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A Level PE

Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School

Old Dover Road, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 3EW

GCE A/AS Level or Equivalent
Level 3
Leisure, Travel and Tourism

Available start dates

Available start dates

Tuesday, 01 September 2026
Simon Langton Girls Grammar School
2 Year(s)
Full time
Daytime/working hours
It is recommended that you purchase an A-Z of Sport; approximate cost is £9.00.

Application Instructions

Applications open: Monday 3rd November 2025

Applications close: Students should apply by 1st March 2026. Applications received after this date will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

How to apply: All students, both internal and external, should apply via Kent Choices. Please select your A Level subjects. There is no need to select EPQ as students can enrol on this directly in Year 12.

All internal applicants will be invited to a consultation with a member of the Senior Leadership Team in Term Three.

We invite all external applicants to book a consultation with a member of the Senior Leadership Team once they have received a conditional offer. You will be contacted with the information on how to do this.


Admission Arrangements for Entry into Year 12 Application Process

• Students should apply by 1 March.

• Students should accept the school’s conditional offer and rank their preferences.

• Priority will be given to existing students transferring from Year 11 who meet the below entry criteria.

• Simon Langton Girls’ Grammar operates a sixth form for a total of 400 students. 200 places overall will be available in year 12.

• The Published Admission Number (PAN) for year 12 is 20. This is the number of places which will be offered on an annual basis to eligible external applicants. If fewer than 180 of the school’s own year 11 pupils transfer into year 12, additional external pupils will be admitted until year 12 meets its capacity of 200.

• Students who apply after March 1st deadline will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

• Those who have studied in international schools abroad who have studied other types of qualifications will be considered on an individual basis. A wide range of subjects will need to be studied at Level 2. A meeting with the AHT for the Sixth Form will be held to identify that relevant comparable entry criteria are met. The school will be the sole arbiter of measures of equivalence when students have sat examinations other than GCSEs.

• Those who have not studied GCSEs should contact the school in advance of applying via Kent Choices.

• For variations and new courses that are not offered at GCSE, please visit our website: www.langton.kent.sch.uk

Entry Criteria

All students need to meet the following to gain a place in Year 12 at Simon Langton Girls’ Grammar School:

a) A minimum of 8 GCSEs grades 9-5, including 6 grades 6s*

b) A minimum grade 5 in their best English and Mathematics

c) The specific entry requirements for the A Levels they wish to study

d) If a student meets a) and b) but not c) we may be able to offer them an alternative programme of study once the over-subscription criteria have been applied

*This requirement can be waived where there are special extenuating reasons why an applicant has not met this standard.

Oversubscription Criteria

Following the enrolment of internal students transferring from Year 11, all remaining places will be allocated to students who, based on GCSE grades gained in August, are meeting our general entry requirements. Where there are more students seeking places than the number of places available, the oversubscription criteria will be applied in the priority order set out below to rank eligible students (i.e., those who have met our above entry criteria), until the overall figure for the year group is reached. Before applying the oversubscription criteria, children with an Education and Health Care Plan which names the school will be admitted; published admissions numbers will be reduced accordingly.

a) Looked after children and children who were previously looked after but immediately after being looked after became subject to adoption, a child arrangements order, or special guardianship order and children adopted from state care outside of England and who meet the above entry criteria. A looked after child is a child who is (a) in the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with an accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions (see the definition is Section 221 (1) of the Children Act 1989).

b) Current Year 11 students from Simon Langton Girls’ Grammar School who meet the above entry criteria.

c) Children in receipt of Pupil Premium – a child is eligible for Pupil Premium where they have been registered for free school meals (FSM) at any point in the last 6 years and who meet the above entry criteria. This does not

include students who have only been eligible to receive Universal Infant Free School Meals. Pupil Premium is also afforded to Children in Local Authority Care or Previously in Local Authority Care; however, these children are prioritised in the relevant criteria above.

d) An application from the child of a current serving member of the Armed Forces Community (with supporting evidence)

e) External students who have met the above entry criteria.

Where two applicants have an otherwise equal priority under the oversubscription criteria, the following tie-break will apply:

i. Eligible students who are likely to achieve the highest academic grades based on GCSE attainment. This will be measured by ranked average predicted grade in their best 8 qualifications, the highest score being given the highest rank. The school will be the sole arbiter of measures of equivalence when students have sat examinations other than GCSEs. IGCSEs are considered to be equal to GCSE grades.

ii. The nearness of an applicant’s home address to school. Distance is measured in a straight line using the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG) address point data. Distances are measured from a point defined as within the applicant’s home to a point defined as within the school as specified by NLPG. The same address point on the school site is used for everybody


Course Summary

The A Level PE course covers similar topics to GCSE but in more depth, as well as some new ones. Topics covered in Year 12 include anatomy and physiology, information processing, the sociology of sport and diet. In Year 13, students work through units on exercise physiology, sports psychology, biomechanics and the commercialisation of sport. The theory goes alongside a written piece of coursework and a practical evidenced through DVD. Candidates must have a sport outside of school that is listed in the specification.

Course Details

Outline of the Course A Level
Factors affecting participation in physical education and sport
  • Section A - Applied anatomy and physiology
  • Section B - Skill acquisition
  • Section C - Sport and society
Factors affecting optimal performance in physical activity and sport
  • Section A - Exercise physiology and biomechanics
  • Section B - Sport psychology
  • Section C - Sport and society and technology in sport

How will it be delivered and assessed?

Type of Assessment Duration Weighting

1 Examination – Paper 1 Factors affecting participation 2 hours 35%
in physical education and sport. The paper is divided
into 3 sections and there are multiple choice, short
answer and extended writing questions. 105 marks
are available in total, 35 from each section.

2 Examination - Paper 2 Factors affecting optimal 2 hours 35%
performance in physical activity and sport. The paper
is divided into 3 sections and there are multiple choice,
short answer and extended writing questions. 105 marks
are available in total, 35 marks from each section.

3 Practical moderation - Assessment in the role of 30%
performer in the full sided version of one activity.
Alongside a written analysis of performance. This
component is worth 90 marks.

Entry requirements

Minimum Entry Criteria

Desired: 7 in PE (N.B. you must also be a club level games player, athlete or gymnast or at performance standard for dance activities (or 7 in Biology if the subject is not studied at GCSE)

Essential: 6 in PE (N.B. you must also be a club level games player, athlete or gymnast or at performance standard for dance activities (or 6 in Biology if the subject is not studied at GCSE)

Your next steps...

You could take this course with one of the sciences to prepare for higher education in areas of sport studies, recreation, exercise, coaching or the biological sciences. With further training you could go into a job related to physical education such as a physiotherapist, teacher, exercise or fitness trainer. The course will also help you develop the skills, understanding and knowledge that many employers across lots of industries are looking for, especially in the sporting sectors.


For more courses like this, check our courses page.