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What Jim told James (Conversations between an experienced Head of PE and and ECT)
Foreword
This is a very worrying moment. I am about to start a blog with the words “I had a dream...The blog for PE teachers: The Changing Rooms
A blog dedicated to the teaching of PE, covering all key elements of physical education teaching, including GCSE PE, A-Level PE and BTEC Sport.
Extended writing examples for your GCSE PE Course - Part 4 OCR A-Level PE
After three really successful posts in the last few weeks on extended writing examples for AQA GCSE...
A new way to revise for PE and Sport exams in 2025
Dear PE colleagues,As most of you know, my team and I have been providing revision experiences for...
School Assumptions… School Revelations
I remember it really well: It was my first time walking into a GCSE PE classroom as a teacher in my...
A mode of one - the use of slides in PE and Sport classroom teaching
I am writing this post to any PE teacher who teaches a qualification subject in a classroom. I...
Extended writing examples for your GCSE PE Course - Part 3 OCR GCSE PE
After two really successful posts in the last two weeks on extended writing examples for AQA GCSE PE
Extended writing examples for your GCSE PE Course - Part 1 AQA GCSE PE
For this week’s post, I am simply going to provide a whole load of teaching and learning resources...
Teaching the learning theories in PE and Sport lessons
Dear PE colleagues,Teaching skill acquisition in A-level PE, AS PE and BTEC Sport at KS5 is a...
New PE-learning feature on TheEverLearner.com: Centralised Assessment Models
Dear PE colleagues and especially my PE customers (don’t like the word customers but it is the...
Ten MORE misconceptions in PE and Sport teaching
Way back in 2022, I wrote a blog post about 10 common misconceptions in PE teaching. That post has...
Eight ways to use your 2025 national mock exams
Dear PE colleagues,
I am delighted to inform you that the 2025 tranche of National Mock Exams is...
Eight facts about the heart that PE and Sport teachers should know - For Valentine's Day!!
Happy Valentine’s Day! I’m writing this in early February to be released on February 12th and, to...
Assessment models in examination PE courses - Part 2
Welcome to the blog. Two weeks ago, I wrote Part 1 of this post and today I will complete it. Well,...
Assessment models in examination PE courses - Part 1
This post is written for any PE teacher or course manager working in an examination PE course. The...
How to revise for the 2025 PE and Sport exams with The EverLearner team
Dear PE colleagues,
I hope that, by now, you have already seen that the 2025 PE exam preparation...
Reframing educational assumptions in PE and Sport
I am writing this post in order to challenge any PE teacher or course manager who operates in a...
Ten predictions for classroom-based PE and Sport in 2025
Happy New Year!!In early 2024, I wrote a blog post predicting what might happen in 2024 in relation...
Fluid mechanics: Teaching the Magnus force
This week, I am going to complete my writing from last week, where I tried to give clarity about...
Fluid mechanics: Teaching the Bernoulli principle
If you are a secondary school or college PE teacher, there’s a pretty good chance that the concept...
Can A-level PE lead to a degree in medicine? Part 3
Dear readers,
Two of my most popular blog posts ever were "Can A-Level PE Lead to a Degree in...
Introducing Hot Topics for PE and sport exams 2025
Dear PE and Sport colleagues,
I have something exciting to tell you!! From 2025, my team and I are...
Teaching "Guidance" in your PE classroom
How many PE teachers have learned how to teach visual, verbal, manual and mechanical guidance since...
Teaching the Principles of Training. It's Time to Get This Right! Part 2/2
In last week’s post, I went deep into specificity, progression, overload, reversibility and...
Teaching the Principles of Training. It's Time to Get This Right! Part 1/2
Specificity! Progression! Overload! Reversibility! FITT!
This is the hitting zone for PE teachers...
New Exam Question Resources for IB SEHS
Dear PE colleagues.
My team and I write a huge volume of exam questions and mark schemes for all...
Five myths about PE and sport you might need to deal with
This post is written for PE teachers or those teaching or coaching young people in an educational...
Five types of exams you need to use in your PE classroom - Part 3 of 3
In the last two weeks, I have been publishing about types of exams that PE teachers can use within...
Five types of exams you need to use in your PE classroom - Part 2 of 3
In last week’s post, I wrote extensively about collaborative exams that can be utilised by PE...
