Guidance

GCSE subject-level conditions and requirements for physical education (2022)

Published 11 November 2021

This guidance was withdrawn on 9 July 2024

These documents are no longer in use, as they applied only to assessments delivered in 2022.

Applies to England

Introduction

About this document

This document is part of a suite of documents which sets out the regulatory requirements for awarding organisations offering GCSE qualifications (graded from 9 to 1) in 2022.

We have developed these requirements with the intention that GCSE qualifications (graded from 9 to 1) should fulfil the following purposes:

• to provide evidence of students’ achievements against demanding and fulfilling content;
• to provide a strong foundation for further academic and vocational study and for employment; and
• to provide (if required) a basis for schools and colleges to be held accountable for the performance of all of their students.

Requirements set out in this document

This document sets out the GCSE Subject Level Conditions for Physical Education (2022). These conditions apply will come into effect at 09:30 on 12 November 2021 for all GCSE qualifications (graded from 9 to 1) in Physical Education for Learners completing the qualification in 2022, except where the General Qualifications Alternative Awarding Framework applies.

It also sets out our requirements in relation to:

• interpretation of the content document - an awarding organisation must comply with these requirements under Condition GCSE(Physical Education)1.1(c);
• assessment objectives - awarding organisations must comply with these requirements under Condition GCSE(Physical Education)1.2; and
• assessment - awarding organisations must comply with these requirements under Condition GCSE(Physical Education)2.3.

With respect to all GCSE Qualifications (graded from 9 to 1) in Physical Education in 2022, awarding organisations must also comply with:

• our General Conditions of Recognition, which apply to all awarding organisations and qualifications;
• our GCSE Qualification Level Conditions; and
• all relevant Regulatory Documents.

With respect to GCSE qualifications in Physical Education taken by Learners completing the qualification in 2023 and after, an awarding organisation must continue to comply with the GCSE Subject Level Conditions and Requirements for Physical Education. 

Subject Level Conditions

GCSE Subject Level Conditions for Physical Education

Condition GCSE(Physical Education)1: Compliance with content requirements

GCSE(Physical Education)1.1

In respect of each GCSE Qualification in Physical Education which it makes available, or proposes to make available, an awarding organisation must -

1. (a) comply with the requirements relating to that qualification set out in -
   1. (i) for a GCSE qualification in Physical Education which is not a short course qualification, the document published by the Secretary of State entitled ‘Physical Education GCSE subject content’, document reference DFE-00697-2014, and
   2. (ii) for a GCSE short course qualification in Physical Education, the document published by the Secretary of State entitled ‘Physical Education GCSE short course subject content’, document reference DFE-00057-2016,
2. (b) have regard to any recommendations or guidelines relating to that qualification set out in those documents, and
3. (c) interpret those documents in accordance with any requirements, and having regard to any guidance, which may be published by Ofqual and revised from time to time.

GCSE(Physical Education)1.2

In respect of each GCSE Qualification in Physical Education which it makes available, or proposes to make available, an awarding organisation must comply with any requirements, and have regard to any guidance, relating to the objectives to be met by any assessment for that qualification which may be published by Ofqual and revised from time to time.   #### Condition GCSE(Physical Education)2: Assessment

GCSE(Physical Education)2.1

Condition GCSE4.1 does not apply to any GCSE Qualification in Physical Education which an awarding organisation makes available or proposes to make available.

GCSE(Physical Education)2.2

In respect of the total marks available for a GCSE Qualification in Physical Education which it makes available, an awarding organisation must ensure that -

1. (a) 60 per cent of those marks are made available through Assessments by Examination, and
2. (b) 40 per cent of those marks are made available through assessments set by the awarding organisation that are not Assessments by Examination.

GCSE(Physical Education)2.3

An awarding organisation must ensure that in respect of each assessment for a GCSE Qualification in Physical Education which it makes available which is not an Assessment by Examination it complies with any requirements, and has regard to any guidance, which may be published by Ofqual and revised from time to time.   ## Subject content requirements

Requirements in relation to subject content for GCSE Qualifications in Physical Education

The subject content for full course GCSE qualifications (graded 9 to 1) in Physical Education is set out in the Department for Education’s Physical Education GCSE subject content, document reference DFE-00697-2014 (the ‘Content Document’).

The subject content for short course GCSE qualifications (graded 9 to 1) in Physical Education is set out in the Department for Education’s Physical Education GCSE short course subject content, document reference DFE-00057-2016 (the ‘Short Course Content Document’).

Condition GCSE(Physical Education)1.1(c) requires awarding organisations to interpret the Content Document and the Short Course Content Document in line with any requirements, and having regard to any guidance, published by Ofqual.

We set out our requirements for the purposes of Condition GCSE(Physical Education)1.1(c) below.

The Content Document

An awarding organisation must interpret paragraphs 7 and 16 of the Content Document as if a Learner is required to be assessed in two different activities only in the role of player/performer, both of which may be individual activities.

