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.
Young people are an exciting and diverse group and their ability to adopt a healthy, active lifestyle is influenced by the social and cultural experience they receive at Hunters Hill High School.
PDHPE has an important role in assisting all young people to manage these influences and in protecting, promoting and restoring their health. It also assists in their understanding of inequities and the importance of promoting inclusiveness and building a community that is supportive of all people.
Here at Hunters Hill High School, PDHPE encourages young people to take a positive approach to managing their lives and aims to equip them with skills and values for current and future challenges. It helps develop in young people the capacity to take responsibility for their own learning and promotes the value of physical activity in their lives.
The PDHPE curriculum plays an important role in enhancing resilience and connectedness. The syllabus reflects the multidimensional nature of health and physical activity in the context of a diverse and changing society.
At Hunters Hill High School, we believe young people need to respond to factors such as physical activity, complex community values, new technologies, media influence, environmental concerns and changing family structures and employment patterns in order to have a fully rounded educational experience, which we proudly offer.
The mandatory PDHPE program fosters knowledge, skills and values that promote good health behaviours and encourages positive participation in recreation, sport and leisure activities. It promotes lifelong participation in physical activity through the development of attitudes, skills and movement competence.
What will students learn about?
- Self and relationships: Students learn about sense of self, adolescence and change, sources of personal support and the nature of positive, caring relationships.
- Movement skill and performance: Students explore the elements of composition as they develop and refine movement skills in a variety of contexts, individually and in teams.
- Individual and community health: Students learn about the specific health issues of mental health, healthy food habits, sexual health, drug use and road safety. They examine risk, personal safety and how to access health information, products and services.
- Lifelong physical activity: Students consider lifestyle balance and the importance of physical activity and its many benefits. Students learn to participate successfully in a wide range of activities and to adopt roles that promote a more active community.
What will students learn to do?
Students will learn some important skills that will enable them to take action to maintain their health and physical activity. These include skills in communicating, interacting, problem-solving, decision-making, planning and moving.
In Years 7 to 10, the physical education program gives students the opportunity to explore their movement potential in a variety of individual team sports. The emphasis is on participation and the enjoyment of physical activity. Lessons incorporate a range of skills from traditional competitive team and individual sports such as gymnastics, soccer, softball, basketball and cricket through to dance, ultimate frisbee and other progressive and non-traditional sports.
The personal development program tackles issues that face the students head on: the importance of a healthy and active lifestyle, friendships and relationships, puberty and development, smoking, alcohol and drug use, first aid, self-esteem and child welfare. Students engage in these lessons in a safe and nurturing environment to explore the issues that will impact on their lives.
Physical activity and sport studies
This very popular elective includes the study of such topics as:
- Year 9 – body in action, biomechanics of movement, fundamentals of movement/fitness choices, outdoor education and ongoing participation in a range of physical activities, focusing on technique, tactics, team play and refereeing.
- Year 10 – nutrition and physical activity, coaching education, lifestyle recreation, fitness testing and outdoor education/leisure.
- Year 11 – better health for individuals, body in motion, first aid and fitness choices.
- Year 12 – health priorities in Australia, factors affecting performance, sports medicine and improving performance.
Year 11 sport, lifestyle and recreation
This 1-year elective in sport, lifestyle and recreation, also known as SLR, includes studies in:
- first aid and sports injury
- resistance training
- sports coaching and training.