Intent
St Mary’s Catholic Primary School recognises the value of Physical Education (P.E). We fully adhere to the aims of the national curriculum for physical education to ensure that all pupils:
• develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities
• are physically active for sustained periods of time
• engage in competitive sports and activities
• lead healthy, active lives
Implementation
P.E. is taught at St Mary’s Catholic Primary School as an area of learning in its own right, as well as being integrated where possible with other curriculum areas. It is taught at PE session a twice a week. We use the PE Hub to support our planning and the key knowledge and skills of each topic are mapped across each year group. This ensures that children develop their knowledge of games, dance and gymnastics and (from KS2) athletics and outdoor and adventurous activity progressively.
The skills in these areas are also therefore developed systematically, with the programme of study for each year group building on previous learning and preparing for subsequent years. Knowledge and skills are informed and linked to enable achievement of key stage end points, as informed by the 2014 National Curriculum.
We teach lessons so that children:
• develop fundamental movement skills, become increasingly competent and confident and access a broad range of opportunities to extend their agility, balance and coordination, individually and with others.
• engage in competitive (both against self and against others) and co-operative physical activities, in a range of increasingly challenging situations.
• apply and develop a broad range of skills, learning how to use them in different ways and to link them to make actions and sequences of movement.
• enjoy communicating, collaborating and competing with each other.
• develop an understanding of how to improve in different physical activities and sports and learn how to evaluate and recognise their own success.
Lessons are planned to utilise cross curricular links, as well as the context of the school (including school and local grounds and access to facilities and community role models, such as sports coaches, with specialist skills). The varied curriculum is designed to enable all children to enjoy physical activity and to experience success in sport. An extensive extra-curricular provision also
provides further challenge and access to a range of physical activity. All children have the opportunity to participate in PE at their own level of development, with teachers ensuring that lessons cater for individual needs. As well as securing and building on a range of skills, children develop knowledge of the basic rules of a range of games and activities. They experience positive competition and a string focus is placed on developing good sporting attitudes. Children learn in a safe environment and have a foundation for lifelong physical activity, leaving primary school as physically active.
Impact
The children complete each key stage with a high proficiency in each aspect of PE. Children are aware of the link between physical activity and good mental health and understand it’s significance as part of a healthy lifestyle. The school achieves well in a number of sporting activities and competes in many inter schools competition within Warwickshire and beyond. St Mary’s also leads and organises the local schools South Warwickshire football league, providing opportunity for competition for many schools in the southern Warwickshire area.