New activities including figure-skating, water polo and windsurfing have been approved by the government for assessment in PE qualifications.
Following a review of the activities that can count towards a GCSE or A-level in PE, the government has published an updated list.
As well as the added activities, the Department for Education has also approved BMX as a discipline within cycling, which was previously restricted to track and road cycling, and cross-country and long-distance running as disciplines within athletics.
Nick Gibb, the schools minister, said extending the list of sports eligible for assessment at GCSE and A-level “opens the door to those qualifications for children across the country, dedicated to a sport they love, but who previously may not have thought of PE as an option”.
“So just as someone who excels at football or rugby has always been able to translate that to school PE, someone with experience in ice hockey or triathlon will now be able to do the same.”
Activities put forward during a consultation that didn’t make the cut include bowls, fell running, parkour, CrossFit, Taichi and refereeing.
Here are the new activities added to the government’s list.
GCSE
Team Activities
Acrobatic gymnastics
Figure skating
Futsal
Ice hockey
Inline roller hockey
Sailing
Sculling
Water polo
Individual Activities
Figure skating
Sailing
Windsurfing
A-level/AS-level
Acrobatic gymnastics
Figure skating
Futsal
Ice hockey
Inline roller hockey
Sailing
Triathlon (sprint only)
Water polo
Windsurfing
This is long overdue. My daughter has played competitive in line hockey from the age of 6. Now at 14 and choosing GCSE PE, you can imagine her disappointment when she was told that the sport she loves was not recognized.
In my view any sport that a child trains at and competes in should have always been considered