Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) is more than just about playing sport. PDHPE is a dynamic Key Learning Area concerned with providing students with the opportunity to explore movement in a variety of contexts. Furthermore, our PDHPE programs aim to develop in our students’ health literacy skills to enable them to make better decisions about their health.

PDHPE is a mandatory course of study in Years 7 to 10. This means that students will study the course for 300 hours and will be assessed on their achievement of outcomes against course performance descriptors. They will receive a grade on their School Certificate. Satisfactory completion of all mandatory courses must be achieved prior to being issued with a School Certificate.

PDHPE comprises four key areas in Years 7 to 10. These are Self & Relationships, Movement Skill & Performance, Individual & Community Health and Lifelong Physical Activity. In Years 7 to 10 students will develop the skills and knowledge about diverse topics as drug use, nutrition, sexual health, road safety, mental health, relationships, power and social justice.

The program emphasises the importance of good health to young people and develops connectedness with the school community. Connectedness to the family and school are powerful protective factors for our children.

As members of the Active Australia Schools Network we have a responsibility to provide as many movement opportunities for our students. You will find a number of opportunities in our program from less traditional forms such as yoga, tai chi and Qi Gong, as well as some cultural sports and games to more traditional team sports such as touch, softball, netball and soccer. Addressing the increasing trend to physical inactivity is an important goal of the PDHPE program.

The PDHPE Department offers a range of elective subjects to cater for a variety of student needs. These include:

• Physical Activity & Sports Studies in Years 9 & 10
  
• Sport, Lifestyle and Recreation in Year 11
  
• Exploring Early Childhood in Years 11 & 12
  
• PDHPE in Years 11 & 12
• Community & Family Studies in Years 11 & 12     

The Year 7 PDHPE course encompasses a variety of units which include:

• Changes and Challenges
• Outdoor Safety
• Riding the Rollercoaster
• Athletics
• Healthy Habits
• Throw and Catch
• On Stage
• Striking Games

The focus of the Year 7 course in Semester One is teaching students how to keep themselves safe and develop a connection to the school community. Issues such as water, road and sun safety are addressed and students undertake training in a RSLSAA Lifesaving Award.
In Semester Two, students have the opportunity to learn about the importance of physical activity and nutrition, as well as about maintaining positive emotional health in light of the physical changes that occur in puberty.
Students also participate in a range of practical activities such as athletics, cricket, softball, vigoro, dance and movement, aquatics, gymnastics and other physical activities that build fitness.

Students in Year 8 will study units that include:

• SOS
• The Balancing Act
• Athletics
• RESPECT
• Invasion Games
• Going Out
• Net Games
• My Creative Self

Year 8 students study lifesaving and first aid and are able to complete a Bronze Star. They also have the opportunity to participate in Jump Rope for Heart in National Heart Week, athletics, touch, OZ tag, Walla rugby and AFL, as well as netball and basketball and creative dance and movement.
Students will also focus on personal safety, sexual and mental health, bullying and balancing physical activity and nutrition needs.

The Year 9 PDHPE course comprises units which include:

• Mind, Body, Spirit
• Lifesaving
• Fit For Life
• Track and Field
• Perfect Match
• Power of the People
• Body Talk
• Target Games

Students who are able have the opportunity to complete the Bronze Medallion lifesaving award and a Resuscitation certificate. Other physical activities include fitness building activities such as boxercise, circuit and aerobics classes, pilates, tai chi, Qi Gong and yoga, athletics and a variety of target games. Survivor type activates are integral to the Power of the People unit where students work in terms to complete a set of objectives.

The focus for year 9 is on resilience building. Students will participate in activities that build the skills to be able to be mentally healthy and keep themselves safe. Topics such as drug education, relationships, body image and general health are studied throughout the year.

The Year 10 PDHPE course comprises a study in the following units:

• The Party
• Class Act
• Invasion Games
• Where to Next?
• Advocates for Health
• Playing the Game
• Summer Fun

Ensuring that students remain safe is of primary importance in the final year of this mandatory course, with a special focus on road safety, sexual health and drug education. Students have the opportunity to examine a variety of issues that minimise their risks in situations that students are most likely to find themselves in. A focus on STIs, celebrating safely, harm minimisation strategies and supporting the health of others is the main focus for The Party. Students also have the opportunity to develop their advocacy skills in developing a health promotion TV ad in Advocates for Health.

