Physical Education

PE Subject Leader: Sarah Appleyard

At Rushton Primary School, we believe PE is one of the main driving factors for our pupil’s physical and mental well-being. We place a high importance on sports and physical activity, building opportunities for children to compete against both each other in school and against local school in competition.

Our curriculum is designed with inclusivity in mind, not just for those with physical difficulties but those who are reluctant to engage in competitive sports or those lacking confidence in their physical abilities. To achieve this, our curriculum is designed around Real PE, a multi-skills programme that develops the children’s ability in the core skills of agility, balance and coordination through a series of movements and skills. This approach is designed to ensure that all children, regardless of their abilities, can engage in meaningful and progressively challenging skills development that can be applied across to a range of games: rather than just learn rounders specific skills, for instance, the children learn a range of skills that can be applied to any striking and fielding game, developing their ability to engage in any striking and fielding game. There is also opportunity for children to work on dance and gymnastics throughout each year, and children also swim in Key stage two. We also strive to educate children not just about their physical abilities, but also their health, fitness and diet, so that they can be active and healthy individuals and have a good understanding of how to look after themselves physically and mentally. Due to the nature of the Real PE skills programme, lessons are extremely adaptable – a session can have children working on a very wide range of skills so all children can be included, and all children can be challenged.

We intend to offer opportunities outside of PE specific lessons, to encourage our children to be physically active: we offer clubs each day at lunch time, where the children could be practicing a skill for an upcoming event, as well as offering three after school clubs. We intend to built a love and interest for sport across the schools, and in doing so we allow pupil voice to inform our decision about clubs. In addition to this, we offer clubs from outside agencies.

At the end of EYFS

By the end of EYFS, pupils have a real understanding of the space around them. They will have learnt how to use and overcome obstacles safely. Pupils will demonstrate strength, balance and coordination during physical activity. They will move in a range of ways, including running, jumping, dancing, skipping, hopping and climbing. The children will begin to develop their core strength, stability, balance and co-ordination through a number of activities.

Specifics

Pupils will be able to sit and roll a ball along the floor around body using 2 hands and 1 hand.

Pupils will side step in both directions, gallop leading with either foot. Pupils will be able to pivot onto either foot.

Pupils will be able to react and catch a large ball.

Pupils will be able to react and catch tennis balls dropped from shoulder height after 1 bounce.

At the end of Key Stage 1

Children will develop their balance, agility and coordination further and begin to apply these in a range of activities and games. They will have developed simple tactics for attacking and defending and will perform dances using simple movement patterns. We intend that all of our children have underpinned the basic fundamental skills to allow them to move into KS2 confidently, ready to embark on the competitive side of sport.

Specifics

Pupils will be able to move a ball around their waist, gradually getting quicker.

They will be able to move in zigzag patterns. Pupils will be able to stand in position to allow ball to go through their legs.

Children will be able to react and catch tennis balls dropping from shoulder height after 1 bounce, balancing on 1 leg.

At the end of Key Stage 2

By the end of KS2, children will have mastered movements including running, jumping, throwing and catching. They will be well on their way to developing their balance, agility and coordination. They will have applied these to a range of activities, both in PE lessons, festival and competitive sport. Our pupils will have had opportunities to develop tactics for attacking and defending in a number of sports, perform dances to their peers, and partake in outdoor adventurous activities. They will be able to record their scores, and attempt to get personal bests.

Specifics

Pupils will have control over the movement of their bodies. They will be able to react quickly to catch and dodge a ball. They will be able to accurately throw and catch balls, bringing their hand across their body to do so. Children will be able to play team games, following the rules of a game and will show excellent sportsmanship. Children will be able to use rackets effectively, ensuring the ball hits the target.

Pedagogy: How the Curriculum is Taught

Our PE curriculum is taught using the following key components:

Our PE lessons are taught in mixed year groups, meaning that in a mixed year 2 and 3 class, you will focus on the year 2 curriculum in one cycle, and year 3 curriculum in the second cycle. The curriculum we use works on a series of colour graded skills, which progress naturally into each other. They move right from EYFS to Y6. Each of the twelve stations progressively builds, with small increments designed to continually push children in a way that is achievable – children are able to progress at their own pace and there is not a feeling of failure as the steps are small. This also allows for the mixed aged teaching, as children can be stretched using the progression videos and activities.

The PE lead and the PE specialist teacher have arranged the curriculum so that the skills children develop first in each year group are fundamental to the acquisition of further skills, and are also applicable to the widest range of sports and activities. Opportunities are then built in through the year for dance and gymnastics, again sequencing the units so that the skills of agility, balance and coordination are constantly being revised and developed. This is supported by a skills progression document which has been introduced to all staff. There is repetition year to year, with the same units falling into the same order across the vast majority of year groups. This cyclical approach allows children to revisit familiar skills and develop them, with each year becoming progressively harder.

As the children move up through the school, there is also more emphasis on team competition and more opportunity for children to lead their own and each other’s learning. This consistency of approach allows children to revisit skills and develop them to the best of their potential.

To enrich the curriculum, school uses some of its sports premium grant to purchase specialist coaching and teaching. Lunchtime enrichment is offered through skills wise groups, where more reluctant learners and those that do not, perhaps, get the same sporting chances as others are given a range of activities over a termly block once per week. This also increases the number of children who are active and participating in sport/activity each day. These happen every day, allowing each key stage 30 minutes of skill-based exercise.

Assessment

We use a multi-faceted approach to assessment within PE.

Key knowledge retrieval assessment at the start of each lesson
Progressive activities worked through at the children’s pace – teachers consistently monitoring children moving to the next level
End of unit performances (sport specific)

Cultural Capital

Enrichment is an essential part of our PE curriculum which provides pupils with discrete time to deepen their learning. They provide opportunities for new experiences as well as nurturing and developing a thirst for learning.

We use a multi-faceted approach to enrichment within PE:

Academy competitions throughout the year, involving all year groups
Kettering Schools Sports Partnership competitions for KS2 – development and performance level
Inter-school festivals
Sports Day
Sports Specialist days. E.g. Cricket day, dance day
Year 4 and 5 residential week

Career Professional Development

We develop strong subject knowledge amongst all staff which is achieved through comprehensive middle leadership development, a focus on developing all teachers’ subject knowledge and pedagogy. All staff benefit from implementing the high-quality planning resources provided by the Trust which is amended to meet the needs of all pupils.

Below is a summary of the CPD activities bespoke to PE:

Sharing knowledge from trust-wide meetings
Bespoke training videos
1:1 discussions with staff about lessons
External Real PE training and model lessons