Five types of exams you need to use in your PE classroom - Part 1 of 3
In recent posts, I have been writing extensively about exam writing and mark schemes for PE...
We need to talk about PE mark schemes
Dear PE teachers
PE Skills courses - Now at your fingertips!
What are PE Skills courses?
How well do your PE students know the course structure and requirements...
Five friendships from five PE teaching colleagues
This blog post narrates my cherished relationships with five PE teaching colleagues—Alan, Paul,...
Build, Peak, Maintain
Colleagues, in an educational world filled with "three letter acronyms", I’ve decided to play my...
Skills, skills, skills
In this week's post, we will explore the importance of teaching specific skills in PE education....
My politics of disablement
On the eve of the Paralympic Games 2024, I want to share some thoughts about my values relating to...
It's not just IB SEHS. CIE IGCSE and AS PE and Sport teachers, take note!
In this week's blog post, I'm going to introduce you to our PE and Sport offering for International...
A guide to results day: Teachers
Editor's note: This post was originally released in August 2023 and has been updated to make it...
A guide to results day: Students
Editor's note: This post was originally released in August 2023 and has been updated to make it...
Catalonia - My second home
Because it’s the summer holidays, I have decided to indulge a little on the blog post. Every time I...
Five good and five bad things an educational leader might say
Those of you who follow my work regularly will have heard or read me say or write frequently:
The story of muscle tissue - Part 4
I’ve been working towards writing this post for some time. It will be one of those that, I hope,...
The story of muscle tissue - Part 3
Dear PE teacher,
Now that we have got the nature of muscle tissue and the microscopic anatomy of it...
The story of muscle tissue - Part 2
Welcome back to the story of muscle tissue. If you have already read Part 1, you will know that...
Can Sport Science help the men’s England Football Team to win Euro 2024?
Dear reader,
I am writing this post to both provide an intriguing article for classroom-based PE...
The story of muscle tissue - a guide for PE and Sport teachers - Part 1
Dear PE and Sport teachers,
I really enjoy writing posts that cover subject content. In the past,...
10 Top tips for teaching the new IB SEHS course
The new International Baccalaureate Sport, Exercise and Health Science course will be taught by PE...
10 things all PE and Sport teachers should know about IB Sports, Exercise and Health Science 2024
Dear PE colleagues,
The new International Baccalaureate Sports, Exercise and Health Science (IB...
6 Ways to Use Model Answers in Your PE and Sport Lessons
Dear PE colleague,
I invite you to think about the types of learning resources that you spend most...
Dear OCR GCSE PE students, this is how to ace your Paper 2 exam
Editor's note: This post was originally released in May 2023 and has been updated to make it...
Dear Edexcel GCSE PE students, this is how to ace your Paper 2 exam in 2024
Editor's note: This post was originally released in June 2022 and has been updated to make it...
Dear AQA GCSE PE students, this is how to ace your Paper 2 exam
Editor's note: This post was originally released in May 2023 and has been updated to make it...
How to support students when a PE or Sport exam goes badly
Editor's note: This post was originally released in June 2022 and has been updated to make it...
Introducing The EverLearner’s FREE PE and Sport resources page
Dear PE teachers,
We're delighted to announce that due to popular demand, we are releasing a...
Your last week of GCSE PE revision in 5 simple steps
Editor's note: This post was originally released in May 2023 and has been updated to make it...
Five opinions on PE in five paragraphs
Good day, PE and Sport teachers. For this week's blog post, I would like to take five commonly...
A word of wisdom for revising PE and Sport students
Dear PE/Sport student,
I am writing this post to you and I am assuming that, at some point in the...
Educational images in PE lessons - would they help?
Dear PE teachers,
I want to ask you where you source your educational imagery. The types...
Differentiation in my PE Classroom
In previous posts, I have written extensively about PE classroom formats and the rules that I apply...
Differentiation in the PE Classroom
Dear PE teachers.
Before I write this post, I want to make a statement: What follows is not a...
You asked for it! Extended writing for ALL PE exams 😲
UPDATED: All Edexcel A-Level resources for extended writing questions are now available below
I am...
A day in the life of an unconventional PE teacher
This blog is about a working day of mine. My name is James and I am a PE teacher. But, in 2024, I...
IB Sports, exercise and health science, I salute you!