Dance and movement performance, through sport aerobics and rhythmic gymnastics is also a focus of the course. Students also participate in ‘new’ sports such as European Handball, Sofcrosse and Futsal. Students develop both the practical and administration skills in Year 10.

Physical Activity & Sports Studies (PASS)

Physical Activity and Sport Studies (PASS) is a 200 hour elective in Years 9 & 10. It has been designed by the Board of Studies to meet the needs of students interested in undertaking study in PDHPE at a more advanced level. The course comprises both theory and practical work. Students will receive a grade on their School Certificate at the end of Year 10.

The highlight of the Year 9 course is the camp. This is held in Term Four. The venue is The Basin, on Pittwater. Students will participate in bushwalking, orienteering and initiative and night games at the camping ground. The other component of the camp is the surfing skills session. This takes place at Palm Beach using the services of Manly Surf School. The camp is an overnight experience.

Because of the nature of some of the activities students are able to purchase a separate uniform that identifies the student as a PASS class member. This is useful for school carnivals, but also at other events outside of school that the students assist with such as touch and aquathon. Students may purchase a uniform in Term One of their Year 9 studies.

The Year 10 PASS course compliments the work started in Year 9 and the students will receive a grade in their School Certificate. The Year 10 course is varied in content and draws on a variety of disciplines including movement and sports sciences, applied anatomy and physiology and sociology. Students will develop a range of skills across each of these disciplines.

The PDHPE Department offers a variety of subjects for study in Years 11 & 12.

Personal Development, Health & Physical Education (PDHPE)

The PDHPE Syllabus includes two 120 hour courses.

The Preliminary course consists of three core modules representing 70% of course time. An options component representing 30% of course time includes four options of which students are to study two.

At Cerdon the students study -

• Meanings of Health and Physical Activity (10%)
• Better Health for Individuals (35%)
• The Body in Motion (25%)
• First Aid (15%)
• Fitness Choices (15%)

The HSC course consists of two core modules representing 60% of course time. An options component representing 40% of course time includes five options of which students are to study two:

• Health Priorities in Australia (30%)
• Factors Affecting Performance (30%)
• Sports Medicine (20%)
• Improving Performance (20%)

 Community & Family Studies (CAFS)

The Community and Family Studies Stage 6 Syllabus includes two 120 hour courses.

The Preliminary course consists of three mandatory modules. Preliminary Course Modules:

Resource Management
•   Basic concepts of resource management. Indicative course time: 20%
Individuals and Groups
•   The individual’s roles, relationships and tasks within and between groups.                                                                       Indicative course time: 40%
Families and Communities
•   Family structures and functions, and the interaction between family and community.                                                    Indicative course time: 40%

The HSC course consists of three core modules representing 75 percent of course time. An options component representing 25 percent of course time includes three modules of which students are to study only one. HSC Course Modules:

Research Methodology
•   Research methodology and skills culminating in the production of an Independent Research Project.                   Indicative course time: 25%
Groups in Context
•   The characteristics & needs of specific community groups. Indicative                                                                                                course time: 25%
Parenting and Caring
•   Issues facing individuals and groups who adopt roles of parenting and caring in contemporary society.                   Indicative course time: 25%
Social Impact of Technology
•   The impact of evolving technologies on individuals and lifestyle. Indicative                                                                                               course time: 25%

Exploring Early Childhood

Exploring Early Childhood is offered at both 1 unit (Year 11 Preliminary Course) & 2 unit (Year 11 Preliminary Course & Year 12 HSC Course) options.

The core studies are compulsory. There are three parts to the core:
Part A: Pregnancy and Childbirth (15 hrs)
Part B: Child Growth and Development (20 hrs)
Part C:  Promoting Positive Behaviour (10 hrs)

Students also have the option to study the following modules:

• Learning Experiences for Young Children
  
• Play and the Developing Child
  
• Starting School
  
• Children and Change
  
• The Children’s Services Industry
  
• Young Children and Media
  
• Young Children and the Law
  
• Children’s Literature
  
• Food and Nutrition
  
• Child Health and Safety
  
• Young Children with Special Needs

Students will also have an opportunity to work with children from local primary schools and child care centres.

Sport, Lifestyle & Recreation

The Sport, Lifestyle and Recreation (SLR) course is a 1 unit, 60 hour course, studied in the Preliminary year (Year 11). Students will study the following option modules:

• Outdoor Recreation
  
• Individual Games and Sports Applications
  
• Sports Coaching and Training

The Outdoor Recreation module involves a two-day, overnight camp to Hawkes Nest for Ocean Kayaking.