Physical Education

Our Vision for P.E. at Martham

Our vision at Martham Academy & Nursery is for all children to gain access to a high quality Physical Education (PE) curriculum and PE which is an integral part of the whole school curriculum. All children at the school will experience excellent physical education, school sport and physical activities that will hopefully lead to life-long participation and acquire an understanding of the physical, mental and health benefits of leading an active lifestyle.

Our PE curriculum aims to ensure that all pupils develop the fundamental skills and competence to excel in a wide range of physical activities by providing a broad and balanced curriculum with opportunities for all to be enjoyed.

A high quality PE curriculum will develop physical literacy and will allow pupils to learn about themselves, the importance of a healthy lifestyle, self-expression and concepts such as fair play and respect. It also contributes to the development of a range of important cognitive skills such as decision-making and analysis, and social skills such as teamwork and communication.

Physical education encourages pupils to be active and supports them in their understanding of how to participate safely and effectively. Our PE curriculum is inclusive to ensure that pupils of all abilities access the range of activities on offer and that they are physically active for sustained periods of time in order to encourage them to lead healthy, active lives. Regular participation in sport and physical activity can help to reduce the risk of heart failure; improve physical fitness; help with weight management; promote good health; instil self- discipline; develop skill; improve self- confidence; reduce stress and develop lifelong learning skills.

A high quality physical education curriculum can inspire all pupils to succeed and excel in competitive sport and other physically demanding activities. We will endeavour to provide opportunities for pupils to participate in competitive sports and activities both in and beyond the curriculum. This will mean that all pupils have the opportunity to participate in regular competitive sport.

INTENT, IMPLEMENTATION AND IMPACT

Intent:

At Martham Academy & Nursery we believe that Physical Education (PE), experienced in a safe and supportive environment, is essential to ensure children attain excellent physical and emotional development and good health. We intend to deliver high-quality teaching and learning opportunities that inspire all children to succeed in physical education and in developing life skills for their future. Swimming is an important life skill and we aspire for all children to leave primary school having met at least the minimum requirements of the National Curriculum. We aim to link our school values (Behaviour for learning bees) into our Physical Education lessons, these are: be ambitious, collaborative, curious, determined, imaginative, independent and proud. Our curriculum also aims to develop pupil’s knowledge, skills and understanding in a progressive way so that they perform with increasing competence and confidence whilst embedding values such as fairness and respect. We also provide opportunities for our children to compete in competitive sport and other physical activities, developing leadership and teamwork.

We provide a safe and supportive environment for children to flourish in a range of different physical activities which is essential in supporting their physical, emotional, spiritual, social and moral development. We aspire for children to adopt a positive Growth Mindset and believe that anything can be achieved with determination and resilience. At Martham Academy & Nursery we offer a dynamic and varied program of activity to ensure that all children progress physically through a unique and fully inclusive PE curriculum.

Implementation:

PE at Martham Academy and Nursery provides challenging and enjoyable learning through a range of sporting activities including; invasion games, net & wall games, strike and field games, gymnastics, dance, swimming and outdoor & adventure.

The long term plan sets out the PE units which are to be taught throughout the year and ensures that the requirements of the National Curriculum are fully met. Pupils participate in high quality PE lessons each week, covering two sporting disciplines every half term. In addition, children are encouraged to participate in the varied range of extra-curricular activities.

Lunch time sports clubs are available throughout the week as well as children having the opportunity to attend after school sport clubs. Children are invited to attend competitive sporting events within the local area. This is an inclusive approach which endeavours to encourage not only physical development but also mental well-being. These events also develop teamwork and leadership skills and are very much enjoyed by the children.

During outdoor PE sessions, children develop key skills such as running, throwing, catching, rolling and spatial awareness and learn to apply these in team games. As the children develop, they apply these skills to specific sports, including: football, tag-rugby, hockey, athletics, netball, basketball, cricket, tennis, table tennis, badminton and volleyball.

During indoor PE sessions, children develop their balance, coordination, strength and flexibility through a variety of gymnastic and dance activities. The children learn how to link movements together, forming sequences of movement and how to evaluate their performances, highlighting areas of strength and areas for improvement.

At Martham Academy and Nursery, within the PE lessons, we encourage children to develop a sense of competition, whether this is meeting personal goals competing against peers. This development leads to the children in all years having opportunities to compete against other schools in sporting leagues, matches, tournaments and festivals organised by the local cluster, East Norfolk School Sports Partnership, Great Yarmouth FA Schools League and Norwich City Football Club. This is an inclusive approach which endeavours to encourage not only physical development but also mental well-being. These events also develop teamwork and leadership skills and are very much enjoyed by the children.

The Year 5 children at Martham Academy and Nursery participate in an extensive course of swimming lessons, which are held at a local swimming pool over a period of two terms. Because we believe that swimming is a key life skill, we also plan follow up lessons so that all children have the best chance of becoming competent swimmers when they leave our school.

Each year a small group of Year 6 children are invited to become Sports Leaders for the school. They develop into sporting role models for the younger children, assisting with lunch-time clubs, our annual Sports day and any other Sporting activities. We are committed to the “Daily/Golden Mile”, to help meet the government target of all children being active for at least 60 minutes a day. The Golden Mile creates a competitive impact on the children as the class that runs the most miles a week receives the key stage 1 and 2 trophy.

Impact:

We help motivate children to participate in a variety of sports through quality teaching that is engaging and fun. From our lessons, our children learn to take responsibility for their own health and fitness, many of whom also enjoy the success of competitive sports. We equip our children with the necessary skills and a love for sport. They will hopefully grow up to live happy and healthy lives utilising the skills and knowledge acquired through PE. By the end of their journey at Martham Academy and Nursery, our children leave our school with key PE skills that will prepare them for the secondary school curriculum and beyond.

LONG TERM PLAN