The Short Course Content Document

An awarding organisation must interpret paragraph 7 of the Short Course Content Document as if a Learner is required to be assessed in one activity only in the role of player/performer, which may be an individual activity.   ## Assessment objectives

Assessment objectives - GCSE Qualifications in Physical Education

Condition GCSE(Physical Education)1.2 allows us to specify requirements relating to the objectives to be met by any assessment for all GCSE Qualifications in Physical Education.

The assessment objectives set out below constitute requirements for the purposes of Condition GCSE(Physical Education)1.2. Awarding organisations must comply with these requirements in relation to all GCSE Qualifications in Physical Education they make available or propose to make available.

Assessment objective	Description	Weighting
AO1	Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the factors that underpin performance and involvement in physical activity and sport.	25%
AO2	Apply knowledge and understanding of the factors that underpin performance and involvement in physical activity and sport.	20%
AO3	Analyse and evaluate the factors that underpin performance and involvement in physical activity and sport.	15%
AO4 (GCSE short course)	Demonstrate and apply relevant skills and techniques in physical activity and sport.	40%
AO4 (GCSE qualifications other than short course)	Demonstrate and apply relevant skills and techniques in physical activity and sport. Analyse and evaluate performance.	40%

Assessment requirements

Requirements in relation to assessments for GCSE Qualifications in Physical Education

Condition GCSE(Physical Education)2.3 allows us to specify requirements and guidance in relation to assessments which are not Assessments by Examination for GCSE Qualifications in Physical Education.

We set out our requirements for the purposes of Condition GCSE(Physical Education)2.3 below. Except where specified, these requirements apply to all GCSE Qualifications in Physical Education which an awarding organisation makes available or proposes to make available.

Forms of non-examination assessment

Condition GCSE(Physical Education)2.2(b) states that an awarding organisation must ensure that of the total marks available for a GCSE Qualification in Physical Education, 40 per cent of those marks shall be made available through assessments set by the awarding organisation which are not Assessments by Examination.

In respect of that 40 per cent, an awarding organisation must ensure that -

1. (a) for a GCSE qualification in Physical Education which is not a short course qualification -
   1. (i) 30 per cent of the total marks available for the qualification are made available through tasks which assess a Learner’s performance in physical activity and sport (the ‘Performance Assessment’), and
   2. (ii) 10 per cent of the total marks available for the qualification are made available through a task which assesses a Learner’s ability to analyse and evaluate performance to bring about personal improvement in physical activity and sport (the ‘Performance Analysis Assessment’), and
2. (b) for a GCSE short course qualification in Physical Education, those marks are only made available through tasks which assess a Learner’s performance in physical activity and sport (the ‘Performance Assessment’).

The Performance Assessment

An awarding organisation must ensure that each Performance Assessment is designed and set to require each Learner to be assessed in the role of player/performer in -

1. (a) a sport or activity drawn from the list of activities specified in the document published by the Secretary of State entitled ‘GCSE PE activity list’, document reference DfE-00205-2021 (the ‘Activity List’), and
2. (b) for a GCSE qualification in Physical Education which is not a short course qualification, a further different sport or activity drawn from the Activity List.

In respect of each Performance Assessment involving a sport or activity in relation to which the awarding organisation does not undertake live moderation, the awarding organisation must ensure that the Centre which delivered the assessment -

1. (a) obtains an audiovisual recording of the evidence generated by a sufficient number of Learners in that assessment to allow the awarding organisation to effectively -
   1. (i) moderate that assessment, and
   2. (ii) authenticate the evidence generated by those Learners in that assessment, and
2. (b) provides that recording to the awarding organisation on request.

The Performance Analysis Assessment

The requirements in this section do not apply to GCSE short course qualifications in Physical Education which an awarding organisation makes available, or proposes to make available.

An awarding organisation must ensure that each Performance Analysis Assessment is designed and set to require each Learner to analyse performance in a sport or activity listed in the Activity List.

A Learner is not required to analyse, but is not precluded from analysing, his or her performance in one of the sports or activities which he or she has undertaken for the purposes of the Performance Assessment. Marking of assessments

Evidence generated by a Learner in an assessment for a GCSE Qualification in Physical Education which is not an Assessment by Examination may be marked -

1. (a) by the awarding organisation or a person connected to the awarding organisation,
2. (b) by a Centre, or
3. (c) through a combination of (a) and (b).

In any event, the awarding organisation must demonstrate to Ofqual’s satisfaction in its assessment strategy that -

1. (a) it has taken all reasonable steps to identify the risk of any Adverse Effect which may result from its approach to marking of assessments (and moderation where appropriate), and
2. (b) where such a risk is identified, it has taken all reasonable steps to prevent that Adverse Effect or, where it cannot be prevented, to mitigate that Adverse Effect.

In respect of any performance by a Learner which it observes for the purposes of moderation, an awarding organisation must ensure that -

1. (a) a complete audiovisual recording is made of the evidence used to support the outcome of that moderation, and
2. (b) that recording is retained by the awarding organisation for a sufficient period of time to allow for the completion of -
   1. (i) all relevant enquiries about results and appeals, and
   2. (ii) all appropriate steps to correct or, where relevant, to mitigate the effect of any failure discovered through such enquiries about results and appeals.