Is Dance part of the NC for PE?

[KatyMac]

Please for yr 9

TIA

[thetasigmamum]

My DD1 did dance last year in Y8 for a bit (perhaps half a term?) At her school, in Y9 they can choose but it's a fake choice since it's a majority decision on the option they do for the whole (mixed gender but more boys than girls) group so, oh look, they are doing football. And every single girl voted against football but to no avail. She is devastated (severely dyspraxic and can't bear footy not just for the inability to function in ball games or team games thing but also because of the sensory thing - she is incredibly squeamish about mud). The PE staff spent two years telling her things would be better in Y9 and to just suck it up for now, and basically, it seems to her (and me) that they lied.

[KatyMac]

Oh that's bad

DD's school does 6 different sports one a halfterm (in yr8)

[jo164]

This is the KS3 PE curriculum - you only have to do 4 out of the following, so dance is not compulsory.

Range and content of Physical education key stage 3

This section outlines the breadth of the subject on which teachers should draw when teaching the key concepts and key processes.

The study of PE should include activities that cover at least four of the
following:
a. outwitting opponents, as in games activities

b. accurate replication of actions, phrases and sequences, as in gymnastic activities

c. exploring and communicating ideas, concepts and emotions, as in dance activities

d. performing at maximum levels in relation to speed, height, distance, strength or accuracy, as in athletic activities

e. identifying and solving problems to overcome challenges of an adventurous nature, as in life saving and personal survival in swimming and outdoor activities

f. exercising safely and effectively to improve health and wellbeing, as in fitness and health activities.

Hope this helps

[KatyMac]

Oh dear

Thanks for the info

I'm trying to reduce DD's activity as she is doing 15 hours of dance a week; I was hoping she already met the curriculum need

Is yr 9 KS3? (I get so lost)

[Theas18]

Yes yr9 is KS3.

Why are you trying to reduce her activity? I assume her 15hrs dance is outside school? Does she love it and can she cope at school doing it? If you can afford it why change it? If it's outside school I don't think it'd count towards national curriculum anyway.

THetasigma that sucks big time! I don't know if there is an answer. Even if you were to lie and magic a medical reason not to do PE IME she'd be on the field in the mud anyway either standing about or linesmanning (when DS had a real leg injury and was heartbroken to be off rugby it was nigh impossible to get through to them that he needed to NOT be walking/standing/running if he could help it at all)

[KatyMac]

A combination of reasons:

She started her GCSE's this year so needs all the time she can get for course work
She is doing GCSE Dance in school (5.5 hrs a week)
She just got accepted at a Centre for Advanced Training (6.5 hrs a week rising to 7.5 at half term)
She is terrified of hurting her ankle/knee while playing football/rugby/hurdles (but is happy to run/tennis/non contact stuff)
She has just been told to add 2 x 30 minutes of Pilates to her week as well

I am probably being a pratt but I just worry

[Theas18]

Katymac talk to school. If they are sensible and take the needs of each child as an individual it could be that they will be flexible and allow her to not do contact sports etc. They should be celebrating the fact that she is so very talented in her specialist area. THough if she gets special treatment then she may be the talk of the school.... At DS school they have some very high level athletes (including a fencer aiming for the olympics next year in DS year) who certainly have a lot of general time out of school. Not sure if they avoid rugby though- would be sensible!

It's hardly as if she isn't getting enough exercise LOL

Also, in case you didn't know if she misses school lessons for special day schools/exams etc there is an "educated off site" code the school should use instead of absent (even if they approve it). It looks better both on the childs register profile and doesn't "count against" the school.

[KatyMac]

Exactly 'enough exercise'

We only found out about the "educated off site" code in the spring; this was when they admitted if it was football or cricket she would have been having "educated off site" code"educated off site" code "educated off site" since she started but that 'dance' was different

[thetasigmamum]

theas18 Like KatyMacs DD, my DD1 is terrified of getting injured - in her case injuring her arms of fingers, since she is doing music big time, for example she has 2 exams this term - grade 4 piano and grade 6 flute, with grade 7 recorder at Easter and Grade 6 singing. She also has regional and national ensemble things coming up. Her dyspraxia means she is mch more likely to take a tumble or get injured in another way than a normal young girl. She also has sensory issues with mud. However the PE teacher has suggested running round the pitch and asked the other kids to give her a wide berth so it might not be too bad. As with most dyspraxics her issues intensify when she is stressed. :( But at least her teacher seems to be a good sort. She got a C for PE last year in attainment but an A for effort which at least demonstrated they understand her issues. She would have got a D but she got a B for the dance segment (she is almost - not quite - OK when there is music, partly because as a musician it relaxes her but also there is a known dyspraxic thing where music helps establish a rhythm and sort of counteracts the issues). We will just have to wait and see how it goes.

[RedHelenB]

Why should PE be any different to other curriculum areas? I read a lot at home so why should I study the same book the rest of the class are studying?

Dance requires a high level of balance, spatial awareness etc so surely if the dyspraxia can be overcome for this, those strategies can be used on the football field?

[thetasigmamum]

RedHelenB there is a difference between being good at dance and being able to not fall over every few minutes getting tangled up in your own feet. Spatial awareness is not helped at all by music, sadly - but the other kids in the class know to give her a wide berth! DD1 is basically pretty dreadful at dance compared to a 'normal' person however it was significantly less stressful for her than ball games, that's the point, really. The teacher gave her a B because she was so much less bad at dance than she was at hockey or rugby etc. She didn't injure either herself or anyone else for a start, which was a massive improvement on the hockey, I can assure you.

[RedHelenB]

Sorry, I got confused between the two posts!!

[KatyMac]

DD is officially G&T & is accessing the PE curriculum........the dance part of it for 5.5 hrs a week

There are (I think, although I am prepared to be corrected) issues with excessive exercising while on a growth spurt; which I am trying to manage

[Theas18]

thetasigmamum I'm sure you are me a few years ago LOL . My eldest was never diagnosed dyspraxic but I think she is at least to a degree- couldn't ride a bike till 10, rubbish at games (her school however managed her well, she never got put off, and spent year 7 in lunch gym club trying and failing to do a forward roll but they kept her morale up somehow).

Fingers crossed but the only injuries we've had so far that have interfered with music are the 6 weeks when DS couldn't play his horn after a hockey ball to the face. THe "duck lip" did wonders for his recorder playing though as he nailed the "relaxed face" playing.