Allow all Olympic sports to be part of curriculum at GCSE and A Level Sport.

The Department For Education is drastically cutting back the sports which can be assessed as part of GCSE and A Level practicals. They have removed a number of Olympic sports such as Fencing, Judo and Taekwondo.

This is a massive backward step and contrary to our aim to achieve Olympic success.

We should be encouraging young people to participate in Olympic sports and schools to facilitate this. Removing them from the approved list will discourage schools from promoting and funding them.

Talented athletes on World Class Programmes won't be able to use their main sport as part of their study. This will disadvantage them both academically and in a sporting sense.

Our youth are future Olympic medalists. We should be using joined up thinking to help them, not put obstacles in their way.

The Department published reformed content for physical education (PE) GCSE, AS and A level in January 2015. The content included a list of sports and activities in which students could be assessed as part of these qualifications and several sports, including some Olympic sports, have not been included.

The activity list was revised to reflect Ofqual’s principles that non-exam assessment should ensure sound assessment practice and that qualifications were not easily distorted. To meet these principles, awarding organisations (AOs) developed a set of key considerations to ensure each activity could be assessed reliably, was of comparable demand and was manageable for schools to assess. The considerations can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/447738/GCSE_activity_list_for_PE.pdf. Activities were included on the activity list based upon whether they met these considerations and their suitability as a means of assessing students’ skills as part of a PE qualification. The list does not represent a view on the legitimacy or value of activities.

The Department publicly consulted on the activity list (not on the set of considerations) in the summer of 2014. This was part of the formal consultation process on proposed subject content for qualifications introduced from September 2016. Following an analysis of information submitted by stakeholders and evidence gathering by the Department and in consultation with sector experts, the Department agreed the final list of activities with AOs and Ofqual. The government response to the consultation can be viewed at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/397672/Reformed_GCSE_and_A_level_subject_content_Government_Response.pdf. The Department will formally review this list again at a later stage to ensure it reflects activities that meet the criteria for assessment and will provide further information on this closer to the time.