Curriculum - PE
At Bridgtown Primary school our vision is to provide the children with rich PE opportunities that allow them to experience physical education, school sport and physical activity that will lead to lifelong participation and happy and healthy lifestyles. Together with an inclusive and engaging curriculum and a range of after school clubs, it is our aim to help the children to become happy and healthy, humble and respectful, resilient, confident, a team player with good communication skills and also have transferable skills for their later life. We believe that our inclusive PE curriculum can inspire all pupils to succeed and excel in competitive sport and other physically demanding activities whilst understanding the importance that PE has on their lives. We also provide the children of Bridgtown Primary School with opportunities to take on leadership roles in which they can build character and embed values such as fairness and respect. As a school, we recognise that regular participation in sport and physical activity can also help to improve physical fitness, help with weight management, instill self- discipline, improve mental health, self- confidence and reduce stress.
Curriculum Rationale
Here at Bridgtown Primary School we believe that children should lead and maintain healthy lifestyles both physically and mentally and as staff we are aware that Physical Education covers many factors which support this and we are continually supporting these factors on a daily basis right from Early Years up to Year 6.
These factors include:
- Toileting
- Hand washing and Hygiene
- Healthy Eating
- Fitness
- Friendships and Social development
- Emotions
- Physical activity
Our aim is that by the end of Year 6, children have acquired the skills to become happy and healthy individuals, who are respectful, resilient, confident and good team players with good communication and life skills. We aim to give all children the opportunity to understand how to fulfill a healthy lifestyle both physically and mentally.
Our PE lessons are planned using the PE Planning scheme and as a school we believe that this platform goes hand in hand with our core values of PE ensuring the children get the best out of their PE lessons to continue to help them to build on and maintain a healthy, happy lifestyles and learn skills and meet objectives from either the National Curriculum or the Early Years Foundation Stage. Our PE curriculum gives the children a broad range of opportunities to take part and learn skills in different sports such as;
- Invasion games
- Net & wall games
- Strike and field games
- Gymnastics
- Dance
- Swimming
- Outdoor & adventurous activity
The PE Planning scheme provides the children with appropriate differentiation which ensures our children are increasingly challenged and supported as they move up through the key stages building on skills they have learnt and meeting relevant outcomes setting them up ready for their life ahead.
PE in EYFS
In Early Years, Physical Education is incorporated into our everyday teaching, learning and practice. It is explored through a range of different areas including, physical development, personal, social and emotional development and expressive arts and design. This supports the children to develop their physical skills in both fine and gross motor elements as well as working on children’s personal, social and emotional development giving them the best start to leading a happy and healthy life. The children also get daily opportunities to build on their fundamental skills which gives them the best start to achieving all outcomes at the end of their primary school journey.
Children in Early Years are given opportunities through continuous provision and their planned PE lesson to build on their core strength, stability, balance, spatial awareness, co-ordination and agility through games and resources available. Gross motor development is built on by the use of bikes, the climbing frame, balls and other equipment such as streamers and scarves. Fine motor control and precision is developed through activities such as cutting, the use of playdoh, the encouragement of dressing and undressing including doing up their zip and buttoning and unbuttoning their clothing and the use of small tools.
Adults encourage, model and give guidance to the children to enable them to learn how to look after their bodies in regards to good hygiene, personal skills and healthy eating independently.
Children’s personal, social and emotional development is crucial for children to lead healthy and happy lives. Adults build strong, warm and supportive relationships with the children to enable them to understand their own feelings and those of others. Children are supported to manage emotions, develop a positive sense of self, set themselves simple goals, have confidence in their own abilities, to persist and wait for what they want and direct attention as necessary.
With all of these opportunities, adult guidance, scaffolding and modelling the children will be put in good stead to meet the Early Learning goals at the end of their reception year and continue to develop to meet all other attainment targets at the end of KS1 and KS2.
What does PE look like in EYFS?
PE in KS1 & KS2
The PE curriculum here at Bridgtown Primary School supports children to become happy and healthy individuals regardless of their background, ability and additional needs. Our curriculum inspires all pupils to succeed and excel in competitive sport and other physically-demanding activities. Through our well planned and structures weekly PE lessons and after school activities we provide opportunities for the children at Bridgtown Primary School to become confident in a way which supports their health and fitness enabling them to lead happy and healthy lifestyles and also broadening their sport opportunities. As we give the children opportunities throughout the key stages, it allows the children to build on their abilities to become resilient, humble and respectful, confident, a good team player with good communication skills all which are transferable skills for their later lives.
