PULSE

Human performance, sleep science, wellbeing, sensors and digital health at Sunmarke School.

Overview

The body as a source of scientific questions.

PULSE is Sunmarke School’s hybrid ICT and Performance Intelligence Lab. During regular lessons it functions as a fully equipped ICT classroom. When activated for PULSE learning, the space becomes a practical environment for studying human movement, physiology, sleep, recovery, wellbeing and digital health.

Students use body and environmental sensors, wearables, simulators and analysis tools to collect and interpret information such as heart rate, movement, reaction, posture, recovery and the conditions that affect comfort and performance. Age-appropriate activities also introduce brain activity, immersive anatomy and artificial intelligence as tools for recognising patterns in health and performance data.

PULSE connects science, PE, computing, mathematics, design and technology, health education and psychology through practical investigation. Students progress from simple observation and measurement to structured experiments, data analysis, research projects and the design of health-technology solutions.

What makes it distinctive

The body becomes a source of scientific questions

Students move from learning facts about the human body to measuring change, comparing evidence and asking why performance, recovery and wellbeing vary under different conditions.

Sensors connect biology with computing

Wearables and body sensors let students see how physical signals become digital information – how devices collect data, how accurate readings are and how software interprets patterns.

Sleep, recovery and wellbeing studied together

PULSE gives students a structured setting to examine how sleep, activity, stress, environment and recovery relate to concentration and performance, without turning classroom activities into medical assessment.

From measurement to health technology

Older students move beyond analysing data: they identify a real health or performance need, design a sensor-based or digital response, test it and explain the evidence behind their decisions.

Key activities and activations

What students do inside the lab.

Movement and biomechanics investigation

Students use movement-analysis tools and sensors to study posture, balance, joint movement and coordination, comparing performance before and after a change in technique and explaining what improved.

Sleep and recovery science

Students investigate sleep, rest and recovery using age-appropriate datasets, sleep diaries and anonymised summaries, comparing patterns and discussing what the evidence can and cannot prove.

Wearables and vital signs

Students learn how sensors measure signals such as heart rate, movement and breathing rate, comparing readings at rest and after activity and examining why devices produce different results.

Brain, reaction and focus

Students explore reaction time, attention and basic neuroscience through safe cognitive tasks and response-time tests, comparing repeated trials and discussing the limits of interpreting performance data.

Environment and wellbeing

Students investigate how temperature, light, noise, humidity and air quality influence comfort, focus and physical performance, then propose practical improvements based on their findings.

Design a health-tech solution

Students identify a health, wellbeing or performance problem and design a technology response – a posture reminder, hydration prompt, recovery dashboard or accessible interface – defining the user need, prototyping and testing it.

Initiatives

Performance challenges, Sleep and Recovery Week and an expert series.

PULSE Human Performance Challenge

An annual investigation challenge in which teams select a measurable performance question, design a fair test, collect data, analyse results and present an evidence-based recommendation.

Sleep and Recovery Week

A school-wide programme of talks, age-appropriate investigations and student communication projects exploring sleep, routines, recovery, concentration and healthy digital habits.

Health-Tech Design Challenge

Teams identify a health or wellbeing need and develop a prototype, interface or sensor-based idea. Finalists present the problem, user need, data choice, testing process and proposed solution to an expert panel.

PULSE Expert Series

Guest sessions with professionals from sports science, physiotherapy, medicine, psychology, neuroscience, wearable technology, digital health and biomedical engineering, focused on how evidence and technology are used in practice.

Skills students develop

Human biology and physiology – body systems, exercise response and recovery

Sports science and biomechanics – movement, technique, reaction and performance

Data literacy and statistics – collecting, graphing, comparing and interpreting real measurements

Sensors and wearable technology – inputs, measurement, calibration and device limitations

Artificial intelligence and digital health – how algorithms identify patterns and support decisions

Research methods and experimental design – fair tests, controlled variables and reliable communication of findings

Sleep and wellbeing science – sleep, recovery, behaviour and environmental factors

Ethics and health data – privacy, consent, bias, accuracy and responsible use of personal data

Where this can lead

Study and career pathways this lab opens up.

Top-tier universities in the UK, USA, Canada, Europe, the UAE and beyond. PULSE opens pathways across health, science, sport and technology. By exploring movement, physiology, recovery and wellbeing through real-world data, students build foundations for future study in fields where human performance, digital health and intelligent technology increasingly come together.

Medicine
Physiology and healthcare
Sports science
Physiotherapy
Coaching and performance analysis
Research and analytics
Psychology
Biomedical engineering
Electronics and wearable product design
Health technology
Computer science and medical software
Laboratory and academic research
Public health and wellbeing
Research ethics
Cybersecurity and policy

Curriculum

Curriculum integration and future pathways

PULSE is designed as a cross-curricular learning environment. The links below show where PULSE activities can support existing curriculum outcomes. They are curriculum connections, not a claim of formal specification alignment. Final lesson mapping should follow Sunmarke’s chosen GCSE and A-level specifications.

Curriculum Focus

SciencePhysical EducationComputingHealth Education

Students build an early understanding of movement, the body and healthy habits through observation, simple measurement and teacher-led technology activities.

Sample Learning Experiences

Observe how breathing and pulse change after simple movement.

Explore balance, coordination and the main parts of the body.

Discuss why sleep, movement, food and rest help us feel and learn well.

Use simple digital tools to record observations safely.

Curriculum Focus

SciencePhysical EducationMathematicsComputingHealth Education

Students use age-appropriate measurements and digital tools to connect activity, recovery and wellbeing with evidence they can record and discuss.

Sample Learning Experiences

Measure heart rate before and after different activities and compare recovery.

Record simple movement data and identify patterns.

Explore links between sleep, hydration, nutrition and performance.

Create a simple wellbeing data presentation for classmates.

Curriculum Focus

BiologyPhysical EducationMathematicsComputingPSHE

Students move from simple observation into data analysis, using evidence from movement, physiology and wellbeing to explain patterns and make informed decisions.

Sample Learning Experiences

Compare heart-rate responses across different exercise intensities.

Analyse trends in movement, recovery or sleep data.

Use data to evaluate a training or wellbeing routine.

Present evidence-based recommendations to a defined audience.

Curriculum Focus

GCSE BiologyPhysical EducationMathematicsComputer ScienceHealth

Students investigate human performance more formally, plan controlled enquiries, interpret datasets and evaluate the reliability and limitations of their evidence.

Sample Learning Experiences

Design a controlled investigation into exercise, recovery or fatigue.

Compare wearable or sensor data against defined criteria.

Evaluate the reliability of collected health and performance data.

Develop evidence-based recommendations from an investigation.

Curriculum Focus

A-Level BiologyPhysical EducationPsychologyMathematicsEPQ

Students undertake more independent research into human performance and wellbeing, combining scientific evidence, data analysis and critical evaluation.

Sample Learning Experiences

Complete an extended investigation into a human-performance question.

Use advanced datasets to evaluate training, recovery or wellbeing.

Critically assess methods, uncertainty and limitations.

Present research findings to an authentic audience.

SCHOLARSHIP

Interested in a technology scholarship?

To find out about scholarships at Sunmarke, please contact our Admissions team.

Contact Admissions

Gallery

Inside PULSE

From exploring human movement and wellbeing to analysing real-time performance data, these moments capture students using technology, science and curiosity to understand the human body in action.