The International Baccalaureate Standard Level (SL) and Higher Level (HL) are changing. A new...
Introducing Infographics and Mock exams for BTEC, CNAT, CTEC & VCERT Sport and PE courses
Dear readers,
This week’s post is an extremely simple one. I am using my weekly publishing spot to...
Teaching Sportsmanship and Gamesmanship in PE Lessons
Many PE teachers overtly teach sporting conduct including topics such as sportsmanship,...
My five favourite PE assignment structures on TheEverLearner.com
Whether you are a current customer of TheEverLearner.com or perhaps contemplating being one, I want...
2024 PE exam infographics and National Mocks available!
Dear PE colleagues, I want to use this week’s blog to share my thoughts on our recently published...
Introducing Hannah and Kim: The new members of our PE team!
Dear PE teachers,
I’d like to use this week’s blog post to introduce you to Hannah Curtis and Kim...
James's PE classroom rules - They might not be what you're expecting! (Part 1)
Like every other (PE) teacher, I have rules by which I run my classrooms. In this post, I want to...
Understanding Gaseous Exchange: A Guide for Teachers
The topic of gaseous exchange exists in a huge range of PE qualifications. From GCSE to A-level to...
Ten predictions for classroom-based PE in 2024
In late 2022, I wrote a blog post predicting what might happen in 2023 in relation to...
Ten facts about me, James Simms, you may not know 🤔 (Part 2)
Thank you for visiting the blog. This post is Part of a two-parter and you can access Part 1 here,...
Ten facts about me, James Simms, you may not know 🤔 (Part 1)
Officially, I’m meant to be on annual leave at the moment but this is something I’m not great at...
Your PE Subject Knowledge Quiz
I have decided to write a post that challenges you to consider your level of PE subject knowledge....
James’s PE Classroom Format Part 1
I think we can all agree that naming a blog post after oneself is a little egocentric. But it gets...
PE Classroom Formats - Which one to choose and why
This blog is aimed at PE teachers and PE course managers of GCSE PE, A-level PE, BTEC Sport,...
Dear Graham, you changed my PE teaching career
Between 2003 and 2013, I worked with Graham Thompson at The Sixth Form College Farnborough in...
Classification of skill in PE: setting the standard
The classification of skills is an extensively studied and assessed topic on a wide range of PE...
Flipped Learning within your PE Theory Course
Welcome to my blog. I write every week about the teaching of PE with a specialist focus on teaching...
10 GCSE Biology Teaching Points Relevant to GCSE PE Teachers (Part 2)
In this week’s blog, I want to revisit and complete a post I released a fortnight ago. On...
My Top 10 PE Teaching Blogs Ever
This week (and only partly because I am spending almost the entire week interviewing) I have chosen...
10 GCSE Biology Teaching Points Relevant to GCSE PE Teachers (Part 1)
Dear PE teachers,
I wanted to take the opportunity to write a series of ideas that might help you...
Dear PE Teacher, This is HOW to use TheEverLearner.com
Dear PE teachers, customers and colleagues,
This is a blog post I have been wanting to write for a...
If I were you... 2023/24
Today, Wednesday 4th October 2023, I am going to publish the first annual article (I’ll be...
...and it's LIVE!! The PE Data Centre
Dear colleagues,
I wanted to take this week’s blog as an opportunity to share with you all that ...
Schools are sedentary institutions! Move More Month might be able to help
Dear reader,
Welcome to my blog. I am a PE teacher and I publish every single Wednesday at 19:00 UK.
PE Homework - The only Two Questions Worth Asking
Since I have been a teacher, qualifying in 1999, guidance on how to set high-impact home learning...
The PE Theory Lesson Skills Checklist
Dear PE colleagues, this blog is for you. I want to try and provoke you into, potentially, thinking...
There seems to be an issue with A-level PE NEA
Dear colleague,
Results Day and Me
Hello there! My name is James and I am a blog writer, publisher, teacher and parent. At home, I...
My three favourite evaluation activities in PE lessons
Throughout my PE teaching career I have been using three core mechanisms for developing evaluative...
I'm podcasting for real now. I need your feedback.
Dear PE teacher,
Struggling with AO2 or making examples? Not anymore!
Welcome to the Changing Rooms blog. This week (I publish every Wednesday at 19:00), I want to...
