PE Curriculum Statement
Intent – What are we trying to achieve?
At Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery, we believe that Physical Education (PE), experienced in a safe and supportive environment, is essential to ensure children attain optimum 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. We want to teach children skills to keep them safe such as being able to swim. We also want to teach children how to cooperate and collaborate with others as part of an effective team, understanding fairness and sportsmanship of play, for these to be embed life-long values. Our pupils also have the opportunity to be creative and perform through our dance provision. Our curriculum aims to improve the wellbeing and fitness of all children at Sacred Heart, not only through the sporting skills taught, but through the underpinning values and disciplines PE promotes.
Implementation – How is our vision translated into practice?
At Sacred Heart, PE strands are taught within each year group and build upon skills year on year.
PE 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 two 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. After school sport clubs are available everyday along with before school clubs covering a wide spectrum of activities.
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.
Each year a small group of Year 6 children are invited to become Playtime Game Leaders for the school. They develop into sporting role models for the younger children, assisting with lunch-time games, our annual Sports day and any other Sporting activities.
Children in Year 3, 4 & 5 swim once a week for 5 weeks over the course of the academic year.
Class teachers are encouraged to participate in the “Daily Mile”, to help meet the government target of all children being active for at least 60 minutes a day.
EYFS
In EYFS, PE is one of the Prime Areas of Learning and underpins the development of other skills such as reading, writing and attention. As such, it is given lots of focus and is encouraged using both the indoor and outdoor provision. Specific areas and resources have been developed for children to learn and practise specific skills including balancing, climbing, jumping, throwing and catching, kicking and moving in a range of ways. Opportunities for short bursts of movement are built in throughout the day with the use of dough disco and active storytelling. PE opportunities are often linked to the children's current topic to engage and motivate all children. In the EYFS, children are introduced to the word ‘healthy’ and what this means. Children are given opportunities during their PE lessons and appropriate activities within provision to observe and discuss the physical effects that being active has on their bodies. They are encouraged to talk about how they link to 'being healthy'. Adults plan focus activities during the academic year which enable the children to explore a range of foods and develop an understanding of which are healthy or unhealthy and the reasons why.
Impact – What is the impact of our curriculum?
At Sacred Heart, we ensure that our PE curriculum is inclusive and progressive and allows all children the opportunity to acquire and develop fundamental knowledge, understanding, skills and techniques and apply these to a wide variety of different sports and activities. PE lessons are fun, enjoyable and challenging and all children can achieve, to the best of their ability, in a supportive, safe and stimulating environment. Our pupils are physically active, and this has a positive impact on their learning in the classroom. Children understand how to lead a healthy lifestyle and understand the importance of regular exercise and activity for their physical and mental wellbeing. We aspire for all children to enjoy PE and develop a love of sport and physical activity, which hopefully becomes part of their future life outside of Primary School.
