Reinstate Martial Arts as one of the approved activities for GCSE PE

Martial Arts is a popular sport for children. Yet dedicated, passionate, talented students can no longer use them for GCSE. I think Martial Arts are wholly inclusive, appeal to all genders, all ethnic backgrounds and children with SEN. They can help promote fitness, self-discipline and respect.

The government have launched an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering key stages 1 to 5, Chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. A call for evidence will be launched in September, which will set out the areas where the review group would particularly welcome input from. You can read more about the review at Government launches Curriculum and Assessment Review - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-launches-curriculum-and-assessment-review).

In 2018, the Department for Education conducted a public consultation about which activities should be added to the GCSE, AS and A level PE activity lists. The lists are based upon the suitability of activities as a means of assessing students’ skills as part of a physical education qualification. The department and awarding organisations developed a set of 5 key considerations which were applied to each activity in order to ensure parity and rigour. These considerations take into account Ofqual’s principles for non-exam assessment. The martial arts, such as judo, ju jitsu, karate, and taekwondo, failed to meet criterion 5 as they were found to have too many variations which would make it too difficult for teachers and moderators to reliably assess. The same was true of other activities such as fencing and wrestling.

Details of the consultation and the 5 criteria can be found here: DfE consultation response template (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/830317/Review_of_GCSE__AS_and_A_level_physical_education_activity_list.pdf).

It is important to note that the non-inclusion of an activity on the list does not represent a view on the legitimacy or value of the activity. Activities are included based solely upon whether they meet the criteria set out in the consultation and therefore their suitability as a means of assessing students’ skills as part of a PE qualification.

Department for Education