The E-I-O Model: Scoring higher on AO2 in PE exams
Have you ever noticed that students in PE lessons and exams (and end-of-unit tests and mock exams,...
Teaching Levers in PE - Part 2
In 2022, I wrote one of my most popular blog posts. It was:
How I get my students evaluating in PE lessons (Part 1)
This week, Part 1: Introduction to the “evaluate” skill in PE lessons. Released Wed 14th June 2023.
Introducing... The PE Data Centre!!
Dear colleague,
I am assuming that you are a PE teacher, school-based manager of a PE course or a...
Eight Things I will Never Say in a School
Allow me to introduce myself. I am James Simms, a PE and biology teacher who has dabbled with the...
Extended Writing in AQA A-level PE Paper 2
Dear AQA A-level PE teachers and students,
This blog is for you. In recent months I have had...
Extended Writing in AQA A-Level PE exams
Dear AQA A-level PE teachers and students,
This blog is for you. In recent months I have had...
Extended Writing in OCR A-Level PE Exams
Dear OCR A-level PE teachers and students,
I am absolutely delighted to release these resources to...
Extended Writing in GCSE PE Exams
Welcome to my blog. I write about PE teaching and learning with a focus on classroom-based,...
April showers... April pressures! The PE Teacher's Work After Easter
Dear PE teacher,
I assume you are reading this roughly in the timeframe that I am writing it. That...
Dear OCR GCSE PE students, this is how to ace your Paper 1 exam
Dear OCR GCSE PE student,
Yes, you! The one reading this post. I wanted to ask for a few moments of...
Dear Edexcel GCSE PE students, this is how to ace your Paper 1 exam
Dear Edexcel GCSE PE student,
Yes, you! The one reading this post. I wanted to ask for a few...
Dear AQA GCSE PE students, this is how to ace your Paper 1 exam
Dear AQA GCSE PE student,
Yes, you! The one reading this post. I wanted to ask for a few moments of...
100 Practical Examples in PE (Part 3)
Welcome to part 3 of this blog post series focused on (AO2) practical examples in PE exam answers....
Can A-level PE Lead to a Degree in Medicine? Part 2
In December 2021, I unknowingly wrote my most popular blog post ever. It was “Can A-level PE Lead...
Assignment Wizardry! Setting PE Homework and Class work for Impact - Part 2
Setting, managing, reviewing and diagnosing the outcomes of assignments, classwork and homework is...
Assignment Wizardry! Setting PE Homework and Class work for Impact - Part 1
In a recent meeting with my colleague Elle Houghton, Elle pointed out to me that the blog could be...
Dear A-level PE student - how to make your AQA PE exams a breeze!
If you are an AQA A-level PE student, it is in your interest to read this post. By way of an...
Dear A-level PE student, this is how to make your OCR PE exams a breeze!
If you are an A-level PE student, it is in your interest to read this post. By way of an...
Bin the babies! How to teach axes properly.
Welcome to my blog. Throughout this piece, I am going to be using the language of the AQA axes.
How I Teach Diet and Nutrition in PE
Elements of diet and nutrition feature in a very wide range of qualification PE learning. Diet,...
My PE Mock Exams 2023
Welcome to The Changing Rooms blog. If you are a new visitor, be aware that I publish every single...
My PE Classroom Part 1/10 - The Word Wall
In this week’s post, I’m going to begin writing about the first of 10 practical suggestions for PE...
Changes to Edexcel GCSE PE Exams - Will this arrest the slump?
On 17th June 2022, Edexcel/Pearson published their changes to their qualifications for first...
How to Make Command Words your Teaching Strategy
Firstly, happy New Year and welcome to the Changing Rooms blog 2023. I hope you have had a...
My PE-teaching career in five massive risks - Part 3
Now, this blog post may shock you a little bit, which is why I thought it might be a nice post to...
Ten Predictions for Classroom-based PE in 2023
As this post drops with PE teachers, the date will be 14th December. Even though 2023 remains a few...
PE teachers, stop teaching "to the spec"!
Welcome to the Changing Rooms blog. I am delighted you have chosen to visit and to have a read.
...
Best Practice use of Imagery when Teaching Classroom PE
PE teachers will not be surprised to read that the use of imagery can impact the quality of...Torn: My Approach to the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar
It was 4th July 1990, relatively late in the evening. I was surrounded by coloured glass, including...
