 Poster: A snowHead
|
One of my daughters is considering doing PE GCSE and would include skiing as one of the 4 sports, has anyone else any experience of either doing this themselves or one of their children doing it?
I was wondering how the assessment would be actually made, the expected level of ability etc etc.
Not sure if this should be in the "piste" section so if I have put it in the wrong place - apologies.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Ray Zorro, We asked this question recently when my daughter had to make her choices and were told that skiing was on the list and that as she skis regularly on the local dry slope we would have to submit a video + have some forms completed by a registered instructor. Unfortunately we also wanted to use sailing which she also does to a reasonable standard but were told she could only use skiing or sailing as they were both classified in the same category.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
I've no idea about the answer, but it seems like a bit of a skive. Wish I could've done O level skiing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Ray
My daughter has just done her GCSE Skiing (we never had such fun when we did O levels!!) While we were out at half term my daughter had a form which listed about 10 levels of skiing - starting with standing up (grade 1) to linked parallels on black piste (grade 9), and black moguls (grade 10) (not described as fall line though!). We just asked her instructor to sign the form at the grade he thought she was at. He signed her of as a 10! We also took a video showing her skiing on a pisted black and a moguled black. She was not up to fall line skiing of the moguls so did large radius turns. I think she should get the grade 10 but then I'm biased 
We have given the video to the school and are waiting their comments.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rob D, I assume that there's more to getting the GCSE than that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
richmond, When I was playing Golf at Southampton last Summer there was a group of lads playing 18 holes for their PE lesson, all were single hadicap and one was playing off scratch! I assume they must have been doing A level golf 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hell's bells, times have changed. It's a bit different from translating Catullus.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| richmond wrote: |
| It's a bit different from translating Catullus. |
Thank goodness 
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
| richmond wrote: |
| Hell's bells, times have changed. It's a bit different from translating Catullus. |
In your PE lesson
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| rob@rar.org.uk wrote: |
| richmond wrote: |
| It's a bit different from translating Catullus. |
Thank goodness |
I suppose so, although strangley my son seems to enjoy Latin (I didn't), so far (but he'd prefer skiing by a factor of about a billion billion). I suppose that Latin has its place, and I don't know that a GCSE in PE is any more use than a GSE in Latin, maybe less.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
| boredsurfin wrote: |
| richmond wrote: |
| Hell's bells, times have changed. It's a bit different from translating Catullus. |
In your PE lesson |
We didn't have PE lessons, just games and swimming. Suited me, although I could have doen without Catullus at all.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
| richmond wrote: |
| I don't know that a GCSE in PE is any more use than a GSE in Latin, maybe less. |
Maybe, although lots of jobs in sport/leisure management, so I suppose that a GCSE in PE could be a useful first step for some kids. I think it's also good that it lends "games" a bit of credibility when compared to other National Curriculum subjects. Too many schools pay too little attention to sport, and if making a Physical Education GCSE available helps with that I'm all in favour of it 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
My daughter brought this to our attention just before our holiday at half-term. Considering it's pointsTOWARDS GCSE in P.E. we got very enthusiastic and persuaded one of our party to take their video camera. We planned the event at the end of the week, the optimum for skiing ability (this being her 4th year skiing). We were in a large party and for the first time the children ended up not having lessons, which probably was not wise but will be redeemed next year, so it was up to us to video her. Unfortunately by the end of the week the weather had closed in, so the black mogul field was out of the question. We perservered with reds in awful conditions. Daughter lost confidence and control (laughing too much)! After 6 attemps which took an eternity (cameraman age 13 taking skis off at bottom of run each time and laughing so much too, and with snow falling by the ton, it was'nt good. Moral of the story is to leave plenty of time and to grab the good conditions when available. Resulting film is of screaming 15 year old, skiing nowhere near the ability I saw at the beginning of the week, wiping out cameraman on 2 occasions!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
| richmond wrote: |
| Rob D, I assume that there's more to getting the GCSE than that. |
Yes. The skiing is 1 off 4 modules. These modules can be very diverse. My daughter is doing Skiing, Tennis, Orientering and dance!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
|
Good hear, just filling out the forms for my Daughters GCSE choices and PE is one of the ones she's opting for. Sounds a well balanced course and as she's in what seems to be dozens of school teams it seems a good way to assist her "grade profile"! Skiing an option for her and she's away with the School over Easter so hopefully get the ball rolling early.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
| Rob D wrote: |
| My daughter is doing Skiing, Tennis, Orientering and dance! |
Presumably if she runs out of time at the end of the exam, she'll have to do them all at the same time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
It seems a good option to balance the heavywieghts of triple science, maths etc. I would have loved this one, had I been given the chance.
I shall have to check more with the school itself I guess and see how they would want it monitored, videoed or whatever.
I think the 4 sports are only about 25% of the course marks and there is a lot of other more academic stuff too, they can't have all fun.
FWIW, my daughter would do skiing, horseriding, trampolining and netball or athletics.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
rob@rar.org.uk, True about attention to sport for schools. However a cautionary note if your child is thinking of doing a Sports Science degree,
PE GCSE or A level will not help except on the least academic courses. I've spent hours (literally) on the phone when working at the University of Bath Sport & Exercise Science programme explaining to disappointed parents/children that - no - this is not a sports degree - it's a SCIENCE degree! the major sciences are what's required for any of the top SS courses - of course Bath is No 1, so can be picky!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
my son changed schools so that he could do ALevel PE with snowboarding alongside other subjects. Having arrived, the school said they had made a mistake and he couldn't do snowboarding-so he chose skiing from the list instead. Then they told him if he wanted to choose that sport, we would have to pay for a qualified instructor to undertake the formal assessments over the two years of the course, so that wasn't a goer either. They screwed one of his other subjects too. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
rob@rar.org.uk, True about attention to sport for schools. However a cautionary note if your child is thinking of doing a Sports Science degree,
PE GCSE or A level will not help except on the least academic courses. I've spent hours (literally) on the phone when working at the University of Bath Sport & Exercise Science programme explaining to disappointed parents/children that - no - this is not a sports degree - it's a SCIENCE degree! the major sciences are what's required for any of the top SS courses - of course Bath is No 1, so can be picky!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
| easiski wrote: |
| of course Bath is No 1 |
Being from Gloucester, I have to disagree. Of course this is for purely non-academic, non-university tables reasons and in another sport... (I'll quickly hide in a corner before any Bath people point out three wins this season...  ).
