Physical Education (PE) and Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) are two non-examinable common curriculum subjects that PG1 Secondary 1 pupils learn with their mixed form class. PE develops movement, outdoor safety and healthy participation. CCE helps learners explore identity, relationships, values, citizenship, digital judgement and responsible decisions.
Non-examinable does not mean optional or unimportant. Both subjects are planned parts of school, with instruction, participation and meaningful feedback. Parents should check the child’s own school timetable and any accessibility or medical requirements while helping the pupil learn to take part safely and respectfully.
- PE: three learning areas, health and safety and outdoor education.
- CCE: core purpose, relationships and values in everyday decisions.
- 2026 policy: generative AI and deepfake awareness in Cyber Wellness.
- Sources: Jurong West Secondary PE 2026 and Peirce Secondary CCE.
Reviewed 4 November 2026. National learning aims and examples from named schools are distinguished from school-specific modules, year levels and safety procedures. The child’s allocated school sets the current instructions.
Chapter guide
- 1. Why PE and CCE belong to the shared Full SBB curriculum
- 2. The three main areas of Physical Education
- 3. Movement competence can grow with practice
- 4. Games: rules, strategy, cooperation and sportsmanship
- 5. Outdoor education and the importance of safe judgement
- 6. Physical health and fitness are longer-term habits
- 7. What if a child has injury, asthma or another health concern?
- 8. CCE: character, citizenship and social-emotional learning
- 9. Identity: a Posting Group is not a person’s entire story
- 10. Relationships: respect, disagreement and help-seeking
- 11. Choices: values become visible in actions
- 12. The six broad content areas within CCE
- 13. Cyber Wellness, generative AI and deepfake awareness
- 14. Future readiness without forcing a career choice at 12
- 15. Where PE and CCE meet: teamwork and care
- 16. Four weeks of family support for PE and CCE
- 17. Questions parents ask about PE and CCE in PG1
1. Why PE and CCE belong to the shared Full SBB curriculum
In lower secondary, Physical Education and Character and Citizenship Education are two of six common subjects taught in mixed form classes. The three examinable common subjects are Art, Design & Technology and Food & Consumer Education. Music, PE and CCE are non-examinable common subjects, but that does not make attendance or participation optional.
A pupil with G1 Mathematics and a classmate with G3 Mathematics can play a game together, discuss a decision and cooperate in an outdoor activity. These are opportunities to see personal strengths not reflected by a PSLE total. Teachers still need to organise the learning for different confidence levels and individual needs.
Bukit View Secondary’s Full SBB page distinguishes the common subjects and the mixed-class structure. PE and CCE have curriculum aims, school programmes and feedback even without a conventional common-curriculum written examination score. Parents should follow their own school’s specific participation and administrative requirements.
2. The three main areas of Physical Education
Singapore school PE programmes commonly describe three areas: Physical Activity, Outdoor Education, and Physical Health and Safety. Physical Activity develops movement competence and understanding of games. Outdoor Education focuses on appropriate skills and care for the environment. Physical Health and Safety encourages informed, safe and enjoyable activity.
These are connected rather than isolated blocks. A school game requires moving, following rules, cooperating and managing risks. Outdoor learning may involve a plan, awareness of conditions and decisions made with peers. Health education helps a student understand that sustainable activity supports wellbeing.
The Boon Lay Secondary PE curriculum uses these three learning areas, while Jurong West Secondary’s October 2026 curriculum lists goals including skills, safe practices, sportsmanship and lifelong activity. Individual schools choose their own modules and term sequences.
3. Movement competence can grow with practice
A pupil may know how to run but still be learning to catch a ball, move into space or balance during a new sport. Those are skills that develop through appropriate instruction and practice. An unsuccessful first attempt is not a verdict on physical potential or a reason to embarrass the child.
Ask what one movement the class is learning, then look for a small improvement: more accurate timing, better position, controlled movement or clearer awareness of surrounding players. The teacher’s feedback and the pupil’s actual health needs should guide practice. Home drills should not be imposed without regard for safety and suitability.
PE offers value even to students who will never compete in a national team. Its role includes confidence in participating, understanding strategies, behaving fairly and finding activities a child may enjoy into adulthood.
4. Games: rules, strategy, cooperation and sportsmanship
A student playing a team game must notice where teammates are, communicate, understand a rule and make decisions while moving. This is more than running faster than another player. A pupil can contribute by keeping an appropriate distance, offering a safe pass or helping a group organise itself.
Respect is visible in how a player responds to a mistake. Encouraging a teammate, accepting a fair decision and stopping when an activity becomes unsafe show responsible participation. Humiliating another pupil for a missed catch works against the learning goals, regardless of who won the game.
Hougang Secondary describes badminton and netball in its S1 curriculum, while Tanjong Katong Girls’ School lists a different S1 sequence. These are examples, not a nationally fixed schedule for every 2027 PG1 pupil.
5. Outdoor education and the importance of safe judgement
Outdoor education may involve navigation, environmental awareness, teamwork and school-supervised practical tasks. Its purpose includes learning how to notice conditions and make appropriate decisions, not testing whether a child will follow daring instructions without question.
