ABSTRACT

In many countries there are two aspects of physical education provision; a compulsory part that occurs in curriculum time and a non-compulsory part that occurs outside curriculum time. In England, physical education in curriculum time is statutory and delivered through the National Curriculum for Physical Education (NCPE) (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), 2007a), whilst the non-compulsory part is delivered in what is known as extra-curricular physical activity/sport. Penney and Harris (1997: 42) define extra-curricular provision as ‘activities outside the formal physical education curriculum, most often after school and at lunch times, but also in some schools, at weekends and/or before school by physical education teachers’. Curricular physical education lessons in England have traditionally been taught by qualified teachers. In primary schools it has been taught largely by generalist primary teachers, although there have been some specialist physical education teachers working in primary schools (Chedzoy, 2000; Faulkner et al., 2004; Wright, 2004; Garrett and Wrench, 2007; Sloan, 2010). In secondary schools curricular physical education has traditionally been taught by specialist physical education teachers, although some teachers of other subjects with an interest (and/or with qualifications) in a specific activity have taught games lessons, particularly in public schools (Sports Coach UK, 2004; see also Chapter 1). In recent years, however, physical education in primary and secondary schools has also been taught by people other than the class or specialist teacher (Sports Coach UK, 2004, 2007; Stewart, 2006; Blair and Capel, 2008, 2011; Griggs, 2008; Lavin et al., 2008; North, 2009; Sloan, 2011). This is mirrored in extra-curricular provision. Sport England (2003b) report that two thirds (68 per cent) of secondary schools use outside agencies to help deliver sport outside curriculum time. This change has been due, at least in part, to the 1997-2008 Labour government’s Physical Education School Sport Club Links (PESSCL) strategy (DfES/DCMS, 2004), which developed into the Physical Education School

Sport and Young People (PESSYP) strategy from 2008 onwards Department for Education and Skills (DfES)/Department for Culture, Media and Sports (DCMS, 2008). The PESSCL and PESSYP strategies were explicitly aimed at supporting a range of education, sport and community agendas through a network of interconnected partnership arrangements that encouraged different organisations to work towards collective outcomes (Phillpots, 2010). Additionally, the Workforce Remodelling Act (DfES, 2003b), with the introduction of planning, preparation and assessment (PPA) time in 2005, has also influenced this change. (PPA time allows for all teachers to have 10 per cent of their timetable away from pupils to plan lessons, prepare resources and assess pupils work.) Sports Coach UK (2004) report there were around 514,000 people operating as school sports coaches helping coach in schools, with a large percentage of these being unpaid. These include around: 70,000 specialist physical education teachers acting in the role of a sports coach, 250,000 non-specialist teachers; 67,000 adults other than teachers; and 85,000 external coaches. Further, Sports Coach UK (2007) suggest that the most frequent coaching environment for a full-time coach is a school. This is also supported by North (2009) who reports that there are 100,000 coaches working in schools and 90,000 working exclusively in this environment. Football has the largest number of qualified coaches, at 142,000 (Sports Coach UK, 2004). Sports Coach UK (2007a) also report that 32 per cent of all coaches are football coaches, with the next highest being swimming with 12 per cent of coaches. Blair and Capel (2009) report that coaches from 85 per cent of football league clubs (Championship, League 1 and League 2) in England are working in schools in PPA time. Thus, we can see that the inclusion by Penney and Harris of the words ‘by physical education teachers’ in their definition of extra-curricular activity (see p. 171) is immediately problematic and challenging because extra-curricular provision is not necessarily delivered by physical education teachers (indeed, nor is curricular physical education). This chapter discusses the role of teachers and coaches in teaching physical education in England. It argues that physical education teachers cannot be replaced by coaches in teaching curricular physical education and in extracurricular provision, although coaches do have a role to play. First, we look at similarities and differences between curricular physical education and extracurricular physical activity and sport provision.