PE

‘Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.’
John F. Kennedy

We believe that every child should have the opportunity to take part in physical activity on a regular basis and become more physically confident and competent throughout their years at our school. We believe it is an essential part of providing a truly well-rounded education and that it is vital for the development of a child’s social, emotional, physical and educational needs. We hope that, through the range of sporting opportunities, our children will develop a love and passion for health and physical activity ready for the next stages in their lives.

The aims of physical education are to ensure that all pupils:

• develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities
• are physically active for sustained periods of time
• engage in competitive sports and activities
• lead healthy, active lives.

Curriculum progression:

Our PE curriculum is based on three pillars of progression:

1. Motor competence:

This represents a person’s ability to make a range of physical actions which include coordinating fine and gross motor skills. These are fundamental to being able to participate in everyday activities, play and physical activity. For some children, PE will be the first time these competences are taught. Through our PE curriculum, pupils are given well-designed opportunities to practice these competences and feedback to know how to improve.

2. Rules, strategies and tactics:

Children also need to be taught how to move intelligently as well as competently. The rules, strategies and tactics which are involved with different types of activity require explicit teaching. Tactics are the decisions people make about how, when and where to move and are closely related to motor competences as they are only successful if pupils can perform the necessary movement. Some physical activities do not have rules or tactics but they do have strategies for success. These are less time-dependent than tactics and can have broader relevance beyond playing games.

3. Healthy participation:

Children need to learn how to participate in physical activity in a healthy way; they need to understand how their knowledge of health applies to physical activity so they can participate fully and safely. Positive and inclusive participation in physical education will enable children to build, self-esteem, teamwork, and positive values and attitudes in P.E. and across the curriculum.

Curriculum planning:

We use Get Set 4 PE learning scheme to support planning our own PE curriculum to ensure coverage and progression compliant with the National Curriculum. The scheme provides detailed lesson plans that develop both propositional and procedural knowledge. Key vocabulary is identified explicitly within lesson plans and support and challenge is embedded to ensure that all children can participate and succeed.

Swimming is taught in Y4 and Y5 to ensure that all our children are confident in water and know how to keep themselves safe in water by the time they leave our school.

Additional opportunities for physical education:

Children are offered a range of different opportunities to engage in sports activities throughout the school day. Staff lead structured games at lunchtime and sports equipment is available for children to use. After school clubs provide opportunities for children to extend their active minutes and participate in sport. These are delivered by external providers such as Arches, SUFC and in-school experts.

Additional Opportunities for active minutes:

Children are encouraged to be active throughout the school day. Through the WOW initiative children are encouraged to walk to and from school. Within lessons, adults build opportunities for active learning or brain breaks that help to engage/refocus children on their learning.

Early years foundation stage:

In the early years, children develop a good level of fundamental movement skills. These are the basic motor patterns which are not learned naturally. They include locomotor skills (such as running and jumping), stability skills (such as twisting and balancing), and manipulation skills (such as throwing and catching). The curriculum includes progression from these simple movements to more complex movements as children get older.

Assessment and recording:

PE is assessed formatively during PE lessons. This model enables adults to evaluate progress against the knowledge and skills that children have learnt and applied throughout the unit.  Assessments are used to inform the next steps in learning and teaching. A child’s individual progress is assessed against year group expectations and reported annually to parents and carers.