Hello
Just asking for advice. My daughter has just started GCSE PE and was planning to do skating as her main sport. She's level 2 field moves, and mostly does synchro, but was thinking of doing figure skating as the COVID uncertainty makes synchro a bit of a high risk choice. However, AQA have just released criteria for assessment and they seem insanely harsh compared to other sports. The core skills / techniques include double salchow, double toeloop and combination spins. Full list here:
Skating skills: edges and control, stroking, crossovers in all directions, transitions from forwards to backwards and backwards to forwards.
Steps (minimum of 3) step sequences covering the full ice surface: toe steps, crossrolls, mohawks, choctaws.
Turns (minimum of 3): three turns, brackets, rockers, counters, twizzles, loops.
Combination spin: change of foot and a minimum of eight revolutions or six revolutions without a change of foot.
Jumps (minimum of 3): axel, double salchow, double toe loop, double loop, double flip, double lutz or others.
Moves in the field (minimum of 3): spirals, tea-pots, hydro glides, ina bauers, spread eagles, split jumps, drags.
These are so much more difficult than the moves required for her other sports. A quick look suggests you would have to be at NISA level 6 free skate to be able to demonstrate the minimum, which seems ridiculous. She could fulfil the criteria for synchro but all competitions are cancelled for 2021 so not sure how she would demonstrate it? Is any one else considering skatinfg for GCSE PE? Other board still seem quite tough for skating in comparison with other sports but the jumps are single and you can do an upright spin, which seems reasonable.