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Physical Education

The PE department aims to develop qualities and skills that pupils need to succeed in school and beyond.  The curriculum aims to enable all young people to become successful learners who enjoy learning, participating, making progress and achieving, confident individuals who understand the place of physical activity in a healthy lifestyle, and responsible citizens who have good self-discipline, self-control, leadership and social relationships.

We offer a broad spectrum of different sports in the 3rd form which is supported by the games programme on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons. The 4th and 5th form can opt for GCSE Physical Education and the 6th form AS and A2 Physical Education.  We have had considerable success with GCSE results, particularly in the past two years, with 92% of students gaining A/B grades in 2009.

The PE department makes good use of the fantastic sports facilities we have at King's, including three astroturf pitches, swimming pool, sports hall, fitness gym, squash courts, tennis courts and extensive playing fields.  We also use Dartfish technology to support the teaching and learning of all students.  Dartfish is video analysis technology which allows students to view and analyse their performance in a number of different ways.

The department runs a number of successful trips to support the curriculum, including local visits to leisure facilities in Taunton, exercise physiology trips to Exeter University and Bath University, and a history of sport visit to Twickenham Rugby Museum.  We also invite outside speakers in to talk to groups about subjects such as sport psychology.  We have also had talks from successful sportsmen and women about their experiences.

Staff profiles

Sara Similien is head of PE and co-director of sport.  She was educated at Liverpool John Moores University where she studied sports science, and then went on to complete her PGCE at Exeter University.  Before moving to Taunton she taught PE for nine years in Hertfordshire where she was head of department and a school sports co-ordinator.  She specialises in teaching anatomy and physiology, and acquisition of skill and sports psychology, and also teaches geography.

Sara is a sporting all-rounder but her major game is hockey.  She has played National League hockey for the past twelve years at several different clubs and is currently playing for Exe Hockey Club.  She has also played National League indoor hockey, most recently for Clifton.  In the past she has coached hockey in America and for Hertfordshire.  She is currently head of girls' hockey at King's and coaches the 1st X1 girls' hockey team.

Head of Cricket Phil Lewis completed a sport and exercise science degree at Loughborough University whilst he pursued a career in cricket.  He represented the Loughborough UCCE Cricket Academy and played for both Somerset and Dorset CCC after university.  He has now settled as a teacher/coach here at King's having taught and coached cricket at Sherborne School.  He now coaches the highly successful 1st XI cricket team who, in his first year as coach, achieved the Wisden Schools Cricket Team of the Year accolade.  He is a level 3 qualified county head coach and has set up his own Easter cricket coaching clinics at King's.

He coaches the Under 15 A rugby team and the Under 16 rugby 7's squad. He plays off a handicap of four in golf and manages to drag himself away from school on the odd occasion to coach the school golf team as well.  He specialises in teaching anatomy and physiology in the PE department, and also teaches biology.

Nick Gresswell is co-director of sport, and was educated at Northumbria University, pursuing a professional coaching career before moving to Taunton.  Nick has worked for the RFU, RFUW, and Newcastle Falcons as a coach, player mentor and community development manager.  He took his PGCE at Sunderland University whilst running an RFU Academy in the North of England.  A proud moment came when England played the All Blacks at Twickenham in 2009, and five players he coached at the Academy took the field for both the men's and women's full international sides. As a sportsman he has played rugby for his county, Harlequins Under 19s and abroad at regional level in New Zealand, as well as gaining county honours as a hockey goalkeeper.  He is also housemaster of King Alfred.  As the King's College 1st XV rugby coach he has achieved notable success, including the Rosslyn Park National 7’s title in 2007.

Click here for details of the 3rd form curriculum

Click here for details of the GCSE course

Click here for details of the A Level course