The Physical Education curriculum at Westfield Academy 

Through our curriculum, we aim to provide our students with the confidence and physical literacy, alongside the knowledge and personal qualities, they need to maintain a healthy, active and balanced lifestyle during their school career and into their adult life.

Whilst in our care, students develop a lifelong love of, and passion for, physical activity and sport. Over the course of our curriculum, we raise students' aspirations and equip them with the knowledge and skills to flourish as individuals in whatever walk of life they choose. We foster the development of students' characters, preparing them to make valuable contributions to the future of physical activity within society. Students leave the school with an armoury of personal development skills and are able to contribute to society and others in a range of settings. These skills include, but are not limited to, being able to work in a team, demonstrating effective communication, being able to employ cooperative learning strategies and being confident in moving their body.

What do students learn in Physical Education?

Our curriculum is an inclusive one and designed to ensure all students, regardless of their personal circumstances, achieve their potential. There will always be opportunities to excel, and students will leave the school with personal physical literacy and be ready to enjoy a lifelong love of physical activity.

We are proud to deliver the BTEC Tech Award in Sport at Key Stage 4 which allows every student the opportunity to gain a sports qualification. Since the introduction of the BTEC Sport qualification, we’ve seen huge success, therefore leading to this becoming a compulsory subject now. Students enjoy the combination of coursework and practical assessments. We believe the BTEC Tech award in Sport to be an interesting, enjoyable and accessible course for all, and contributes hugely to each student gaining a vocational qualification to reach 5 grade 9 to 4’s in their KS4 subjects.

What skills do students acquire?

All our opportunities for student participation are designed to encourage a love for PE and Sport. Through sport, we see students becoming more confident, understanding the importance of respect, commitment and teamwork, as well as benefiting from the time spent with friends. We hope that through the many opportunities for participation, physical activity becomes a natural and enjoyable part of our students' lifestyle now and in the future.

Physical Education in the Sixth Form 

Students have the opportunity to further their studies in PE through the L3 BTEC National Extended Diploma in Sport. This course allows them to develop a better understanding of sports performance and coaching as well as understanding how the body responds to training and activity. Units include Anatomy and physiology, coaching and research methods in sport. 

Watford FC Community Sports & Education Trust and Westfield Academy have joined forces to create the Football Academy for boys. This exciting programme will give talented young players between the ages of 16-19 the chance to combine academic studies with practical football experience, designed to bridge the gap between grassroots and academy football. Players from the academy will train daily and will play on a competitive basis, which is an experience similar to football academies nationwide, to which players may progress. In addition to the training, players can either complete the BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Sport or take 3 A-level subjects with the support and guidance of the highly skilled teaching staff.  The teams will play in the PLFL, which is as close to Academy football as you can get as the league is solely for Premier League and Football League clubs. Each league hosts a demanding and high standard of football through which players may progress to the Watford FC Academy Under 18 youth team, Under 21s or even the First team.

Careers in sport include, Exercise physiologist, Fitness centre manager, Personal trainer, school teacher and sports coach.