Intent
‘It is really important that we promote competitive sport in schools. It is very important that we recognise that has to be underpinned by good quality physical education’ (Lord Sebastian Coe). Our Physical Education North Star is to ensure pupils to become physically confident. This supports their health, wellbeing and fitness and provides the foundations for lifelong activity. We want them to succeed and excel in competitive sport and physical activities.
Through competitive sport children learn a range of vital key skills: leadership, how to win and lose graciously, foster sportsmanship and the principles of fair play. Our curriculum allows children to build upon prior knowledge and teaching to learn and play a wide range of sports and disciplines (dance, athletics, and gymnastics). Our curriculum provides opportunities to develop skills which they can then apply in competitive situations. Through high-quality teaching children will develop a love of Physical Education and playing a range of sports; whilst gaining a greater understanding of key vocabulary and terminology. Furthermore, Physical Education will promote pupils to have positive attitudes towards health, hygiene and fitness; highlighting the importance of exercise on their bodies and of a healthy lifestyle. Our curriculum encourages children to have an active lifestyle; offering them 2 ½ hours of PE a week and providing extra-curricular activities.
Implementation
At Ashfield, PE is taught twice a week and lessons are planned with a clear progression of skills and knowledge in each year group. We teach a range of different aspects of PE including Dance, Gymnastics, Athletics and Games. To enhance our PE provision, we buy into the sports services of The Elms Sports in Schools, who provide coaches to support teachers deliver Games. The Elms are skilled coaches with expertise in teaching Games and we work in partnership with them to deliver specific Games lessons throughout the year (see the Games rota below), thus creating an Ashfield PE curriculum that meets the needs of our children and school community. In addition, we also use the Get Set 4 PE scheme of work that supports our teachers with delivering lessons particularly for Dance, Athletics and Gymnastics. The Get Set 4 PE scheme of work also incorporates our school values of respect, cooperation and resilience. This ensures that the National Curriculum is taught across KS2 and that there is a clear progression of skills and knowledge. Each Year 4 class have swimming lesson for 12 weeks. We promote competitive sport at Ashfield by having an end of term sports tournament, as well as an annual Games Day and Sports Day. Throughout any competitive sport, children are awarded certificates for displaying good sportsmanship and our school core values of respect, kindness, resilience and cooperation.
At Ashfield, we value PE and have achieved the Gold Mark sports award. We promote a healthy lifestyle and encourage children to be fit through exercise. On non-PE days, children will have the opportunity to partake in the daily mile or skipping activities. We have a range of after-school sports clubs that run throughout the year including cricket, football, tag-rugby, basketball, netball and athletics. We also promote PE and sports at lunchtimes and have sports leaders working with children at Ashfield but also at our local infant feeder school.
Our PE lessons include:
- A progression of PE skills and knowledge
- A clear sequence of learning for each unit
- Specific PE vocabulary for units of work and year group
- A range of different aspects of PE (e.g. Games, Dance, Gymnastics, Swimming, Athletics)
- Adaptive teaching and High Quality Teaching strategies
- Differentiated activities or support for children with SEND
Impact
- Children talk passionately about their learning in P.E demonstrating their knowledge and understanding
- Children apply a range of skills in the different aspects of P.E.
- Children explain how P.E. and exercise keeps them fit and healthy, including the impact on mental health and wellbeing
- Children will demonstrate resilience when attempting new challenges
- Children will demonstrate cooperation when participating in a small or large group
- Children show an understanding of good sportsmanship when competing against others and demonstrate the school’s four core values (respect, kindness, resilience and cooperation)
- Children will apply skills with confidence in competition or sporting activities
Our children will be successful and engaged in lessons because:
- Teachers use assessment for learning to inform planning to address misconceptions and gaps in learning
- Teachers build on a progression of skills and knowledge from the previous year
- Teachers make links and connections with prior learning in P.E. and in other curriculum subjects
Teachers scaffold and model activities, model P.E. technical vocabulary and follow a sequence of learning so that all children can make progress