Physical Education
Intent
At St. Andrew’s CE Primary School, we believe that the Physical Education we provide forms an essential foundation for the whole child to develop. We value P.E. very highly and appreciate the importance of the need for children to learn how to keep themselves fit and healthy. We strive to provide high quality P.E. and school sport experiences which are innovative, creative and enjoyable for all. We believe that taking part in sporting activities can help the children to build character and reinforce our school’s core values of perseverance and respect.
We aim for our pupils to:
- develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities
- be physically active for sustained periods of time
- engage in competitive sports and activities
- lead healthy, active lifestyles
- enjoy physical activity and exercise
- build self-esteem, confidence and resilience
- receive the support needed to access our physical education curriculum.
Implementation
We teach skills progressively through the school, from the basic skills in EYFS, such as kicking an object at a target, to more complex skills in Upper Key Stage 2, such as choosing the best pass to make in a game situation and passing and receiving the ball on the move. Pupils are taught two PE lessons a week, by their teachers and by specialist sports coaches, as well as being encouraged to keep active throughout the school day!
Children are given the chance to develop a range of skills across a number of sports and variety of physical activities. We develop skills in dance, gymnastics, athletics, striking and fielding games, invasion games and net / wall games. Each year, our pupils start their PE curriculum with a series of lessons on the fundamentals of sports and physical activity – agility, balance and coordination – to provide them with a strong starting point to build on for the rest of the year.
Outdoor and adventurous activities are taught, including orienteering and team building sessions. Pupils in Rubies are offered daily playful opportunities to engage in physical activity both in and outdoors. Rubies pupils have access to free flow play for sustained periods of time and are encouraged to use our large outdoor environment including our forest school, mud kitchen, wild area and play equipment; they access this environment all year round and in all weather conditions to support the development of gross and fine motor control, balance, coordination, confidence and problem-solving skills.
Children in Years 3 through to Year 6 have the opportunity to go swimming in order to develop their skills and strokes and to learn self-rescue skills for different water-based situations; we aim for all children to be able to swim 25m independently by the end of their time at primary school.
As well as academic learning and physical development, our P.E. curriculum provides pupils with the opportunity to develop their personal and social skills, through the promotion of character building, co-operation, team-work, respect and self-esteem.
To enhance their sporting experiences, our children are offered a variety of extra-curricular clubs, both at lunch time and after school, with specialist sport coaches. We work closely alongside expert Physical Education services to further enhance our P.E. provision, such as Shrewsbury Town in the Community coaching and Shropshire Cricket Board. In addition to this, our pupils are offered many opportunities to compete within the school and locally. We have particularly enjoyed School Games events, where our pupils have been able to take part in a number of new sports and physical activities they have never tried before!
Impact
At St Andrew’s CE Primary School, we ensure that our PE curriculum is inclusive and progressive and allows all children the opportunity to acquire and develop fundamental knowledge, understanding, and skills. Our curriculum is designed so that children are taught a variety of sports and activities throughout their class and there is a progression journey through all of these, so that they can revisit and build on the specific skills they have learned in each.
We make our PE lessons fun, enjoyable and challenging, and provide the opportunity for our pupils to achieve to the best of their ability, in a supportive, safe and stimulating environment. We promote being physically active throughout the curriculum and during breaktimes and at after school clubs; through this, our pupils learn how to lead a healthy lifestyle and understand the importance of regular exercise and activity on both their physical and mental health and wellbeing. We aim to promote a love of sport and physical activity, and hope that our pupils will carry this on with them in the future in secondary school and beyond!
