GCSE Physical Education and Health
The Unit 1 examination asks for short and extended written answers using precise physiological vocabulary, and the coaching and analysis parts of Unit 2 depend on clear spoken explanation. Numeracy runs through the course: heart rates and training zones, energy balance, fitness test measurements, comparison with normative data and tracking progress over 8 to 10 weeks. The biggest thing Key Stage 3 can build is the habit of measuring, recording and graphing fitness data, then writing or saying what the numbers show.
- Awarding body
- WJEC
- Level
- Level 1 and Level 2
- First taught
- September 2026
- Amount of literacy work
- Medium
- Amount of numeracy work
- High
- Specification
- Open the specification
How this qualification is assessed
- Unit 1: Principles of Physical Education and Health: Digital examination 1 hour 30 minutes, 40%
- Unit 2: Performance and Personal Training: Practical non-examination assessment (Performance 1, Performance 2 or Coaching, and an 8 to 10 week Personal Training activity), 60%
Skills that use Collaborative talk
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Communicating and organising as a coach
Learners who choose coaching must plan and lead a progressive session, with communication and organisation assessed as part of coaching technique.
Literacy: Clarity and vocabulary, Purpose, Collaborative talk
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils in small groups take turns to explain and demonstrate one warm-up stretch clearly to their group.
- Year 8
- Pupils lead a five minute skill drill for four classmates, giving instructions in a clear order and checking everyone has understood.
- Year 9
- Pupils plan and lead a short progressive practice for a younger class, adapting their instructions when players struggle.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Unit 2, Section 2.1b, 2.1.2, page 19
“execution of coaching techniques, including communication and organisation.”
Progression step 3
I can speak clearly, recognising the appropriate language for different audiences and purposes, and varying my expression, vocabulary, tone and gestures to engage the audience.
I can organise talk so that different audiences in different contexts can follow what is being said, including using formal language.
Progression step 4
I can speak clearly, selecting and adapting my language appropriately for a range of audiences and purposes, conveying meaning effectively to the audience.
I can organise talk effectively to respond to how listeners are reacting by adapting what I say and how I say it.
Progression step 5
I can present ideas and issues to meet the demands of different audiences.
I can respond confidently to how listeners react, adapting my language in a wide range of contexts and for different purposes.
Good to know
- Unit 1 is taken on screen, so extended answers are typed, not handwritten: "Digital examination: 1 hour 30 minutes" (page 10).
- The specification states no marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar and does not say whether a calculator may be used in the Unit 1 examination; these details are left to the Assessment Pack: "The Assessment Pack will include all detailed information relating to assessment." (page 23).
- Analysis and evaluation carry real weight: AO3, "Analyse and evaluate performance in sports and physical activities, and the factors that affect them.", is 20% of the qualification (page 23).
- The personal training task is a long data project: "Plan, implement and evaluate a personal training activity (of self) over 8-10 weeks" (page 17).
- Each Unit 2 part is marked out of 40: "Each part will be marked out of a total of 40 marks." (page 24).
Links with other qualifications
Heart rate, fitness testing and graphing work overlaps with physiological measurements in Health and Social Care, and Childcare and with statistics in Mathematics and Numeracy, so a shared recording sheet across Years 7 to 9 would help all three.
Source: WJEC GCSE Physical Education and Health specification, Version 2, December 2025, teaching from 2026, for award from 2028.