Personal development, health and physical education (PDHPE) is mandatory from Kindergarten to Year 10.
According to the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA), students are expected to participate in PDHPE for 300 hours per year in Years 7 to 10.
PDHPE provides students with opportunities to explore issues that are likely to impact on the health, safety and wellbeing of themselves and others – now and in the future. Students also participate in challenging and enjoyable physical activity, improving their capacity to move with skill and confidence.
In Year 11 and 12, courses available include:
- Community and Family Studies
- Exploring Early Childhood
- Personal Development, Health and Physical Education
- Sport, Lifestyle and Recreation Studies.
Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) develops the knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes important for students to take positive action to protect and enhance their own and others’ health, safety and wellbeing in varied and changing contexts. Physical education is fundamental to the acquisition of movement skills and concepts to enable students to participate in a range of physical activities – confidently, competently and creatively.
The Personal Development and Health strands include lifestyle issues on alcohol and other drugs, food and nutrition, relationships, mental health and wellbeing, safety, personal identity and sexual health
Our Stage 5 elective course (offered in Years 9 and 10) -Physical Activity and Sports Studies (PASS) - caters for those students who excel in sport and/or who are interested in their own fitness and health. Some of the topics include:, Body Systems, Coaching, Sports Medicine, Enhancing Performance, Fundamental Movement Skills, Nutrition and Physical Activity, Issues in Physical Activity and Physical Fitness.
Our Stage 6 HSC elective courses (Years 11 and 12) are offered to those students with an interest in current personal and community issues surrounding health and physical activity in Australia. The senior courses include Personal Development, Health and Physical Activity (PDHPE) and Sport, Lifestyle and Recreation (SLR). These courses provide senior students with the opportunity to expand their knowledge and understanding of active, healthy lifestyles and improving personal and community health.
Stage 6 PDHPE is a challenging subject that concentrates on the theoretical aspects of health and physical activity.
Stage 6 Sport, Lifestyle and Recreation is a course similar to the junior mandatory PDHPE with both practical experience and theory-based activities.
PDHPE will contribute to students' Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR), while SLR is a Content Endorsed course which contributes only to a student's HSC.
Both of these courses have proven to be popular with the student body and will continue to flourish as our junior PASS students graduate into the senior school.
Community and Family Studies (CAFS)
Community and Family Studies Stage 6 aims to develop in each student an ability to manage resources and take action to support the needs of individuals, groups, families and communities in Australian society. Students plan and manage resources to address contemporary issues facing families and communities.