Physical Education

Sport is integral part of life at St. Martha’s. We pride ourselves that every child participates in all sporting activities throughout their life at the school. From team players aiming for excellence to individuals who participate in activities such as fencing or archery, every child matters. Some members of the school outside the faculty also offer the opportunity to do things such as sailing and jogging club.

We believe in a philosophy of “sports for all” and enjoyment plays a key role in this area of the curriculum. We provide the girls with a progressive programme which unfolds each year to give new challenges and different sports to try. 

We have netball courts and tennis courts on site as well as facilities for badminton and volleyball.

KS3

The students cover netball, cross country, gymnastics, rounders, hockey, badminton, volleyball and athletics. Everyone is encouraged to develop their skills and each student learns a sense of independence and decision making. Their progress is continuously monitored throughout years 7 through 9.

KS4

Core PE: All students in years 10 and 11 have PE once a week where they attend the Furzefield Sports Centre and participate in activities such as weight training, basketball, aerobics, and boxercise classes. The emphasis is on participation and enjoyment.

GCSE: Physical Education is offered as a GCSE subject and has both a practical and a theoretical content. The practical aspect involves assessment in four sports and can include a sport that is pursued to a high level outside school. Through the theoretical aspect of the course, the girls broaden their knowledge of the relationship of both health and fitness. Topics studied include: the study of the body – joints, muscles, cardio and respiratory systems; exercise and training; methods of fitness testing; principles of training; drugs in sport; local and national sport provision. The course offers the possibility to study all aspects of physical education and students may take on other roles of responsibility such as umpiring, scoring, leading warm ups and coaching drills.

Extra curricular activities

There is a wide range of extra curricular activities open to all. There is also the opportunity to be a team captain/representative which helps students develop their confidence and leadership qualities.

Extra curricular activities on offer are football, fencing, tennis, netball and archery. The Interhouse system provides a healthy sense of team spirit and competition where all the girls take part in cross country, netball, and athletics.