An Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta

Department of Education and Science

  

Subject Inspection of Physical Education

REPORT

  

Schull Community College

Schull, County Cork

Roll number: 71102I

  

Date of inspection: 23 April 2007

Date of issue of report: 8 November 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 Schull Community College. 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 college. The evaluation was conducted over one day 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 teachers.

Subject provision and whole school support

 

Physical Education in Schull Community College is well regarded by both staff and students, reflecting the commitment and dedication of college management and the college’s physical education teachers for many years. The subject is well resourced and supported, and all necessary equipment has been made available to enable the physical education teachers to deliver a comprehensive physical education curriculum. The facilities available are very good and include a full-sized hall, grass pitch, squash court and hardcourt area. It is commendable that the college also makes occasional use of locally available facilities to augment the on-site facilities available to it, as this broadens the range of activities on offer to students. Among the local facilities used are the Church of Ireland field, which is used for some athletics, the sailing centre, which also includes a small fitness suite, and the nearby gym in Coosheen. It is recommended, as part of the long-term developmental plan for the subject, that the college considers developing the balcony area of the physical education hall. While this area is currently well-utilised by students playing table tennis, particularly at lunch times, the purchase of some basic fitness equipment would allow the college to develop this area as a small fitness suite. The availability of such a facility should be of benefit to all students in physical education lessons but can be expected to be of particular benefit to senior cycle students, especially those who are not interested in the more traditional physical activities but who still want to maintain and develop a good level of health and fitness.

 

A double period is provided for Physical Education in all years in the college and an additional six periods per week are timetabled in Transition Year (TY) for “activities”, many of which are physical activities. Although the allocation of a double-period to Physical Education is not uncommon in second-level schools, it still falls short of the recommended two hours per week as outlined in the Department of Education and Science Rules and Programmes for Secondary Schools, 2004-2005. While it must be acknowledged that the additional time allocated in TY and the extensive range of extracurricular activities taking place in the college goes some way to making up the shortfall, it is nonetheless recommended that the college should work towards providing all students with timetabled physical education lessons in accordance with Department of Education and Science recommendations of two hours per week.

 

The college has found it necessary to timetable one teacher, who does not hold physical education teaching qualifications, to take one lesson of Physical Education this year. While it is recommended that physical education lessons are taken only by teachers who hold appropriate qualifications recognised by the Department of Education and Science, it is acknowledged that the college found it necessary to take this step in response to particular timetabling difficulties that emerged this year. It must also be acknowledged that the teacher selected to take this lesson has qualifications in areas relevant to Physical Education. This teacher adopts a very prudent approach to teaching the subject and only teaches activities in which some training has been undertaken. The keen understanding which this teacher demonstrated in relation to health and safety issues in Physical Education also indicates that this person is well placed to facilitate the college in overcoming this short-term timetabling difficulty. Similar timetabling difficulties have also resulted in one first-year class having two single periods of Physical Education on different days of the week and a small number of other classes having physical education lessons over morning and lunch breaks. It is recommended that this be avoided if at all possible and management is aware that this situation is less than desirable and is committed to ensuring that it occurs only in exceptional circumstances when there is no other, viable alternative.

Planning and preparation

 

The quality of planning and preparation in Physical Education is excellent and individual lessons were thoroughly planned. Lesson materials were prepared in advance of many lessons and teachers used the time when students were changing into their physical education gear at the start of the lesson to lay out the required equipment. The thorough nature of planning in advance of each lesson meant that lessons consequently ran very smoothly.

 

The subject plan for Physical Education is a comprehensive document reflecting an insightful, detailed level of planning and preparation on the part of the physical education department. Among the areas dealt with in the subject plan are the subject’s aims and objectives, provision for students with special educational needs, cross curricular planning, effective teaching methodologies, the use of information communications technology (ICT) in Physical Education, health and safety, record keeping procedures and reporting to parents. Detailed records are also maintained of subject department planning meetings. The physical education department has also collated an extensive range of teaching resources and reference materials, collaboratively shared by both teachers and which are an excellent aid to the planning and delivery of physical education lessons. The provision, by college management, of two hours per term for formal subject department planning is commended as this has clearly been beneficial in facilitating high-quality planning in Physical Education.

 

The college is commended for its involvement in the implementation of the Junior Cycle Physical Education (JCPE) syllabus and the range of activities being provided is in keeping with the stated aim of this syllabus in providing breadth and balance in Physical Education at junior cycle. All of the main strands of the syllabus are being covered with the exception of aquatics. It has not hitherto been possible for the college to provide this activity as there is no swimming pool within a convenient distance of the college. However, the college is aware that the building of a swimming pool is planned in the locality in the near future and it is hoped that the college can secure some access to this facility. The college is commended for its interest in pursuing this as the provision of aquatics as part of the physical education programme can be expected to impact positively on the physical education experiences of all students at junior cycle.

 

A commendable level of detailed planning has also been undertaken with regard to senior cycle Physical Education, with a good range of activities also being provided. It is commendable that opportunities are offered for students to engage in some activities that are not normally part of physical education curricula, such as golf, for example. The provision of these non-traditional activities, especially to sixth-year students, may prove highly beneficial in maintaining the later involvement in sport and physical activity of some students who are not interested in the more traditional team games. In this regard, the comments in the recent ESRI report Fair Play? Sport and Social Disadvantage in Ireland to the effect that adults who play sport beyond the age of thirty overwhelmingly play individual sports, are significant. This suggests that providing senior students with such opportunities in physical education lessons may prove beneficial in maintaining a lifelong interest in sport and physical activity. To this end, it is suggested that it may also prove beneficial to allow senior cycle students, especially those in sixth year, more freedom in deciding the nature of the activities in which they participate for some of the school year. The provision of such opportunities should be seen as affirming their maturity as young adults and empowering them to take responsibility for decisions affecting their own health and well-being.

