Physical Education / Sports Studies

Course summary

Our A-level Physical Education qualification allows you to pursue your sporting passions by developing a broad theoretical understanding of factors that affect both participation rates within society as well as the performance levels of elite athletes. Potential careers within the sports industry are wide-ranging and an A-level in physical education will enable you to demonstrate your passion for the subject to both higher education institutions and prospective employers. We are proud to have had so many of our students move on to start degrees in sports-related subjects across the most prestigious sporting universities in the country as well as embarking on a range of careers including within professional or amateur sports, with the NHS or private healthcare and as a health and lifestyle adviser. Paper one of the qualification is based on factors that affect participation; content includes the effect of exercise on a range of body systems, the process of learning new skills, and the societal factors that impact upon opportunities that different individuals might be afforded. Paper two is focused on the factors that affect elite performance. This content includes exercise physiology, nutrition, biomechanics, sports psychology as well as the role of technology within professional sport. The practical achievements of many of the talented students who attend Hartpury College to study A-level physical education is impressive. Opportunities to train and play within elite environments at the college with high-class coaching in unique facilities have a significant impact on improving these performance levels further throughout the two years of the course. To be successful you'll need to be a logical thinker as well as be open to new ways of thinking about sport, exercise, and fitness. This course challenges you to apply the theoretical content covered to real-life examples so you will need to be willing to read from a wide range of sources in order to keep abreast of sporting media and developments.