PE in St Finbar’s
The National Curriculum (2014) sets out what children should be taught in schools across England and Wales. Schools may choose how they organise their school curriculum to cover the programmes of study from years 1 to 6. Children in their reception year follow the Early Years Foundation Stage programmes of learning. The teaching of Physical Education is statutory in all schools in England and Wales across all the Key Stages.
Aims of our PE curriculum
At St Finbar’s Catholic Primary School, we believe that PE plays an important role to a child’s health, wellbeing and physical/ mental development.
Our aim is to provide all of our children with consistent access to a broad, balanced and high-quality physical education which seeks to:
- Benefit health and wellbeing; both now and in the future
- Develop knowledge, skills and experiences across a range of sports
- Enable children to perform at competitive level
- Build the knowledge, skills, values and confidence necessary for all children to make positive, healthy decisions throughout their lives
- Encourage sports participation for life
- Increase social opportunities
- Increase children’s enjoyment, confidence and skills in physical activities while introducing them to the pleasures of sport
- Provide opportunities for children to develop creative, thinking and problem-solving skills
How PE is organised in our school
Early Years Foundation Stage
“Development Matters” is used as the basis for planning physical learning in EYFS. Physical development comes under the umbrella of PD and contributes to a good level of development for a child.
PD is provided for and experienced in a number of different ways; from running, jumping, walking across the ‘rope bridge’ to learning how to control a pencil or how to sit upright without toppling over.
KS1 and KS2
PE is taught by classroom teachers using a blocked curriculum approach; one aspect of PE per half term. All children, from Y1 to Y6, regardless of age or ability have access to PE twice each week.
Teachers use ‘PE passport’ Physical Education scheme of work as well as the LSSP ‘My Personal Best’ programme of learning to inform the planning and delivery of PE lessons. (LSSP: Liverpool School Sports Partnership)
School has a Service Level agreement with LSSP to ensure high-quality engagement and participation in a range of different sports and physical activities during curriculum time and during extra-curricular times. Such training and additional activities take place over the course of the year and are timetabled by LSSP. Timings of provision vary each year.
Such activities/ training includes:
- Dance – sequences of dance lessons delivered by a specialist for all classes R – Y6 across the year
- POWER Programme – raising physical fitness levels and increasing engagement in sport for 30 of the most inactive KS2 pupils
- Balanceability Training – an accredited Foundation Stage “Learn to Cycle programme for Reception children for up to 30 children
- Yoga & Mindfulness – for two classes across school (identified and linked to mental wellbeing
- Physical Activity Leaders (PALs) training to develop skills of Y5 pupils in encouraging increased physical activity at ply and lunch times
- LTO (Lunch Time Organiser) training is provided to adults so as to encourage more physical activity at lunchtimes
Additionally, school is committed to ensuring that, over the course of the year, swimming is planned for. Swimming is a vital life-skill and so it is important the school provides opportunities for all children to learn how to swim at least 25 meters by the end of KS2.
Children make use of the local Lifestyles swimming pool off Park Road.
During their time at school, all children have full access to the PE hall, outside area, a local swimming pool as well as a range of sports resources/ equipment.
PE is an integral part of our wider Healthy School provision which also includes Active Lunchtimes and Healthy Lunches.
Extra-Curricular Physical Activity
A range of clubs and activities are offered, taking place before, during and after school. They are led by teachers and specialist coaches, being open to children of all ability levels.
These clubs enable pupils to enjoy physical activity and develop self-esteem and confidence in a (sometimes) non-competitive ethos. Some extra-curricular learning activities target pupils who show a particular skill in a sport and provide them with the opportunity to extend their skills in a competitive ethos.
Competitive Sports
Children have the opportunity to represent school in a number of competitions. Previous sporting events include;
- Football
- Netball
- Swimming
- Cross-county
- Small-school athletics competitions
What we hope is achieved
That all children, from their starting points;
- make progress in line with their age and stage of physical/ emotional development
- will know about and be able to put into practice knowledge understanding and skills acquired during a unit of work across a range of other sporting activities (eg. Team work, co-operation, fair-play, manoeuvring techniques etc.)
- understand how sports and physical activity can contribute to physical and emotional wellbeing
- are enabled, by increased self-confidence and skill etc, to consider undertaking sporting activity at competitive level
- are enabled to use the knowledge, skills, values and confidence necessary for them to make positive, healthy decisions throughout their lives
- enjoy physical activity and have fun
- develop a sense of achievement and ‘personal best’
Documents
Development Matters – Physical Development
National Curriculum Programmes of Study for PE KS1
Progression in knowledge, skills and understanding
School Risk Assessment November 2020 v7
Covid-19 addendum
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