As Ray says (and a couple of others I think), there is still a lot of academic content to the course, and there are good links between the obvious subjects such as biology, and others such as English/Media Studies. It is perhaps my only regret that I did not take GCSE or A Level PE/Sports Studies. Never mind, I'm still aiming to be a PE teacher (what a life!), although it would have to be at a rugby playing school, one which obviously ran terrific, highly attended ski trips...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
And the government reckon that exams are at the same standard of 10-15 years ago, gotta remember that if I am advertising for staff less than 35 GCSE's wont do
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
Ray Zorro,
Not sure if this has been covered above, but I think all the exam boards have their specs on the web now. You should talk to the teachers too, but it is worth reading the spec yourself, specially if the school won't teach her for the practical test.
One problem that I know has happened to others is that the School needs to have an assessor in the sport available. My son was lucky in that there was a teacher who could assess his chosen sports. However, a friend of his, who was a county champion swimmer, wasn't allowed to do swimming or lifesaving. He had to do gym and dance instead. Not good for a lanky 6'4''. He was told this after he had started the course.
My son had been on a school ski trip with the assessor, but before he was due for assessment. For the formal assessment, he had to submit a short video showing some turns on piste.
Remind your daughter that there is a bit of academic work too. My boy was doing triple science and found the sports science easy, so easy that he didn't do enough revision and only got an 'A' instead of the 'A*' that he was confidently predicting after his practicals. I think the grade boundary is set quite high too. He knows he got almost 100% for the practicals and thinks he got 90% in the written papers.
Hope this helps. I would definitely recommend it as a GCSE. It encourages children to keep on with sport when they are at an age with lots of other distractions. Employers quite like it too, so long as you don't expect it to count as an academic subject. It isn't essential for Sports Science at Uni, but shows an interest in the subject.
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
nordicfan, thanks, useful stuff there  .
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
P.E. gsce.. ludicrous.. oh look i have an exam in running fast or being a good jumper.. i can ski give me a certificate..
what is going on in schools today.. my son has double p.e./ games on a thursday.. is he forced marched over the cross country course in a blizzard.. does he have to play rugby against the 6th form.. no he get to play golf for 3 hours then sod off home early..
now i dont blame him for taking this option.. in fact if he didnt i'd be somewhat worried about him.. but p.e. gsce's your avin a laugh!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
CANV CANVINGTON, have you looked through the GCSE specification that I provided a link to? Probably not - why let the facts get in the way of a good rant
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
PE, like most GCSEs, is not that demanding if you're generally quite intelligent, and have an interest in sport. It's one of those options you pick so you'll have at least two lessons to look forward to each week.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Ray Zorro, Thanks for asking this question as it co-incided with our 13 year old parents evening. So we were able to ask the question welll in advance and yes Head of PE produced the book from AQA and PE GCSE with skiing is all there and no prob's at all! So 13+ is one happy girlie! The school currently has a 2012 Olympic hopefull in Kyaking doing PE GCSE and another girl Olympic hopefull doing something with Horses. Both represent their country at age group level now, so the school is quite adept at dealing with 'out of school' sports.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
|
boredsurfin, glad to be of service Did you ask how they would assess it? Is it similar to the way Rob D described it above?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Ray Zorro, Yes with perhaps a bit more from the instructor and also reports from the annual school ski-trip. Details of the AQA GCSE PE here
http://www.aqa.org.uk/qual/pdf/AQA-5581-6581-W-SP-05.pdf
pages 77 and 87
just realised Rob posted a similar link above! 
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Wed 15-03-06 20:58; edited 2 times in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
I've done a few assesments for this on the dry slope.
It's worth getting some practise in - or (better still) joining the Race Club to make sure you are up to standard.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ski, for top marks the assessment is on skiing down a black mogul run. How would you assess that on a dry slope?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
It sounds fantastic to me that kids are being offered all these choices in PE at school. We were forced to do horrible team games like lacrosse, hockey & netball etc - these were 'proper' sports. If you wanted to do anything else at all it was a 'hobby'. Despite being keen on skiing, canoeing, windsurfing etc as a teenager I was put off excercise of any kind for a good 10 years after school. Its only now that I run & ski every chance I get. The damage schools can do by teaching sports (or anything else I suppose) badly can have far reaching effects.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
|
Ray Zorro, We don't do that bit !
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
easiski, easy  I did point out that it was for purely non-academic reasons... I know very well that Bath is probably the place to go for a Sports Science degree, although as Loughborough still has a reputation, there is little to chose when advising on which to apply for. Personally, Bath would be my choice, but only as it's in the West Country.
It's interesting that at the moment on the TES website forums, there is a debate about the education system becoming 'feminised'. This spilled over into the differences between males and females, and it was decided that males tend to behave far better when they have a competitive sporting element in their studies, and as most PE/Sports GCSEs require two 'invasion' games (i.e. in direct competition with others) to be taken as practicals, it is believed that taking a PE GCSE for testosterone fuelled boys can help with behavioural issues. Of course, as that's only one consideration, I'd recommend that everyone does it, male or female.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