The Changing Rooms Blog - A Year in Review and Plans for the Future
I am delighted to share this blog as a celebration of a full calendar year of blog posts, published...
SEND and PE - it's time for change.
Welcome to the Changing Rooms blog and podcast, Season 2, Episode 2.
For this week’s blog and...
9-mark answering for AQA GCSE PE
Since publication of this blog in 2022, James has released an additional blog, focussing on e...
Happiness Factories Part 2 with Phil Mathe
Welcome to this week’s blog post. As part of my blog, I release four episodes per year of The...
I’ve still got it… I think! Two of my recent KS3 PE lessons for you to review!!
Thank you for visiting my blog.
Those of you who know me will know that I specialise in academic...
My Love Letter to the Unknown PE Teacher
There is a teacher out there that has contributed a giant amount to the teaching of PE. This person...
The worst PE lesson of my career
In 2012, I was attempting to move from being a Head of PE to being an SLT member. At the college I...
I pressed the button: PE exam marking now leads the world
Last week, my team and I struck a button 🔴. That button was a technical one but it meant that ...
The Hinckley School Case Study
Welcome to the blog. Thank you for being here.
This blog actually began over 18 months ago, when I...
Ten Principles of my GCSE PE Classroom Part 2
In last week’s post, I detailed the first five principles by which I operate my GCSE PE classrooms....
Ten Principles of my GCSE PE Classroom with my Yearly Plan 2022/23 Part 1
The aim of this week’s and next week’s posts is to share with colleagues the essential concepts by...
Local Sponsorship for your School Teams and Extra-curricular - A sustainable model for now and the future?
It is a real sinking feeling when a PE teacher attends a fixture and their squad is perceived as...
A guide to results day 2022: Students
It’s a big moment! You have studied for and sat your A-levels or GCSEs and the day that you thought...
A guide to results day 2022: Teachers
It’s a strange feeling for teachers on A-level or GCSE results day. The holidays that teachers had...
Why I’m Launching KS3 PE courses on TheEverLearner
Earlier in 2022, I announced the intention of building brand-new courses for KS3 physical...
Five Myths About Women’s Football and How to Use Sport Science to Debunk Them
I have been an England football fan (in the best ways) since being a young boy. I have vivid...
Questioning Techniques in the PE Classroom (Part 3)
This post is part 3 in a series of 5 (minimum) posts on questioning techniques in the PE classroom....
Questioning Techniques in the PE Classroom (Part 2)
This post is part 2 in a series of five (minimum) posts on questioning techniques in the PE...
Questioning Techniques in the PE Classroom (Part 1)
Q&A is one of the most fundamental skills of a classroom-based PE teacher. I believe that asking...
My PE Teacher Career in Five Massive Risks. Risk Two: An Introduction to PE Teaching and Coaching Course via HSLA
The biggest influences in my PE teaching career are the risks that I have taken. Stepping out of...
My PE Teacher Career in 5 Massive Risks. Risk one: The Dame Kelly Holme Olympic Event
“Today was a good day.” Dr John Guy OBE, former Principal of Farnborough Sixth Form College and...
Is it Time for Homework in KS3 Physical Education?
Core PE in secondary schools has very rarely been associated with the experience of home learning...
BTEC Sport - It's time to act!
The BTEC Sport First Award at level 2 is the most popular PE/Sport qualification that has ever...
Defining Success in PE and Sport Courses - Recruit, Retain, Attain (Part 1)
To kick this week’s post off, I would like to pose you a few questions:
Q: Is your PE/Sport course...
100 Practical Examples in PE (Part 2)
Welcome to part two of this blog post series focused on (AO2) practical examples in PE exam...
My Ten Favourite Topics to Teach in PE Classrooms
Within this post I am going to explain the reasons why I love teaching ten PE topics. In truth, I...
100 Practical Examples in PE (Part 1)
I have found over many years of teaching PE and sport courses for GCSE, A-level, BTEC, VCERT, ...
Two Experimental AQA GCSE PE Resources - Feedback please!
The aim of this week’s blog post is a little different to the normal ones. I have chosen to share...
