Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) contributes significantly to the cognitive, social, emotional, physical and spiritual development of students. It provides opportunities for students to learn about, and practise ways of, adopting and maintaining a healthy, productive and active life. It also involves students learning through movement experiences that are both challenging and enjoyable, and improving their capacity to move with skill and confidence in a variety of contexts. It promotes the value of physical activity in their lives. A wide variety of sports and activities is covered across the school including track and field, aquatics, team games such as touch, netball, basketball, tennis, volleyball and AFL, archery, gymnastics and dance.
PDHPE provides the opportunity for young people to explore issues that are likely to impact on the health and wellbeing of themselves and others, now and in the future. The issues that affect young people include physical activity, mental health, drug use, sexual health, nutrition, supportive relationships, personal safety, gender roles and discrimination. Health issues that have the potential to appear in later life are also relevant due to their relationship to lifestyle patterns established in adolescent years and the possibility that they may impact on family and other significant adults in students’ lives.
Students who have a particularly interest in Sport and Physical Activity may choose to study Physical Activity and Sports Studies as an elective in Stage 5 and PDHPE and Sport Lifestyle and Recreation in Years 11 and 12.