Health and Physical Education
This domain tests your ability to plan inclusive health and movement learning that develops skills, confidence and safety.
Core rules
- Physical literacy: motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge and understanding to value movement.
- Fundamental movement skills - locomotor (run, jump, hop), stability (balance, land) and manipulative (throw, catch, strike) - are taught explicitly and applied in games.
- Teaching games for understanding (TGfU) uses modified games and tactical questions before isolated drills.
- Health literacy covers nutrition, hygiene, mental health, relationships, safety and help-seeking; use accurate, age-appropriate language.
- Inclusive practice modifies space, equipment, rules, time and grouping so all children can participate.
- Safety: scan the area, check equipment, teach rules, supervise and have a first-aid plan; respect consent and body boundaries.
Worked example
A tag game eliminates children who are caught, leaving the same few active. Modify it: caught children perform a quick task such as five jumps and re-enter, or use a frozen rule where a teammate frees them. The reasoning is that elimination reduces practice time and physical activity for the least skilled, while the modification keeps everyone moving and preserves the game's tactical focus.
Traps
Do not use physical activity as punishment. Do not assume a child cannot participate because of a disability; modify first. Do not teach health as fear-based rules. Do not let the most skilled dominate; design for equitable turns and touches. Do not ignore embarrassment or body-image comments.