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 between 1.5 and 2.5 hours per week in Kindergarten to Year 6.

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.

Sports & physical activity

 All students are allocated houses for school sport. The four houses and colours are:

Gareaway                Marayong           Mulgo                Waugan

Blue                         Green                  Yellow                Red

White Cockatoo      Emu                    Black Swan        Raven

PSSA Sport

The Primary School Sport Association (PSSA) is a Department of Education initiative which promotes and supports the implementation of appropriate sport and sport-focused programs for all students by encouraging participation, skill development and excellence in performance.

This primary interschool sports competition is held weekly on Fridays, between Ku-ring-gai PSSA teams and involves sporting teams whose members are selected at school based trials.

Gordon West Public School PSSA teams represent a variety of sports including touch football, cricket and modball (summer) and soccer and netball (winter). All Year 3 to Year 6 students who turn 8 years and above in the year of competition are eligible to attend selection trials.

Gordon West's PSSA Sport Selection Trial Procedures

1. Students are invited to express their interest in participating in trials for a particular sport with summer sports played in Terms 1 & 4 and winter sports Terms 2 & 3. Juniors are students turning 8, 9 & 10 and seniors are students turning 11, 12 & 13 in the year of competition.
2. The students are notified of the days of their trials in advance by the teacher selector(s) so that they can bring the appropriate clothing and equipment.
3. The students are trialled over as many days as deemed necessary by the selector(s). This typically would occur in the first weeks of Term 1 for summer sports and the last weeks of Term 1 for winter sports. This information will be included on the school website in Term 1.
4. Students are selected for PSSA teams based on their ability as shown at the trials. In some cases when student trial numbers are high, a culling process may take place after all students have had the chance to trial on at least 2 occasions. The selector(s) will cull students according to the skills and ability the student has demonstrated at the school based trials.