Ask the child what the teacher says to do when the weather changes, an instruction is unclear or somebody has difficulty keeping up. A pupil should recognise the responsible adult and the correct route for asking for help. The school must communicate its own risk management, consent and required equipment.
Do not use a general article as instructions for unsupervised outdoor cooking, swimming, climbing or camping. Safety is an active learning objective. Where a pupil has a relevant mobility or health need, parents should discuss the authorised arrangements with the school before the event.
6. Physical health and fitness are longer-term habits
Physical health includes developing habits that allow a person to move confidently, rest appropriately and enjoy activity over time. Young teenagers have different experiences and stages of physical development, so one comparison with a classmate should not be used as a judgement about the child’s value.
Schools may teach understanding of fitness and healthy habits through appropriate activities and feedback. They can assess relevant physical skills, but the actual modules, reporting and any NAPFA schedule are school- and year-specific. Do not claim that every S1 pupil must complete the same fitness test immediately after entering secondary school.
Parents can support safe participation by providing the required PE attire, following medical advice when needed and asking how the child feels about the activity. Avoid turning PE into a weight-loss demand or a competitive training schedule unrelated to the school’s programme.
7. What if a child has injury, asthma or another health concern?
The first step is to communicate a relevant safety or accessibility issue to authorised school staff through the secure school procedure. Ask what adjustments, supervision or appropriate alternatives are available and which medical instructions the teacher needs to follow. A public website cannot determine whether an individual pupil is fit for a specific activity.
The child should understand that a serious symptom or injury is a reason to stop and seek help, not to prove resilience by ignoring danger. At the same time, do not assume an ongoing health condition means exclusion from all activity. The school’s qualified personnel and healthcare professionals can work toward appropriate participation.
Keep sensitive health information private. If a school needs documentation for a camp or PE lesson, use its approved route rather than sending medical reports to classmates, unofficial tutoring services or a public parent group.
8. CCE: character, citizenship and social-emotional learning
Character and Citizenship Education teaches more than school rules. It helps pupils understand themselves, relate to other people, reflect on values and make responsible decisions. It also develops awareness of Singapore as a community and the responsibilities of belonging to a wider society.
The Peirce Secondary CCE page describes three big ideas: Identity, Relationships and Choices, supported by values and social-emotional competencies. These ideas connect to school wellbeing, learning habits, family life, digital behaviour and future readiness.
CCE is non-examinable in the common-curriculum classification, but still requires thoughtful participation. A student who can explain the likely effects of an action and respond respectfully is demonstrating learning that a conventional memorised definition might not capture.
9. Identity: a Posting Group is not a person’s entire story
A young pupil may feel defined by a PSLE result or compare academic subject levels with friends. A constructive identity discussion looks at what the child cares about, which skills they are building and how they respond when something is difficult. A formal score can inform an educational route without describing personality, kindness or future potential.
Ask the learner to name one thing improved in the last month, one activity enjoyed and one responsibility taken. Then ask which action could help over the next week. This shifts attention from a fixed label to actual development and evidence.
Children should not be pressured to disclose private fears to a group. Teachers can offer different ways to reflect, and parents can listen without demanding a dramatic story. Support grows from understanding the child rather than imposing an identity based on schooling categories.
10. Relationships: respect, disagreement and help-seeking
Healthy relationships involve listening, understanding perspectives, communicating boundaries and taking responsibility for harm. A disagreement over a game or group project can be discussed and resolved without humiliation. Students also need to learn when an incident is too serious to manage alone.
If a pupil is repeatedly threatened, excluded through sustained cruelty or hurt online, tell a trusted school adult. A child should not be asked to face an unsafe group alone to demonstrate maturity. Reporting facts and seeking protection are responsible actions.
The Yusof Ishak Secondary CCE programme includes empathy, social responsibility and help-seeking. The PG1 friendships and bullying guide gives direct parent and pupil steps for hurtful incidents, which are different from normal classroom conflict.
11. Choices: values become visible in actions
A child makes small decisions every day: whether to copy homework, how to respond to an insulting message, whether to admit a mistake and whether to help a new classmate. CCE can turn these familiar situations into a structured discussion about consequences and responsibility.
Ask who is affected by the decision, what each possible action would do and whether an alternative protects safety and dignity. The goal is not to obtain the answer the adult wants without reflection. It is to connect the choice to a reason the pupil understands.
For example, sharing an embarrassing screenshot may win a few laughs but can harm someone and prolong the incident. A more responsible response is to avoid forwarding it, offer appropriate support and tell a trusted adult when the content is harmful. This is practical ethics, not only a vocabulary lesson.
12. The six broad content areas within CCE
CCE content includes National Education, Cyber Wellness, Mental Health, Education and Career Guidance, Family Education and Sexuality Education. These areas are taught in age-appropriate ways and connected to the larger themes of identity, relationships and choices. They do not all appear as separate examination subjects.
The Peirce Secondary syllabus overview identifies these areas, and Yusof Ishak Secondary explains how students learn personal values, digital judgement and citizenship. Schools may add assemblies, Values-in-Action, leadership opportunities or other planned activities, while maintaining core curriculum aims.