Design and structure in KS1 and KS2
The PE curriculum here at Bridgtown Primary School is designed with the children at heart. We use the PE Planning platform to support our planning of PE lessons alongside the National Curriculum objectives. Children access a broad range of sports through their weekly lessons including football, basketball, tag rugby, dance, gym, dodgeball, tennis, athletics, cricket, swimming and outdoor adventurous activity. All children in KS1 and KS2 access physical education twice a week. Children have the opportunity to access other physical activity throughout the week during playtimes with the use of the gym equipment, other sports equipment, large climbing frame and the trim trail. We recognise that not all children who attend Bridgtown Primary School will have access to a broad range of sports and activities outside of school therefore we provided the children four days a week with sports and activities such as archery, football dance, gym, tennis and dodgeball through our after-school clubs.
Our curriculum allows children in KS1 to continue to develop fundamental movement skills which allows them to become increasingly competent and confident and access a broad range of opportunities to extend their agility, balance and coordination, individually and with others. Our lessons are planned to engage all pupils regardless of their background, gender and ability to compete both against self and against others in a range of increasingly challenging situations. Through skills-based lessons, children are taught to master basic movements including running, jumping, throwing and catching, as well as developing balance, agility and co-ordination, and begin to apply these in a range of activities. Opportunities throughout lessons are given for children to participate in team games which develops simple tactics for attacking and defending. Through our dance and gym topics children will learn skills which then allow them to perform dances and routines using simple movement patterns.
In KS2 our curriculum gives the children opportunities to continue to apply and develop their skills and knowledge allowing them to broaden these skills learning how to use them in different ways and giving them to opportunities to link them to make actions and sequences of movement. The children are given the opportunity to communicate, collaborate and compete with each other. Through modelling and scaffolding the children will be given the opportunities to develop and understand how to improve their own performance in different physical activities and sports and learn how to evaluate and recognise their own success. Through the teaching of skills, the children will be taught to use running, jumping, throwing and catching skills in isolation and in combination this will build on the children’s confidence and understanding of playing competitive games applying basic principles suitable for attacking and defending. Through our planned gym and dance topics, the children will develop flexibility, strength, technique, control and balance and be able to perform dances and routines using a range of movement patterns. Being able to compare their performances with previous ones and demonstrate improvement to achieve their personal best is also a skill that is modelled and taught throughout their PE lessons.
All children take part in a competitive sports day in the summer term allowing them to showcase their skills to their parents that they have been working on throughout the year.
The children in Year 4 and Year 6 also take part in a yearly residential giving them the opportunity to take part in outdoor and adventurous activities and challenges. All children are encouraged to attend the residentials as this enables the children to build on their independence, self-esteem, team work and communication skills alongside using all of their fundamental skills in which they have been working on throughout their school years.
Children in KS2 access swimming lessons taught by swimming instructors at the local leisure centre. Staff at Bridgtown Primary School recognise the importance of these lessons and understand that being able to swim is a lifelong skill and they understand that not only does it teach the children water safety but it also helps them create a happy and healthy lifestyle. All children are encouraged to go on a weekly basis. Children are assessed against the national attainment targets and we aim for them to leave Year 6 being able to swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres using a range of strokes effectively. They are also taught how to perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations.
At the end of each half term, the children are assessed on the skills that they have been taught throughout each sport topic. By the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study.
Opportunities for children to compete and perform are also given to the children throughout their school years through inter and intra competitions and also performances at the local theatre.
As a school we thoroughly enjoy seeing the hard work that children put in to their out of school activities and achievements are commended in our weekly assemblies. We also celebrate a half termly sports person where a child is chosen from each class that has shown aspects of being a good sports person alongside their ability to build on their skills.
Children in Year 5 and 6 are given the opportunity to become a Sports Leader. This role allows the children to support other children from lower year groups including EYFS with their sporting skills. The Sports Leaders are encouraged to use a variety of equipment and play a range of games with children. The Sports Leaders enjoy their roles and it gives them a sense of independence and responsibility.
As a school, we work hard to embed these skills to ensure that the children lead a happy and healthy lifestyle with skills that are transferable into their later life.
