providing high-quality sport and physical activity opportunities for its students and the commitment to the holistic education of each individual. The facilities available include a full-sized astro-turf pitch, three astro-turf tennis courts, an outdoor hardcourt area and a full-sized indoor hall which includes a small fitness suite in the balcony area. The subject area is very well resourced with a wide range of materials available to enable the delivery of a comprehensive curriculum in Physical Education. All of these materials are maintained to a very high standard and school management is commended for its willingness to fund the purchase of all necessary class materials upon request from the physical education department. There are plans to allocate an annual budget to the physical education department for the purchase of materials for future years and management has also undertaken that additional funding will always be provided to overcome any health and safety issues that may arise.

 

 

Planning and preparation

 

The quality of subject planning in Physical Education is excellent, with a comprehensive subject department plan in place. This document reflects a considerable amount of thought and effort on the part of teachers and contains a wealth of information and planning materials to assist the teaching and learning of the subject. Among the items dealt with in the plan are general policy statements for Physical Education, including how the subject links with the school’s mission statement, cross-curricular links to subjects such as English, Geography, Art, Music, Maths and Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE), equality of access for students with special educational needs, teaching, learning and assessment strategies and records of subject department meetings. Individual lessons were very well planned and the physical education department has amassed a considerable range of planning materials including syllabus materials, handouts, charts, books, videos and DVDs, all of which are collaboratively shared by the teachers involved in the delivery of the subject and which are being effectively used to plan individual lessons. Management is commended for facilitating such high-quality subject department planning by providing ample opportunity for teachers to meet both formally and informally throughout the year.

 

It is considered very good practice that the physical education department values the input and feedback of students as to how the physical education programme can be improved. To this end questionnaires are issued to TY students to ascertain their likes and dislikes with regard to the physical education programme. This practice is commended as it helps the physical education department to remain in touch with the needs and wishes of students and also demonstrates an openness to change and willingness to innovate as the need arises. In this regard it is recommended that TY be used as an opportunity to provide greater variety and diversity in the range of activities on offer in Physical Education, in keeping with the spirit and ethos of the TY programme. Although it is acknowledged that some non-traditional activities are provided, such as hill walking, pitch and putt, an outdoor education trip and participation in the Gaisce awards, the physical education programme in TY could be used to provide additional activities that are not normally part of the junior or senior cycle syllabuses. The provision of activities such as self defence, which was provided in the past, coaching modules and other health and fitness-related modules such as First Aid are recommended as these can add variety and interest to the physical education programme. The current re-evaluation and planning of the TY programme, being undertaken in the school as part of school development planning, would appear to be quite opportune in this regard.

 

The school is commended for its involvement in the implementation of the Junior Cycle Physical Education (JCPE) syllabus and teachers have been facilitated to attend continuing professional development provided by the Department of Education and Science as part of this syllabus. Planning as part of this syllabus is comprehensive and is broadly in line with syllabus guidelines. Very detailed schemes of work have been produced for all areas of activity and some individual lesson plans were also available. The only core area of activity that the school has not hitherto been in a position to provide is aquatics and the physical education department is conscious of this shortcoming and is hopeful of gaining access to a local swimming pool in the near future.

 

A good range of extracurricular activity is provided in the school, with hockey, tennis, basketball, athletics, table tennis and camógie the main areas of involvement. Some tag rugby has also been introduced in the recent past. The school’s philosophy with regard to these activities, whereby participation is stressed as well as achievement, is commended. The practice of regularly highlighting students who achieve excellence in their chosen area of sporting endeavour whether within or outside the school, is also considered good practice as this can be highly motivational for all students. The contribution which a significant number of staff are making to providing these activities is acknowledged by management and is highly commended as it can be intrinsically rewarding and can form the basis for a life-long involvement in sport and physical activity for many students.

 

The physical education department uses the “bleep test” to enable students to monitor their cardio-vascular fitness and to provide health-related information to students. While this test is often used as a method of assessing the fitness of athletes involved in competitive sport, its use in routine physical education lessons is not recommended as it requires students to work close to their physiological limits. It can therefore be potentially hazardous should individual students suffer from any congenital heart or respiratory abnormality or a chronic medical condition such as asthma. It is suggested that sub-maximal tests, such as the step test, be used in place of the bleep test to support learning in the area of cardio-respiratory fitness. In addition to this, the use of a broader range of non-invasive physical tests such as the sit-and-reach test, standing broad jump test etc. may be useful in providing more general information to students regarding the developmental aspects of their physical fitness. The use of these tests may also provide opportunities for teachers to further integrate the use of information and communication technology (ICT) into teaching and learning to a greater extent. The use of such technology can be a significant aid to teaching and learning in Physical Education and it is recommended that the physical education department consider the further integration of ICT into teaching and learning as part of future planning activities.

