ABSTRACT
The work of physical education teachers is not just about teaching the physical education curriculum. All teachers have a responsibility to promote pupils’ wider learning (see Whitehead and Woodhouse, 2010). Pupils’ learning within broader dimensions of the curriculum has a curious place within the National Curriculum for Physical Education (NCPE) in England. On one hand, the Education Reform Act (DES, 1988); the Education (Schools) Act (DES, 1992); the NCPE; Qualifi cations and Curriculum Authority (QCA, 2007a); Citizenship Education and the Personal and Well-Being Curriculum (QCA, 2007b), all clearly identify the importance of promoting pupils’ learning in broader dimensions of the curriculum. However, the content of the NCPE at a particular time tends to be the focus of teachers’ work. For a detailed discussion of the content and structure of the NCPE, see Whitehead et al. (2010). Moreover, when assessing pupils’ learning, the ‘levels of attainment’ refl ect learning in the key processes. Given this context an assessment-driven curriculum has the potential to marginalise learning outcomes such as those in the broader dimensions of the curriculum.
