How is provision made for different target groups, and how can their participation be increased?
The target groups whose participation is below average and the provision, schemes and strategies used to increase their participation and make sport more inclusive.
A focused answer to the WJEC GCSE PE topic on provision and target groups, covering the groups whose participation is below average, the types of provision (public, private and voluntary), and the schemes and strategies used to increase participation and make sport more inclusive.
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What this dot point is asking
WJEC wants you to identify the target groups whose participation is below average, describe the provision available, and explain the schemes and strategies used to increase participation and make sport more inclusive.
Target groups
Common target groups include:
- Women and girls: lower participation in some sports because of tradition, image and a lack of role models.
- People with disabilities: reduced participation where facilities and activities are not accessible.
- Older people: participation often falls with age.
- Low-income groups: cost can be a barrier to taking part.
- Some ethnic minority groups: cultural factors and a lack of suitable provision can lower participation.
Types of provision
Provision (the facilities and opportunities available) comes from three sectors:
- Public provision: run by the local council or government, usually low-cost and open to all (a council leisure centre, a public park or playing field).
- Private provision: run by businesses for profit, usually with higher fees and better facilities (a private gym or health club).
- Voluntary provision: run by volunteers and clubs, often not for profit and relying on members and fundraising (a local amateur football or netball club).
Each plays a part: public and voluntary provision are especially important for reaching target groups who cannot afford private facilities.
Strategies to increase participation
Schemes and strategies aim to remove barriers and make sport more inclusive:
- accessible and inclusive sessions (adapted equipment, trained coaches, disability sport),
- low-cost or free schemes and equipment to borrow,
- targeted campaigns using role models (for example campaigns to encourage women and girls),
- provision designed for the group's needs (women-only sessions, sessions for older people),
- school and community links to introduce activities early and locally.
Why this matters
Provision and target groups are the practical response to the barriers to participation: facilities and schemes are designed to remove them. The whole effort is driven by the health, fitness and well-being benefits of activity, and it interacts with commercialisation and media, which can both help (funding, promotion) and hinder (focusing on popular sports) participation.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
WJEC style4 marksIdentify two target groups whose participation is often below average and describe a strategy to increase participation for each.Show worked answer →
A 4-mark question: a mark for each group and a mark for each matching strategy.
People with disabilities are one target group, as a lack of accessible facilities and suitable activities can reduce participation. A strategy is to provide accessible facilities and disability-specific or inclusive sessions with trained coaches and adapted equipment.
Women and girls are a second target group, as tradition, image and a lack of role models can lower participation. A strategy is to run women-only or friendship-group sessions and use campaigns with visible female role models to encourage them.
Markers reward two valid target groups (women and girls, people with disabilities, older people, low-income groups, ethnic minorities) each with a sensible strategy.
WJEC style4 marksDescribe the difference between public, private and voluntary provision of sport, giving an example of each.Show worked answer →
A 4-mark question: reward a correct description and example for each type.
Public provision is run by the local council or government and is usually low-cost and open to all, for example a council leisure centre or a public park. Private provision is run by businesses to make a profit, usually with higher fees and better facilities, for example a private gym or health club. Voluntary provision is run by volunteers and clubs, often not for profit and relying on members and fundraising, for example a local amateur football or netball club.
Markers reward the key idea of each (council and low-cost; business and profit; volunteers and clubs) with a relevant example.
Related dot points
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A focused answer to the WJEC GCSE PE topic on commercialisation and the media, covering what commercialisation means, the golden triangle linking sport, sponsorship and the media, and the advantages and disadvantages for sport, performers and spectators.
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A focused answer to the WJEC GCSE PE topic on ethics, covering sportsmanship, gamesmanship and deviance, the reasons performers use performance-enhancing drugs, the consequences of doping, and why drugs are banned in sport.
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A focused answer to the WJEC GCSE PE topic on health, fitness and well-being, covering the precise definition of each term, how the three are linked, and the physical, mental and social benefits of a physically active lifestyle that examiners reward.
Sources & how we know this
- WJEC GCSE Physical Education specification (from 2016) — WJEC (2016)