Personal development, health and physical education (PDHPE) is mandatory from Kindergarten to Year 10.
According to the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA), students are expected to participate in PDHPE for 300 hours per year in Years 7 to 10.
PDHPE provides students with opportunities to explore issues that are likely to impact on the health, safety and wellbeing of themselves and others – now and in the future. Students also participate in challenging and enjoyable physical activity, improving their capacity to move with skill and confidence.
In Year 11 and 12, courses available include:
- Community and Family Studies
- Exploring Early Childhood
- Personal Development, Health and Physical Education
- Sport, Lifestyle and Recreation Studies.
Sporting opportunities at Balmain
PD/H/PE and Sport Students can participate in many activities including:
- School Swimming Carnival
- Campus Athletics Carnival
- College Athletics Carnival
- Many of our grade sport teams are Champions of the interschool competitions. School Cross Country Carnival – zone champions.
- CHS Sports Knock-Out Teams – Junior Hockey team placed 7th in State CHS Knock-Out Competition.
- Fencing - Our Junior Fencing Team have won the NSW School Fencing League Championship.
- Grade Sport selection include Rugby league, rugby union, soccer, cricket, tennis, swimming, life-saving, water polo, basketball, netball, softball, baseball, touch football, fencing, squash, and weight training.
- The completion of a pontoon will provide greater scope for water-based activities such as kayaking and dragon boat racing.
- Access to combined Sydney Secondary College sports teams is also a feature.
Sporting grounds and facilities
- Multipurpose indoor court
- Basketball and Netball courts
- Playing Fields
- Weights room
- Kayaking
- Dance Space
- Cricket Nets
Sports facilities are used for Physical Education classes, sports competitions and student recreational use.
Sydney Secondary College sport model
Participation
Students within Sydney Secondary College will have the opportunity to participate in Grade Sport from Year 7 to Year 10 in each of Terms 1-4. The Grade Sport competition is conducted each Tuesday afternoon, with students nominating themselves to participate. Students compete in either Bligh, or Northern Zone, based on their choice of sport.
Venues
Year 7 and 8 Grade Sport will be conducted at Central venues within both Bligh and Northern Zone with the Year 9 and 10 competitions being based on a home and away system. The following schools compete in the Grade Sport competition:
Participating schools: Balmain Campus; Burwood Girls; Leichhardt Campus; Ryde Secondary College; Hunters Hill; Alexandria Park; Fort Street; Tempe; Concord; Marrickville; Dulwich Hill; Newtown.
Transport: Students will be bused to central venues with students paying a levy and subsidise the cost of bus hire each week. This is to be paid to the administration office by the student each term. Buses for the Year 9 and 10 home and away competition will be used when necessary. Grade sport will commence each week at 1pm concluding at 2.10pm enabling buses time to return students to their Campus and staff to attend Staff meetings commencing between 2.30-2.40pm.
Uniform: Students from Sydney Secondary College are to wear their PD/H/PE polo shirt for Grade sport or attire designated to be appropriate for an individual sport. Each team must be attired appropriately each week to compete in the competition.
Coaching: Staff will be offered opportunity to coach grade sport. Staff expertise and experience will be taken into account by the Sports Organiser following staff nominations to allocate appropriate staff to coach sports to best meet the learning needs of students.
Students in Year 10 will be able to nominate as coaches to assist staff in coaching. These nominations will be made through the Sports Organiser and students will be allocated to a sport to assist a teacher in coaching of that sport, providing the Year 10 student with a leadership opportunity. The staff member will maintain all duty of care and responsibility for the team.
Point score: Point score for the Grade Sport Competition is the responsibility of each coach, reporting weekly results to the Sports Organiser. The Zone is responsible for the administration of the overall competition point score and the provision to each school of results / places and allocation of final positions / Zone Award system.
Merit system: The Sports Organiser is responsible for collating all student participation in grade sport with SASS staff to enter data on the Central Data Base for Sydney Secondary College Sport Merit. At the completion of Term 3 each year the Sports Organiser in conjunction with the merit system administrator / SASS staff will coordinate the generation of Sport Merit Awards.
First aid and injuries to students: All teachers are required to take a first aid kit to their sporting venue and are required to have undertaken the mandatory emergency care training. If a student becomes sick or is injured the teacher is responsible for administering first aid. In the case of serious injury the teacher should contact the school immediately to seek advice and to call an ambulance. Following an injury the teacher is required to complete the "Injury to Student" form located in the Administration block and pass it onto the Principal with any other relevant information or statements.
Professional development: The College provides staff with professional development in areas of sports coaching and refereeing. Areas of identified need include: running a structured sports specific training session, Student Management and refereeing of sport.