 

There is a very good range of extracurricular physical activities being provided in the college with cross-country and hill running, orienteering, sailing, basketball, soccer and table tennis the main areas of activity. Other activities such as the college sports day, displays and performances at college open nights and the opportunity for students to undergo training in rescue and emergency care are also of importance as they contribute to the overall vibrant attitude to sport and physical activity which is evident in the college. The commitment of a significant number of teachers in providing this range of activities is commended as it can be highly rewarding for students and teachers alike and provides opportunities to extend learning in Physical Education outside formal physical education lessons.

 

There is a range of unique learning opportunities provided in TY, in keeping with the spirit and ethos of the TY programme. These include kayaking, day and night paddling, day and night orienteering, windsurfing, First Aid and Chi Gung, which is a yoga-type activity focusing on stress reduction and healing. The provision of this range of interesting activities which is commended, reflects a willingness to be creative and a culture of curricular innovation in the college in relation to Physical Education and physical activity. This is exemplified by the college’s involvement in the piloting of a dance programme this year, the previous involvement of the college in the piloting of materials in relation to the JCPE syllabus, the college’s involvement in the Department of Education and Science Active School Awards and its involvement in the recent Physical Education Video Project which investigated the use of digital video as an aid to teaching, learning and assessment in Physical Education. Perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of the college’s creativity and willingness to innovate in relation to Physical Education however, is the provision of a module of sailing to TY classes. The provision of such a unique learning opportunity is highly commended and is consistent with the college’s awareness of its local maritime community.

Teaching and learning

 

The quality of teaching and learning observed during the inspection was excellent. Teachers displayed an excellent knowledge of their subject and organised lessons that were both enjoyable and challenging for students. The sequence of activities and practices planned were very well structured and involved students in the acquisition of basic skills and concepts initially, followed by more complex aspects and eventually the application of the skills and concepts learned in a more demanding, often competitive situation.

 

Lessons began promptly and warm-up activities started once the teacher had taken a roll call. These activities were very enjoyable and varied, thus helping to set a positive tone for the lesson and engaging students in activities that were directly related to the remainder of the lesson. Teachers typically took students through a variety of stretching exercises and brief questioning by teachers was used to help students identify the names of the various muscle groups being stretched. While students were performing stretching exercises, teachers recapped briefly on learning that had taken place in previous lessons and outlined the content of the current lesson and the lesson objectives. This is considered very good practice as it helps students to place learning from each lesson in context and can also help students to feel a greater sense of ownership of the learning process. The white board was used to excellent effect in one lesson with the teacher writing the key terms and concepts on the board having asked students to recall these from the previous lesson. This proved very worthwhile as it created a natural link between the current lesson and previous lessons and also helped student to focus on the objectives of the current lesson.

 

Teacher demonstrations and explanations were of a very high quality and focused on the key points of each skill with precise, accurate information given regarding the technique to be employed. This was particularly evident in a lesson on golf, where the technical aspects of relatively complex skills were detailed in simple language that made it easy for students to understand. Where questioning was used to elicit learning from students, this proved to be a considerable aid to students’ understanding. It is recommended that, whenever possible, this approach be favoured in all lessons over the imparting of information as it encourages students to become more reflective learners. Other possibilities to further encourage student reflection might include allowing students engaged in pair work to comment on the quality of each others’ performances and it is noted, and highly commendable, that such opportunities for peer feedback are provided as part of the assessment process in Physical Education. The range of team challenge activities, organised as part of an adventure activities lesson, proved very successful in engaging students in highly enjoyable activities that challenged them both cognitively and physically. During these activities it was excellent to see that the teacher placed the emphasis on problem solving and co-operating with ones peers as adventure activities provide unique opportunities for students to develop such skills. The concluding phase of these lessons was used effectively to encourage students to reflect on the activities  that they had performed and to suggest alternative strategies that might be employed. This is considered excellent practice as it completes the cycle of planning, performing and reflecting as part of a group that is essential to learning in team challenge activities.

 

The quality of performances of students in all lessons was very good and reflected a high level of engagement with the learning process. The relationships between teachers and students were excellent at all times. Class discipline was unforced and class management was excellent, with the majority of students co-operating very well with their teachers. Teachers were keenly aware of students who were experiencing difficulty and were quick to give individual attention to students as required. Where correction was required this was sensitively handled and students received regular, focused affirmation for their efforts.

Assessment

 

An excellent system of assessment and recording is in place in Physical Education, with teachers maintaining records of students’ attendance and participation in all lessons. Assessment is primarily through teacher observation but opportunities are also provided for students to engage in peer and self assessment and evaluation sheets from this process are maintained in each student’s file. Opportunities are also provided for students to use digital video to assess activities such as gymnastics, dance and athletics and teachers provide verbal feedback to students while analysing these video clips. The use of such innovative, and educationally valid, methods of assessment in Physical Education is highly commended. Physical Education is included in reports sent to parents twice per year where teachers make an individual comment on the performance of each student over a block of learning. This is regarded as appropriate to the unique nature of the subject as the use of a formative comment can be very useful for students in identifying their strengths and weaknesses and can provide a focus for future learning. The physical education teachers also attend all parent-teacher meetings, which typically take place once per year for all year groups, and additional information is passed to parents through students’ journals as the need arises. In addition to the above, the college’s annual awards night recognises participation, voluntary commitment and achievement in sport and physical activity.

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.