PE

Primary Curriculum – PE

Intent: Why we teach PE

It is our intention at St. Mary’s to build a curriculum that enables children to develop knowledge, skills and vocabulary in a broad range of sporting activities, as well as developing values and transferrable life skills such as fairness and respect. At the core of what we do is the unique nature of every child. We must nurture their physical, spiritual and mental wellbeing by recognising and developing their God-given talents to their full potential.  Our PE curriculum is based on an adapted model of the Early Years Framework and the National Curriculum. Progression documents have been introduced in order to build on the skills needed to meet the end of Key Stage objectives in the National Curriculum. Our long term plan is broad and balanced, allowing children to access a wide variety of high quality PE and sports provision.

Key Skills are:

• Develop and refine gross motor skills such as running, throwing, jumping and balance, displaying greater control as children progress through the key stages.
• Develop and refine fine motor skills particularly associated with their handling of equipment within 8 areas of study (Invasion games, striking and fielding, net/wall, athletics, gymnastics, swimming, dance and outdoor/adventurous activities)
• Develop an ever increasing number of sports related skills, and as children progress, perform and link skills / techniques with fluidity, precision and adaptability within and between activities
• Develop levels of fitness applicable for everyday life or required for successful play in sport. This will include strength, endurance, speed, power, balance and agility.
• Develop leadership skills (coaching, administration, officiating) enabling children to lead their own competitions and coaching sessions. This may be with a partner, in small groups or whole class.
• Develop coaching skills to identify areas requiring improvement, to offer advice on how play may be improved and organise practices and drills to improve performance.
• Develop an appreciation of the aesthetic qualities of dance and gymnastics and choreograph routines that show a clear beginning and end

In the Foundation Stage and throughout Key Stage 1, we focus on the fundamental skills progressing to the type of skills and activities that prepare children to access a wide variety of different sports. In lower Key Stage 2, we make links between skill progression and more competitive sport and finally in years 5 and 6, our aim is to facilitate children’s enjoyment of exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle, encourage them to make tactical decisions, develop their independence, take part in competitive sports and, ultimately, help them to become more proficient athletes.

Central to this is giving children plenty of opportunities to build upon prior knowledge, allowing them to know more, commit that knowledge to their long term memory and to be able to retrieve it at the appropriate time. A core element is teaching the children to understand that improvement only comes through asking questions of themselves and taking risks; mistakes and apparent failures are the building blocks of improvement and should be appreciated and explored.

Implementation: How we teach PE

The PE curriculum is taught through Progressive School Curriculum Document (PSCD), which is in line with the EYFS Statutory Framework (PD and EAD) and National Curriculum. This is used to aid teaching staff in their subject knowledge, organisation and delivery. Each class has access to two hours of high quality PE lessons every week (Year 1-6). These are taught by the class teacher and supported by our Sports Apprentice. Each lesson builds upon previous skills and allows focused time for these to become embedded.

Year 4 receive an intensive four week block of swimming lessons during the summer term. These lessons make up one of the designated two hours PE per week and run in parallel to striking and fielding and athletics topics which run throughout the summer term. Those children who do not meet the swimming requirements during this term are given subsequent opportunities in both Year 5 and Year 6 to further develop, practise and apply the skills needed.

We offer a range of sporting after school clubs run by outside agencies, including football for Year 3 and 4 children run by Radcliffe Borough Football Club and Karate for all age groups, run by Ipon Karate. These clubs are paid for by school and offer the opportunity to hone skills outside the school environment. These are enhanced with competitive sporting opportunities provided both within school via inter house competitions and borough-wide competitions in a variety of sports.

How does St. Mary’s curriculum meet the needs of the children at our school?

Religious Values

The teachings of Jesus are central to every aspect of our learning, so we:

• Must nurture their physical, spiritual and mental wellbeing by recognising and developing their God-given talents to their full potential. 
• Value the unique nature of every child by teaching them to respect and care for the wonder that is their human body (E.g. healthy diet, exercise, etc.).

Key life skills for learning

Provide a curriculum  that will equip children with the values, skills and attributes needed to be independent thinkers and courageous learners, so we:

• Provide children with opportunities to rehearse, apply and master our core learning behaviours of being able to focus, co-operate, reflect, work independently, be inventive, show resilience, self-belief and curiosity.
• Understand that skills and concepts acquired through PE are not exclusive to PE, but closely linked to those required in all other areas of the curriculum.
• ·Allow children to further develop a growth mindset and understand improvement is something that can be acquired through hard work & effort.

Pupil Premium Grant:

Provide extended opportunities to experience a wide range of sports and physical activities which they might not otherwise have chance to access, so we:

• Remove the barriers for children accessing local sports clubs allowing children who enjoy or have a particular aptitude in a specific sport the ability to pursue it further.
• These barriers include: pathway to club, equipment, cost, travel.
• Provide opportunities for pupils to get involved in sports after school, during playtimes and within inter house competitions.
• Have expectations that all children will develop at a level that is appropriate to them.

Opportunities to embrace cultural capital is part of our school ethos, so we:

• Become involved in competitive events both within school and with other schools
• Use benefits provided to us by local sports clubs
• Seek to be inspired by sporting heroes
• Use school grounds to provide outdoor activities such as orienteering.
• Embrace the great outdoors through our Forest School site.
• Celebrate and embrace different backgrounds, heritage, language and traditions.
• Learn about sporting events and traditions such as The Olympics, World Cups etc.

Impact : What PE gives to our children

Our children have a rapidly developing understanding of the benefits of leading healthy lifestyles. They are able to talk more confidently about the effects of exercise on their bodies and recognise the crucial role it plays in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. They progress well throughout each year group, are eager to attend after school clubs and competitive sports events. Children have a greater awareness of different aspects of a PE lesson, such as warming up, skill development, skill application, warming down, reflection and evaluation. They also recognise the importance of sportsmanship and humility both in victory and defeat. We ensure that children with SEN and our PPG children also have the chance to participate and compete in inclusive events such as the Bury ‘Be Proud’ sports festival and Panathlon Events.

Assessments are based on teacher judgement, whereby, in each session, any children who are not meeting lesson objectives, and those who are exceeding and performing at a higher level are recorded and targeted for future support in subsequent lessons. These weekly assessments will not only inform future sessions but will also provide a half termly overview of children’s progress within their year group’s expected outcomes.

In the EYFS observations are recorded in the children’s personalised online learning journey- Tapestry. Pupils are assessed within EAD as well as PD. Progress is tracked and age related expectations are reported to parents at the end of the year. Pupil Voice plays an important role in the children’s enjoyment, engagement and development and crucially, within a lesson, children are given time to reflect on their learning and take part in self, peer and group feedback. We have fostered excellent relationships with local sports clubs and have the ability to signpost children who enjoy or have a particular aptitude in a specific sport to the appropriate club. This allows them to take to take a certain skill or interest beyond the classroom.

School Sports Premium Funding

The Government provides each primary school throughout England with additional funding which is to be spent on improving the sports provision within schools. At St Mary’s R.C Primary School, we believe a high quality PE curriculum should be an integral part of the whole school curriculum and one that staff, pupils and parents understand and can contribute to.  Our school recognises the values that a high quality PE and school sport curriculum gives pupils. 

Future Plans: What Comes Next?

A future aim is to establish a St. Mary’s Sports Council at the beginning of each year, who can choose after school activities that they would like the school to provide. Clubs will be run by teachers throughout the school on a rota system and will be changed once per half term to ensure fairness and that workload demands do not become too great for any members of staff. Each club will cater for a range of ages and abilities and will run once a week over the six half terms.

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