Leading an Outstanding Physical Education Department

ABOUT THIS COURSE

This new course is designed to examine strategic approaches which can springboard a physical education department into significant successes. Delegates will assess the role of departmental documentation, and how to breathe life into these documents to make them organic and actioned. Leadership will be considered widely, before focusing on teaching and learning as a means by which the physical education department can take its place as a legitimate academic subject.

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BENEFITS OF ATTENDING

• Consider what makes a PE department excellent, and the role of the Head of PE in achieving excellence
• Look at a range of strategies for improving and maintaining recruitment of students
• Look at ways in which a Head of PE can develop and improve teaching and learning within the department
• Enhance ability to lead, support and nurture teachers in the department
• Examine the yearly workload of a Head of PE and the life cycle of the job
• Reflect on strategies for dealing with the challenges and making the most of the opportunities presented by a Head of PE position
• Discuss research-led approaches to teaching and learning, and how these can be implemented in a physical education department

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PROGRAMME

What is an “Outstanding Physical Education department”?

10.00am

• Aims of physical education
• What are your core values?
• Can this be school-specific?

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Student Recruitment

10.30am

• Key Stage 3: curricula to attract and retain students
• Stretch and challenge without intimidation
• Beyond the classroom and the curriculum: educational visits and trips
• Physical Education in a digital world

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Break

11.10am

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Aligning your strategic plan with your curriculum

11.30pm

• De-coupling sport and physical education
• Academic sport sciences – the role of GCSE/A Level/ Cambridge Tech/BTEC
• Whole-school strategic aims – aligning departmental with senior management and governors

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Teaching & Learning

12.15pm

• Curriculum planning and schemes of work
• Assessment: monitoring and tracking and the effective use of data
• Teaching and learning strategies: research-driven
• The role of the Head of PE in planning and managing T&L: possibilities and limitations
• Resources (and budgets): buying resources in and developing resources in-house

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Lunch

1.00pm

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Effective Leadership: Inspiring and Motivating

2.00pm

• Accountability: Setting the standards for high performance
• Motivating your staff and your pupils
• Appraisal and observation processes: Our department is an “open-door” policy!
• Managing Up
• Strategies for managing experienced teachers
• Strategies for managing junior teachers
• Managing trainees and NQTs
• Encouraging ongoing professional development: formal and informal opportunities

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Break

3.00pm

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How It Works: The Head of Physical Education

3.05pm

• Managing one’s time and workload: Variables and the work-life balance
• The pros and cons of delegation
• Planning ahead and finding time to do so
• Preparing for Inspections
• Before and after: Staying abreast of developments in primary and higher education
• Maintaining freshness and enthusiasm: Professional and intellectual development
• Career progression
• Peaks, troughs and the long run: Responding to success and failure

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Depart

3.45pm