There are changes to this qualification based on the outcomes of the Ofqual consultation on NEA arrangements for summer 2022. The changes are designed to reduce the pressure on teachers and students in the 2021/22 academic year, and to safeguard against ongoing public health concerns. Please read this information alongside the specification.

Overview of changes for GCSE (9–1) Physical Education

Ofqual have confirmed students can undertake two activities rather than three for assessment in summer 2022:

• two individual activities
• two team activities or
• one individual activity and one team activity

Since only two activities will need to be undertaken in summer 2022, we will weight up the mark for practical performance so that it still represents 30% of the overall qualification.

We recognise that it has been difficult for students to demonstrate competitive situations in some sports and may continue to be in some instances. For summer 2022 we are willing to accept alternative forms of evidence to help support assessments (for example, alternatives to full competition where this is not accessible such as, training times if supported with Garmin/Strava, logs of competitive performance, Power of 10, and records of school/league/county/regional performances).

For 2021/22, we would like to return to visiting moderation if possible, and if centres and moderators support this approach. However, because there is clearly some potential for further disruption, some filmed evidence will be needed so that it can be used as an alternative basis for moderation.

We therefore advise that as soon as possible centres assess candidates and gather filmed evidence for their 2022 cohorts. Ideally this will be completed on an ongoing basis as the year progresses, especially in seasonal and off-site activities.

Discussions are still ongoing with regards to filmed evidence sample sizes, and we will communicate these details to you as soon as we can.

We would also suggest that planning aims to prioritise practical NEA assessment and evidence generation in the autumn term in case disruption increases as we head into winter.

Mark submission for 2022 will be 31 March for both components:

• 100% of your practical marks, filmed evidence and competitive logs for J587/04
• 100% of your AEP marks and evidence for J587/05

GCSE(9–1) Physical Education for academic year 2021/22

Students must complete all components to be awarded OCR's GCSE (9-1) in Physical Education in 2022.

Physical factors affecting performance (01) This component will assess: 1.1 Applied anatomy and physiology 1.2 Physical training	60 marks 1 hour written paper 30% of total GCSE
Socio-cultural issues and sports psychology (02) This component will assess: 2.1 Socio-cultural influences 2.2 Sports psychology 2.3 Health, fitness and well-being	60 marks 1 hour written exam 30% of total GCSE
Practical performance (04) This component will assess: Performance of two activities taken from the approved lists	40 marks, weighted up to 60 non-exam assessment (NEA) 30% of total GCSE
Analysing and evaluating performance (05) This component draws upon the knowledge, understanding and skills a student has learnt and enables them to analyse and evaluate their own or a peer’s performance in one activity	20 marks Non-exam assessment (NEA) 10% of total GCSE

Centres will be required to provide further details to support moderation later in the autumn term. Updated forms to do this and how to access them will be communicated in the coming weeks.

Support

OCR’s team of expert subject advisors has created videos, webinars, and other resources to guide you through these changes and help you prepare your students for their exams in summer 2022.

Contact us

You can contact us by email pe@ocr.org.uk, on Twitter @OCR_PhysEd or call on 01223 553998.