Personal development, health and physical education (PDHPE) is mandatory from Kindergarten to Year 10.
According to the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA), students are expected to participate in PDHPE for 300 hours per year in Years 7 to 10.
PDHPE provides students with opportunities to explore issues that are likely to impact on the health, safety and wellbeing of themselves and others – now and in the future. Students also participate in challenging and enjoyable physical activity, improving their capacity to move with skill and confidence.
In Year 11 and 12, courses available include:
- Community and Family Studies
- Exploring Early Childhood
- Personal Development, Health and Physical Education
- Sport, Lifestyle and Recreation Studies.
Personal development, health and physical education faculty
The GRC Peakhurst Campus PDHPE faculty is made up of energetic, experienced and dedicated staff who are committed to educating students about the importance of adopting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. We strive to engage students in an open-minded, accepting and nurturing learning environment.
"Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity."
(John F. Kennedy)
Curriculum
The PDHPE curriculum comprises of:
- PDHPE (Years 7 to 10)
- PASS (Years 9 and 10).
Personal development, health and physical education (PDHPE) contributes significantly to the cognitive, social, emotional, physical and spiritual development of students. It provides opportunities for students to learn about, and practice ways of, adopting and maintaining a healthy, productive and active life. It also involves students learning through movement experiences that are both challenging and enjoyable, and improving their capacity to move with skill and confidence in a variety of contexts. It promotes the value of physical activity in their lives.
Stage 4 and Stage 5 PDHPE
The Stage 4 (Years 7 and 8) and Stage 5 (Years 9 and 10) PDHPE programs cover a diverse range of important personal development, health and physical education topics.
Download PDHPE Scope and sequence for more information.
Personal development, health and physical education (PDHPE) is a mandatory core course for students in Year 7-10. The PDHPE course provides students with the opportunity to develop skills and knowledge relating to four main areas of study:
- Health, Wellbeing and Relationships
- Movement Skill and Performance
- Healthy, Safe and Active Lifestyles
Through these four areas of study, students are provided with the opportunity to explore and develop skills and knowledge in a range of health related issues and sports and performance activities. Our PDHPE program caters for students of all learning styles and abilities. The course is divided equally between practical lessons and theory lessons.
Physical Activity and Sports Studies (PASS)
Physical Activity and Sports Studies (PASS) represents a broad view of physical activity and the many possible contexts in which individuals can build activity into their lifestyle. It incorporates a wide range of lifelong physical activities, including recreational, leisure and adventure pursuits, competitive and non-competitive games, individual and group physical fitness activities and the use of physical activity for therapy and remediation.
Participation in regular physical activity is essential to improving health status and quality of life. Health experts agree it can reduce the likelihood of obesity, non-insulin dependent diabetes, coronary heart disease, hypertension and cancers. Research shows regular physical activity to also be effective in stress management, therapy and rehabilitation, injury prevention and the promotion of physical fitness. Individuals who lead an active lifestyle enjoy a positive sense of general wellbeing, heightened energy levels and improved ability to concentrate. They have an enhanced capacity to perform daily activities with ease and respond to increased demands.
Participation in physical activity provides opportunities for personal challenge, enjoyment and satisfaction. It also provides for positive interaction with others, in both collaborative and competitive contexts and supports the development of key social skills necessary for strong interpersonal relationships. Participation in particular physical activities can be culturally significant and play an important role in the development of cultural understanding.
Physical Activity and Sports Studies promotes the concept of learning through movement. Many aspects of the course can be explored through participation in selected movement applications in which students experience, examine, analyse and apply new understanding. Students are encouraged to specialise and study areas in depth, to work towards a particular performance goal, pursue a formal qualification or examine an issue of interest related to the physical, emotional, social, cultural or scientific dimensions of physical activity and sport.
Physical Activity and Sports Studies also promotes learning about movement and provides students with opportunities to develop their movement skills, analyse movement performance and assist the performance of others. The acquisition and successful application of movement skills are closely related to enjoyment of physical activity and the likelihood of sustaining an active lifestyle. Students will appreciate the traditions and special characteristics associated with various physical activities and also the artistic and aesthetic qualities of skilled performance and determined effort.
Recreation, physical activity, sport and related health fields provide legitimate career pathways. This course provides students with a broad understanding of the multifaceted nature of these fields. It also introduces students to valuable and marketable skills in organisation, enterprise, leadership and communication. Students with these skills will be positioned to make a strong contribution to their community as physical activity and sport provides a major context for both voluntary and paid work across Australia.
See photos in Gallery of the PASS camp.