Physical Education
At Caterham we firmly believe that there is a physical activity for everyone. All pupils are given a grounding in the basic skills in of all of our major sports and we aim to give all of our pupil's experience of competitive sport. With this in mind, we run as many teams as is feasibly possible in our major sports and we have regular house competitions that involve as many pupils as possible. Inevitably, over time we discover which pupils are best suited to competitive sport and which may enjoy pursuing more recreational activities. In both cases we are committed to giving our pupils a positive experience, and we hope to engender a lifelong love of sport and physical activity in all our pupils. Team members receive high quality coaching and the School does all it can to help each individual reach their potential. We are very proud of our sporting success with teams and individuals regularly performing successfully at a regional and international level.
Pupils receive one PE lesson per week. During these lessons pupil will be taught the key skills in invasion games, ball skills, racket skills, health related fitness, athletics and swimming.
Pupils also have a games afternoon every week, during which the school's major sports are practised - these are Rugby, Hockey, Cricket (for boys), Netball, Lacrosse, (for girls) and Tennis and Athletics (both girls and boys).
Additionally, we run regular practice's and matches in Badminton, Swimming, Basketball, Cross Country, Squash, Football and Rounders which are open to all pupils. Pupils can also learn the skills of Archery, Scuba Diving, Tae Kwon Do, Judo and Fencing, all of which are coached by expert visiting coaches.
Pupils and parents should familiarise themselves with the department's kit policy. Pupils are expected to be smartly turned out when representing the School and failure to adhere to these rules will be punished.
Academic
The study of academic PE is a popular and highly enjoyable part of the Caterham School sporting experience, with GCSE and A Level PE students benefitting enormously from the knowledge, experience, passion and enthusiasm for sport that each one of their teachers has in abundance.
In both amateur and professional sport, the role of sports science has never been more high profile. At both GCSE and A Level, where we follow the Edexcel syllabus, there is a strong emphasis on human sports performance. The students gain knowledge in how the human body works and they then go on to learn and understand the key principles underlying the work of a sports scientist in trying to make the body perform even more efficiently. This includes studying areas such as the cardiovascular, respiratory and muscular systems, components of fitness, training principles and methods, fitness testing, energy systems, nutrition, hydration and sports psychology. We also look at some of the more controversial issues in sport, such as the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
Both GCSE and A Level PE are about much more that just elite performance. We look in-depth at what it means to lead a healthy and active lifestyle, and we place a great deal of significance on the importance of life-long participation in sport, at any level. The practical element of both courses ensures that the many talented students that we have here at Caterham are able to be rewarded for the hard work that they put in both on and off the sports field. The GCSE course is 60% practical and 40% theory, whilst the A Level course is split 50/50 between a theory exam and practical-based coursework. This also ensures that the topics that we study can actually be put into practice on a day to day basis by the students when they go out and perform in their favourite sports.
Each year the A level students have the opportunity to visit the Surrey High Performance Institute at the Surrey Sports Park, where they undertake a variety of lab and field-based testing. As well as consolidating part of their syllabus, this visit gives first-hand experience of what is it like for an elite athlete to undergo a series of rigorous fitness tests. We encourage the students to keep up to date with the sports pages, and each week there is always something relevant to discuss from the wider world of sport. This helps to make PE one of the most dynamic and exciting subjects that the students could wish to study.
Sixth Form PE Students Visit the Surrey Human Performance Institute 13 02 07
Karen Atkinson visit on 13 01 09
Fourth Year GCSE PE Pupils Plan Magazine 12 06 11
PE - A Level Students Visit the Surrey High Performance Institute
Sixth Form - PE Students - Revision Guides letter 12 05 07
Biographies
Rob Clarke BSc (Hons) – Director of Sport, Head of Rugby, PE Teacher
Having grown up in the rugby league heartland of Widnes, Rob had an oval ball in his hands from a very early age. He grew up watching his hometown club and was inspired by players such as Davies, Offiah, Tait and Deveraux. Having played both rugby league and union at representative level throughout his schooling, Rob went to Loughborough University, during which time he was selected for the Great Britain Rugby League squad. Alas, a career in professional rugby league was not to be and Rob soon defected to rugby union, a sport in which he has represented Surrey at Twickenham. Having gained a BSc in Sports Science and Management at Loughborough, he stayed on to complete his PGCE in Physical Education. Attracted by the bright lights of Greater London, his first teaching job was at Trinity School, Croydon where he taught for six years. Rob joined Caterham as Director of Sport and Head of Rugby in 2009.
Jaclyn Leach BSc (Hons) – Head of Academic PE, Head of Netball, PE Teacher
Having been at Caterham School since 2009, there is still no place I would rather be. Set in such an amazing valley, working here means that I don't miss the green of Rochdale too much. Netball is obviously my number one sport – highlights of my playing career include captaining Loughborough 1st team and winning BUSA, and then going on to captain the English and British Universities teams. Vice-captaining England U18 team is also something I am proud of – but it seems a very long time ago now! My biggest highlight as coach so far is when the 1st VII became U19 Surrey Champions last season – but to be perfectly honest, working with such a talented, committed, competitive and fun set of girls means that there is a highlight to be had pretty much every single day. Go NetCats!