Cramming Before a PE Exam - What Works and What Doesn't
We would all like to think that our students in GCSE, A-level, BTEC, OCR National and VCERT Sport...
Ten most common misconceptions in PE theory teaching
In a rush? Jump to the specific section.
Movement Analysis - It’s Time to Get This Right!!
Movement analysis is one of the most fundamental learning experiences in examined PE courses. From...
How to write mock exam papers in PE
With Advanced Exam Information published and available (see links below), there will be a clamour...
How to analyse PE exam papers: my step-by-step process
Any teacher that has engaged with exam analysis will know it is a thankless task filled with...Advance Exam Information in AQA Linear GCE (A-level) PE: Where do we go from here?
In a rush? Jump to the specific question/section.➚ Q: What guidance has been published for PE?
➚ ...
20 Mistakes I've Made in 20 Years of Classroom-based PE Teaching
After reading the blog written by @ImSporticus titled '20 Mistakes I’ve made in 20 years of PE...
OCR Nationals 2022 versus BTEC Sport Tech Award 2022: And the Winner is…
Technical qualifications at KS4 are changing. From September 2022, the legacy qualifications in...
Advance Exam Information in OCR Linear GCE (A-level) PE: Where do we go from here?
In a rush? Jump to the specific question/section.➚ Q: What guidance has been published for PE?
➚ ...
Advance Exam Information in Edexcel GCSE PE 9-1: Where Do We Go from Here?
In a rush? Jump to the specific question/section.➚ Q: What guidance has been published for PE?➚ Q:...
Advance Exam Information in OCR GCSE PE 9-1: Where Do We Go from Here?
In a rush? Jump to the specific question/section.➚ Q: What guidance has been published for PE?➚ Q:...
Advance Exam Information in AQA GCSE PE 9-1: Where Do We Go from Here?
In a rush? Jump to the specific question/section.➚ Q: What guidance has been published for PE?➚ Q:...
The Debate Project Episode 1: The Role of Conceptual Learning in Physical Education
Welcome to the Debate Project.
Audio only available as well. Listen on...
In...
Biomechanics - Five Key Facts that Underpin Successful PE Teaching (Part 1)
➡️ Are you worried about teaching biomechanical principles at GCSE and/or A-level?➡️ Are you not...
What are proteins? A guide for PE teachers
The aim of this post is slightly more nuanced than most: I want to help PE teachers with a...
The UK’s first-ever National Diagnostic Exam: A review of our pilot PE exams in 20 images
Download a dummy version of an NDE school report (no email required) Download Sample NDE Report
Social Justice in Physical Education with Dr. Shrehan Lynch
Welcome to series 1 episode 3 of The Changing Rooms podcast!
After the success of episode 1 with...
Teaching Aerobic and Anaerobic Energy at GCSE-PE Level: Common Myths and How to Correct Them
Every teacher reading this article is likely to have stood at the front of a GCSE PE classroom and...
Can A-Level PE Lead to a Degree in Medicine?
Welcome to our blog.
Before you go further and discover whether, in fact, A-level PE can lead to a...
Major changes to BTEC Sport at Level 2: What every PE teacher needs to know!
Impending changes to the biggest PE and Sport qualification in England and Wales - read on for the...
Happiness Factories: holistic physical education for all with Phil Mathe
On Wednesday 17th November, I launched a brand new podcast titled “The Changing Rooms”. As episode...
Is PE in crisis? with Lee Sullivan
After successes in our weekly blog posts on “Teaching Planes” and “Teaching Levers” in recent...
How I teach levers: my delivery... my planning... my thinking
*The following information was written in relation to my teaching of levers for AQA GCSE PE 9-1 but...
Teaching Planes in PE Theory Lessons - James's Ten Top Tips
Planes of movement have a special place in the heart of PE teachers ♥
Unlike content that was...
Making a successful start to your PE teaching career!
My powerpoint presentation was ready, I knew exactly how I wanted every minute of the lesson to...
"How can I know what they know?" Identifying the gaps and planning the road to COVID recovery
As students and teachers across the country return to face-to-face teaching, we look back at the...
All roads lead to ExamSimulator!
My path to The EverLearner
Leaving the school environment was one of the hardest things I've ever...
How to support disadvantaged children with their online learning
On 8th January 2021, The EverLearner set up a £10,000 fund which teachers could apply to help their...
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