the PE department - extended curriculum

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The PE department supports the teaching within the curriculum with a wide range of sporting, recreational and fitness activities at lunch times, after school and at weekends. Clubs and extra curricular sessions are well attended by pupils. The selection of teams is based on the following aspects:

• to provide opportunities for competition with the aim of winning matches, tournaments and competitions
• to provide as many opportunities as possible for as many pupils as manageable to compete

These two objectives are in the main successfully achieved at St. Aidan's through the use of extra teams, extra fixtures and the effective management of pupils' performance.

The PE department at St. Aidan's competes successfully at local, area, county and national level. The department has enjoyed great success with its extra curricular teams in recent years. The activities on offer for boys and girls are as follows:

Football Clubs are provided for all pupils in Year 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12/13 (boys) and a girls' football club across age groups. All years have a school team with Years 7 and 8 having both an A and B team. Occasionally additional teams are provided in other Year groups also. All teams will enter the Harrogate and Craven Area Cup, Year 7 and 8A and B and 9A and B will enter the Area Leagues and all teams apart from Year 7 will enter the North Yorkshire County Cups. There are also a number of friendly matches and Saturday morning fixtures arranged. The member of staff with overall responsibility for football is Mr Holdsworth and for girls' football is Mrs Bridson. The girls' football teams have also entered the North Yorkshire County Cup.

Netball Clubs are provided for girls in all Year groups. A and B teams are selected to compete in local friendlies, Area and County Tournaments. The Under 16 team, coached are by Mrs Stephen click here to read more

Hockey

Hockey is a popular and competitive sport within the school. The girls' teams enter local and County Tournaments each year and also compete in friendly fixtures with other schools. The department enjoys a good partnership with Harrogate Hockey Club and some of our school matches are played at the Club on astroturf each Monday after school. The school hockey has benefited enormously from our new astroturf and the Years 7, 9 and senior boys' teams are also flourishing. The member of staff with overall responsibility for hockey is Mrs Woodbridge.

Cross Country

The school has a good reputation in cross country and although this is not taught formally in the curriculum, cross country club takes place for interested pupils with the higher ability pupils selected to compete in the TSB National Competition and The Harrogate & Craven Area Competition. The member of staff responsible for cross country is Mrs Fenton.

Basketball

Athletics

Two athletics clubs take place each week after school in the summer term. The clubs are for Year 7 only and Years 8, 9 and 10 together. The basis for this is to give Year 7 pupils a thorough grounding in basic athletic technique and principles whereas the 8, 9 and 10 club is able to refine, develop and improve skills and technique with the basics established. Usually the clubs are attended by five members of staff and student teachers are usually expected to have an input. The clubs are mixed gender with the higher ability pupils selected for the athletics teams. The teams participate in the English Schools Athletics competition and in the Harrogate & Craven Area Athletics competition. The member of staff responsible for athletics is Mr Holdsworth.

Rounders

Rounders is a popular activity amongst the girls of the school. All year groups from 7 - 11 have a rounders team and a practice each week either after school or at lunchtimes. Matches and tournaments take place within the local area. The member of staff responsible for rounders is Mrs Bridson.

Cricket

The school has a proud tradition in cricket and clubs take place from Spring through until the end of the Summer term. Each year every Year group enters a boys' team into the North Yorkshire County cups and the girls' cricket teams also enter local and county competitions with tremendous success. The girls' cricket team have competed at Lords in the national 6-a-side cricket final and the sport is increasing in popularity amongst the girls. The member of staff responsible for cricket in school is Mr Margerison and for girls' cricket Mrs Bridson.

Badminton Teams The school has boys, girls and mixed teams in both the national and Yorkshire competitions at Years 10 and 11. Recently we were the U16 national top schools champions.

Recreational Opportunities:

Badminton Club

This takes place each week in the Sports Hall at lunchtime and gives pupils the opportunity to develop their racquet skills. The club is competitive in nature and the emphasis is on enjoyment. The member of staff responsible is Mrs White.

Years 12 & 13 5-A-Side Soccer Leagues

This takes place at lunchtime once a week and provides fun and competition for a large number of boys who create and manage their own 5-A-Side teams and play against each other.

Health & Fitness Club

This is really popular and takes place in the Fitness Centre. Year 10 and 11/12/13 can attend and the emphasis is on developing Health Related Fitness or fitness for sport. Pupils are required to attend an 'induction' session run by PE staff and then they can attend the club at lunchtimes. Sixth Form pupils are also allowed to attend on particular nights after school. The member of staff responsible for health and fitness and the Fitness Centre is Mr Holdsworth.

Gymnastics Club

This takes place once a week to refine and develop the gymnastic skills of pupils lower down the school. The club is run by an experienced and qualified coach, Jo Bass.

Inter-Form Sport

This is an ongoing competition which takes place in Key Stage 3. Each form competes against the other forms in the Year group in all the different major sports in school. Forms are required to organise and manage their own teams, kit, captains, tactics and substitutions and competitions generally take place in lessons towards the end of term. The inter-form competition gives many pupils the opportunity to compete, who may not normally be involved in inter-school matches. It is a popular competition and the results are collated by a member of the PE staff and certificates are awarded to the winners for each sport with an overall winner at the end of the year.