Intent
At St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, we aim to engage, motivate and inspire children to develop a love of physical exercise, games and healthy lifestyles. We recognise the benefits of a high quality Physical Education curriculum and extra-curricular activity on raising children’s aspirations and self-esteem.
Our staff and children are enthusiastic about PE and this is shown through the school’s commitment to employing a specialist sports coach resulting in the teaching of high quality PE lessons. PE teaching at St Joseph’s Primary School follows all requirements of the National Curriculum for Physical Education; providing opportunities for all pupils to become physically confident in a way which supports their health and fitness.
We hope to develop the children into confident and competent learners across a broad range of physical activities, by providing them with a wide range of opportunities to participate in physical exercise, both in a competitive and non-competitive environment. Opportunities to compete in a range of sports and other activities build character and help to embed values such as fairness and respect.
Through the Preston Schools Sports Council and the Preston Schools Sports Partnership, our children are invited to attend festivals and tournaments throughout the year at both inter- and intra- school levels. We continue to build a love of sport and physical activity amongst our pupils by offering a broad range of lunchtime and after school clubs. We hope that through all the sporting opportunities, we can support the children in demonstrating sportsmanship, resilience, respect and leadership values.
We aspire for all our children to be engaged, motivated and happy when it comes to Physical Education. We aim for all our children to have secured age-related skills and knowledge before they leave our school. This equips them with the ability to successfully prepare for a healthy and physical life ahead in which they can make informed choices about physical activity. In addition, we strive for our children to be knowledgeable about healthy competition, team building, the positive impact of physical activity and resilience in the wider world.
Implementation
To successfully embed our Physical Education values at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, we plan and provide the following:
- Minimum 2 hours of engaging PE lessons each week, following a carefully planned sequence of learning
- Delivery through the Lancashire PE scheme of work - this offers well-planned sequences of learning, fulfilling every aspect of the National Curriculum, offering regular assessment opportunities and building in core sporting values such as resilience and respect
- Provision of fundamental movement skills which include fine and gross motor skills for pupils in EYFS – this helps them transition to the Year 1 PE curriculum. The fundamental movements remain embedded in Key Stage 1 practice to allow for repetition and continued physical development
- Use of the PE Passport App to support the planning, assessment and delivery of curriculum PE
- Teaching sequences or chosen topics within lessons across year groups have been carefully considered and mapped out. This ensures the children all gain a wide coverage of skills, access a wide variety of physical activities and allows for clear progression throughout school
- Swimming Lessons for pupils in KS2. If needed, we offer children additional lessons to enable them to reach the required level of competency for swimming and water safety by the end of Key Stage 2.
- Regular CPD opportunities for staff that teach Physical Education.
- Provision of curriculum resources to enable provision of high quality lessons which introduce a wide range of games, sports and physical activities
- Connected Curriculum - Links are made between PE and other curriculum subjects where possible to ensure a holistic approach to learning of fundamental skills is evident across all of children’s learning. In history for example, Year 2 ‘Playground Games in the 20th Century’, In Science, Year 4 ‘Sparks Might Fly’ and Year 6 ‘Health, Exercise and Healthy Lifestyle’. The children learn about how to keep our bodies healthy, the impact of exercise on the body, why exercise is important and how to cook healthy foods. In PE lessons, this learning continues as teachers reference how exercise helps the body in different ways.
- Provision of healthy snacks and meals. We encourage healthy snacks to be eaten during break times.
- Teachers are encouraged to use active ‘brain breaks’ if needed during learning time involving short vigorous aerobic activity.
- The experience of a broader range of sports and activities are offered to all pupils through the Preston Sports Partnership/PPSSC.
- Pupil voice is considered when selecting extra-curricular activities to motivate attendance.
- Links are made with local clubs and providers to encourage lifelong participation.
- Children are rotated for competitions and registers are kept for children signing up to after school clubs to ensure equity of access for all pupils.
- In KS2, the children are given the opportunity to develop their leadership skills by leading PE warm-ups and activities in lessons.
- In Y6, pupils attend a residential visit to an outdoor education centre to offer outdoor and adventurous activities not possible at school. Often, additional day trips are offered which focus on outdoor education – for example, visiting Beacon Fell and Witton Park for Great Outdoors Week.
- Throughout the year we offer additional opportunities for children to engage in physical activity by organising theme events such as Sports Day, Great Outdoors Week and sponsored activity events.
To ensure curriculum coverage, with a coherent progression of skills and linked assessment, the sport’s coach uses the PE Passport App as well as the PE Progression of Skills document (Years 1 to 6) or the EYFS Early Learning Goals.
Throughout PE lessons, children are actively involved in their target -setting and progress, teachers provide ‘in-the-moment’ feedback and support and children complete their own self-evaluation each lesson.
At St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, we strive to include all children of differing abilities in Physical Education and provision is made for SEND children in the school for all competitive, lesson and extracurricular activities.
Impact
The impact of our Physical Education curriculum can be measured and monitored in a variety of different ways including;
- Learning walks, lesson observations & peer coaching/teaching
- Evidence of lessons captured within the PE App
- PE Passport scrutiny
- Data analysis and tracking
- Pupil interviews
- Reports to governors
- Assessment reports to parents
It is the responsibility of the subject leader to triangulate this evidence to ensure consistency across the whole school.