Andrew Patterson MA – Head of Hockey, PE Teacher
A graduate of the University of Ulster. Andrew is a former Ireland Hockey and Cricket International. He previously taught at King's College School, Wimbledon. He is Head of Hockey at Caterham and the sport is flourishing under his command. Andrew is also Co-ordinator of Clubs and Societies at the school.
Rachel Hart BA (Hons) – Head of Swimming, PE Teacher
Rachel graduated from Loughborough University in June 2011 having obtained an honours degree in Sports Science and English, followed by a PGCE in Physical Education. Having represented Cambridgeshire County at Netball and Swimming in her school days, she then went on to represent Loughborough University at Netball as well as coaching the university teams. During her time in the Midlands she also played Lacrosse as well as teaching swimming at a camp in America for two consecutive summers. She has been at Caterham since September 2011 and is extremely passionate about encouraging all pupils to reach their full potential.
Henry Jones BSc – Boys Sports Coach, Strength and Conditioning Specialist
After graduating from Loughborough University in 2010, with a degree in Sports Science with Management, Henry decided to put into practice what he had learnt as a Graduate Sports Coach at Caterham School from September 2010 to July 2011. The outstanding and rewarding experience he gained from just the one year at Caterham, enthused him to stay with the PE department and undertake the role of Strength and Conditioning Specialist. In this role he conducts all of the fitness related aspects of training at the School, for both boys and girls of all ages. Henry also takes a rugby team, a hockey team and is heavily involved with the coaching of cricket. Henry is a county standard cricketer and has recently come out of the Loughborough National Cricket Academy.
Lorne Barnard BSc (Hons) Teacher of Psychology, Sports Coach
Lorne graduated from Loughborough University having obtained a Honours degree in Psychology with Ergonomics. Lorne originally worked at Caterham School for two years in the Games' department, as well as being a Senior Boarding House Tutor. Having played hockey for England Students and Loughborough University 1st XI, it is little surprise that Lorne has had a major impact on hockey at Caterham. In 2011 he coached the U14 team to the National Finals, which placed them in the top eight schools in the country. Although the team could not repeat that in 2012, they were unbeaten in their regular Saturday fixtures.
Anna Murch BSc – Graduate Sports Coach
Anna studied at Caterham School from 2001-2008 and represented the school's 1st team in Lacrosse, Netball and Athletics. She graduated from the University of Exeter in BSc Exercise and Sports Science in 2011. Anna represented England Lacrosse at the European Championships in 2008, winning a silver medal. She was part of the Senior England training squad for four years and represented England U21 Lacrosse for three years in the Home Internationals. Anna has also played lacrosse for Senior South England, Junior South England, Surrey U18 and Surrey U15.
Izzy Finlayson BA (Hons) – Graduate Sports Coach
From an early age Izzy has had a keen interest in all things sports related. During her time at Caterham as a pupil, she enjoyed being a key member of the Netball and Lacrosse teams. She captained the 1st XII to a victorious win at the South Schools tournament as well as being selected to play at county and regional level. After Caterham, she went on to study Spanish at the University of Leeds where she captained the University Lacrosse 1st XII, a role in which she doubled up as the team coach. Izzy missed playing lacrosse and netball whilst on her year abroad in Murcia but she found that the weekly trips to the beach helped fill the void nicely!
Kelly Quinlan – Specialist Lacrosse Coach
Kelly studied Business Administration while playing Division 1 Women's Lacrosse at Loyola University, Maryland. Finishing in the Top 10 teams in the nation in her final year, Kelly and teammates won the Big East Championship and competed in the NCAA Tournament. A former coach in her hometown of Baltimore, Maryland, USA, she is excited to embrace her experience coaching lacrosse at Caterham School!
Richard Smith CertEd – PE Teacher, Head of Cricket
Natalie Lomas BA (Hons) – Head of Girls' Games, PE Teacher, Head of Lacrosse
Mrs Jo Simons BSc – Girls’ Games Coach
Jo graduated from Birmingham University having obtained a joint honours degree in Physical Education and Geography, followed by a Post Graduate Certificate of Education, specialising in sport. Jo grew up loving all sport, playing Netball and Lacrosse to first team level at St. Bartholomew’s Grammar School until she had to choose one or the other. She chose Lacrosse and represented Berkshire and the South, and then Birmingham University where she won the Combined University Tournament three out of the four years she was there, whilst also being selected for the Combined Universities team. She has been coaching sport for eight years now, teaching all sports and has thoroughly enjoyed her time at Caterham. She has found it wonderful to be part of a team that has helped the Caterham pupils enjoy their sport whilst reaching their full potential. There have been numerous memorable moments for her but the U13 A Lacrosse team winning the Coloma Cup in 2010 is one that she will always remember.
Miss Jen Farmer – Sports Coach