School pupils aiming to net compulsory PE qualification

A LOTHIAN secondary school has become one of the first in Scotland to make a PE qualification compulsory for all in a bid to meet national targets.

The headteacher of Broxburn Academy in West Lothian has introduced the measure to help his school achieve the Scottish Government goal of two hours of PE per pupil per week.

All 164 S2 pupils at the school, where Standard Grades are taken over three years instead of two, have started working towards the qualification.

It means that all pupils will now sit nine Standard Grades instead of eight and will take three periods of PE per week.

Headteacher Peter Reid believes the move will lead to improved attainment and an increase in youngsters taking up extra-curricular sports.

According to Mr Reid, the idea has received widespread support from pupils, staff and the education department in West Lothian.

Mr Reid said: "This is a school where we have lots of extra-curricular activities on the go.

"It's in everybody's interests to have a healthy population and I think two hours of PE per week is a reasonable target.

"What we are hoping is that kids will get their Standard Grades and will then continue to do PE after that. They might do it recreationally or they might do it to get another qualification such as Intermediate level or Duke of Edinburgh Awards."

The extra PE Standard Grade will replace the two periods of non-certificated PE and one period of another optional subject which all pupils would previously have taken.

Mr Reid said: "Up until this current year, every pupil did two 50-minute periods as core subjects from first year to sixth year and we were one of the first schools to manage to do that.

"That still meant we fell 20 minutes short of the recommended amount. This third period gives us a way to overtake that additional 20 minutes and exceed the target by half an hour."

Achieving the Scottish Government target of two hours of PE per week has been a headache for schools and education authorities across the country.

It is being met in only five out of the Capital's 23 secondary schools and 20 out of its 91 primaries.

That works out at 21.7 per cent of secondaries compared to the national average of 23.1 per cent and just 22 per cent of primaries compared to an average of 35.8 per cent.

Mr Reid added: "In most schools it would be common to have core, compulsory non-certificated PE up until fourth year, and over the last ten years there's been pressure to increase that to sixth year.

"The approach that we have adopted might not be the solution for everybody."

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "A large number of schools across the country are making excellent progress towards meeting the two-hour PE target and therefore improving the health and wellbeing of their pupils.

"It is up to local authorities to determine how best to deliver the curriculum based on local needs."