A parent can ask what the actual year’s programme covers and which communications or consent requirements apply. For personal or sensitive matters, school-provided information and authorised professional guidance take precedence over generic online advice.
13. Cyber Wellness, generative AI and deepfake awareness
Digital choices have social consequences. A student should question a suspicious message, avoid exposing personal information and recognise that an apparently convincing image or audio clip may have been altered or generated. Sending content onwards without checking can spread harm even when the sender did not create it.
MOE’s 2026 Committee of Supply announcement says CCE Cyber Wellness lessons were updated to cover validating information generated by AI and identifying deepfakes. The update extends the practical idea of checking evidence before making or sharing a claim.
Teach a short response: pause, check the original and reliable sources, then seek adult help if the material involves harm or coercion. Do not upload another pupil’s face or private message to public AI tools in the name of verification. The Deyi Secondary Cyber Wellness curriculum addresses online identity, relationships, safety and ethics.
14. Future readiness without forcing a career choice at 12
Education and Career Guidance begins with exploring interests, strengths and learning opportunities. A pupil who enjoys design, sports, science or storytelling may gain useful clues, but this is not a reason to declare a fixed future occupation in Secondary 1.
Ask what activity gives the child a sense of purpose, what they were willing to practise and which obstacles they overcame. These observations can help later discussions about subject combinations, CCAs and further education. They are more informative than assuming that PG1 automatically determines a single post-secondary destination.
Formal subject choices and post-secondary admission criteria develop over the following years and can change. Families should revisit current MOE and school guidance at each decision point rather than promising a particular ITE, polytechnic or JC route solely from a Primary 6 result.
15. Where PE and CCE meet: teamwork and care
Games, camps and group tasks create situations where resilience, communication and judgement can be practised. A student may need to manage frustration after losing, help a peer who is uncertain about a rule or take responsibility when equipment is misplaced.
A useful reflection does not ask only “Did you win?” but “What did your group do when something went wrong?” The child can notice who helped, which decision kept everyone safe and what could improve next time. That is both social-emotional learning and practical participation.
The mixed form class allows pupils with different academic strengths to contribute together. Teachers still need to guide inclusion and safe behaviour. If exclusion or unsafe treatment occurs, the pupil should seek appropriate school support rather than assuming it is a normal cost of growing up.
16. Four weeks of family support for PE and CCE
Week one: confirm the school’s PE attire, reporting locations and any relevant safety or medical communication. Week two: ask the child to explain a game rule, a movement skill they practised and how they handled a small challenge.
Week three: discuss a realistic school or digital-life choice using the questions “Who is affected?” and “What is a responsible next step?” Week four: review one positive activity habit and one example of improved cooperation or help-seeking. Keep conversations concise and open, not another graded exercise after school.
The pupil should still have time to rest and enjoy the school transition. The aim is safe participation and growing judgement, not adding an adult fitness schedule or demanding public disclosure of sensitive feelings.
17. Questions parents ask about PE and CCE in PG1
“Are they optional because they are non-examinable?” No; these are part of the lower-secondary common curriculum. “Do all S1 schools use the same sports timetable?” No; compare the school examples and follow the allocated school’s current plan. “Do PG1 pupils only do PE with other PG1 pupils?” Shared common classes can include different Posting Groups.
“Should a child exercise despite illness or injury?” Follow professional and school safety instructions, not a blanket online rule. “Will students study online safety?” Yes, Cyber Wellness forms part of CCE, with AI-generated information and deepfake awareness strengthened in announced 2026 updates.
The final parent action is to confirm the actual timetable, school support contacts and any required health information, then encourage the learner to notice and explain what they have learned about safe movement, relationships and responsible choices.
School sources, official guidance and related articles
- PG1 parent hub and all subject guides
- Bukit View Secondary: the six common subjects
- Jurong West Secondary: PE goals and activities
- Boon Lay Secondary: three learning areas
- Hougang Secondary: Secondary 1 PE example
- Tanjong Katong Girls’ School: PE activities
- Peirce Secondary: CCE framework
- Yusof Ishak Secondary: identity, relationships, choices
- Temasek Secondary: CCE outcomes
- Deyi Secondary: Cyber Wellness
- MOE 2026: AI and deepfake literacy in CCE
- PG1 friendships and bullying support guide
- PG1 CCA and LEAPS guide
Published by edu|Kate Singapore. This independent guide is not a medical assessment, fitness prescription or substitute for school instructions.
Continue through the other common curriculum guides
These linked guides explain the other shared lower-secondary subjects under Full Subject-Based Banding. All pupils should follow their school’s own curriculum and safety instructions.
- PG1 Secondary 1 Design & Technology | How D&T Projects, Sketching and Making Work
- PG1 Secondary 1 Food & Consumer Education | Nutrition, Kitchen Safety and Budgeting
- PG1 Secondary 1 Art & Music | How Creative Learning Works in Mixed Classes
Return to the complete PG1 parent hub and PSLE Score 25–30 guides.