 

 

Teaching and learning

 

The quality of teaching and learning in the school is good, with lessons characterised by good levels of student activity and engagement with set tasks. Warm-up activities performed at the start of lessons were enjoyable and succeeded in gradually preparing students for more vigorous activity. Stretching exercises were performed conscientiously by students in accordance with excellent teacher demonstrations. Students were asked to name the various muscles being stretched and responses to these questions revealed a good level of knowledge of the names of the major muscle groups. Students’ responses to further questioning by the teacher displayed a good understanding of the reason for doing a warm-up and its physiological basis. It is recommended that this phase of the lesson be also used to share the learning goals of the lesson with students as this can be quite motivational for them and can help them to evaluate their own learning at the end of the lesson.

 

Teacher demonstrations of exercises to be performed as part of a circuit training lesson were of considerable benefit to students and helped to ensure a very good standard of student performance. Excellent health and safety practices were observed throughout and teacher questioning helped to reinforce the essential safety elements of activities such as sit-ups which are potentially injurious if performed incorrectly. There was a good range of exercises included as part of the circuit and this variety was very successful in maintaining students’ interest and enjoyment. In order to further reduce the possibility of students becoming bored with performing circuit training exercises, an additional activity was covered for the final part of two lessons and students responded well to these opportunities to play tag rugby and soccer. Where basic exercise-monitoring techniques, such as the taking of pre- and post-participation heart rates, took place as part of these games, this was very effective in creating a natural link with the earlier part of the lesson on circuit training. While including a second activity as part of a lesson on circuit training should not always be necessary, it is suggested that if a second activity is covered, the strategy of linking learning in both parts of the lesson is worth employing as this helps to reinforce much of the learning that had taken place while circuit training exercises were being performed. Thus students can be asked to compare rates of perceived exertion (RPE) or monitor their heart rate at the end of the game of soccer and circuit training activity, for example, in order to make comparisons between both activities. Opportunities to discuss and reflect on these components can be very useful in improving students’ understanding of the effect of exercise on the body and the physiological demands of various activities.

 

It is recommended that learning through activity be prioritised in all lessons. Care must be taken, regardless of the activity, to avoid situations where students have to queue to perform particular tasks, if at all possible. Should an occasion arise where it becomes necessary to have some students queuing or waiting at the side of the hall while others are performing, those waiting should be given specific observation tasks and later asked to comment on what they observed. Also, if students are performing a circuit training exercise, it is essential that key principles of training, such as overload and specificity, be routinely communicated in such lessons to enable students to develop an understanding of these principles. It is also recommended that the performance of particular exercises be linked to particular components of physical fitness, so that students develop the ability to become self-analytical, reflective performers. In lessons in which these strategies were employed, the quality of students’ responses to questioning revealed a better understanding of the purpose of performing circuit training and a greater level of student engagement.

 

Students thoroughly enjoyed their lessons and excellent student-teacher rapport and class management was evident at all times. Students in all lessons received regular affirmation for their efforts from teachers and responded very well to this. Students involved in a tennis lesson had a most enjoyable experience of the activity and benefited from the individual attention which the teacher was able to provide due to the small number of students in class on the day. Practices and drills were carefully selected to provide an increasing challenge to students and basic techniques were reinforced in a non-competitive environment before students were asked to participate in conditioned games. This is considered good practice and the manner in which the conditioned games were presented and structured placed the emphasis on learning through fun and enjoyment rather than focusing on winning or losing. This is commended as it is considered essential to promoting a positive attitude to Physical Education and participation in sport in general.

 

 

Assessment

 

The quality of assessment in Physical Education is good. Teachers maintain a record of students’ attendance and participation in physical education lessons and also record any discipline problems in the class journal. These records are used to inform written reports to parents in which a general comment on the student’s attitude and performance in Physical Education is included. It is considered good practice that, in addition to the range of standard comments available as part of the software package used for these reports, the option to write an individual comment on each student also exists. This allows the physical education department to provide more focused, formative feedback than if teachers were to rely solely on a list of available comments. It is also considered good practice that observation sheets are given to students for completion during lessons in which they are unable to participate. These sheets are useful in maintaining the interest and involvement of students who are not physically participating in a lesson and are useful to teachers in assessing the amount of learning taking place. Other task sheets such as word search sheets and short articles written about famous athletes such as Sebastian Coe and Jesse Owens are also used for a variety of writing tasks. In order to further develop the system of assessment and reporting in Physical Education it is recommended that the physical education department examine methods to objectively assess learning in Physical Education, particularly in relation to practical performances.

 

The teachers involved in the teaching of Physical Education attend all parent-teacher meetings and are also available by appointment to meet with parents as the need arises.

 

 

Summary of main findings and recommendations

 

The following are the main strengths 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.