A high-quality PE curriculum inspires all pupils to succeed and excel in competitive sport and other physically-demanding activities. It should provide opportunities for pupils to become physically confident in a way which supports their health and fitness. Opportunities to compete in sport and other activities build character and help to embed values such as fairness and respect.
Intent
At Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School the PE Curriculum aims to ensure that all pupils:
- develop competence to excel and enjoy a wide range of physical activities;
- are physically active for sustained periods of time;
- engage in competitive sports and activities;
- lead healthy, active lifestyles.
Implementation
Across the school, we provide a fun, engaging curriculum that encourages children to:
- Acquire knowledge and understanding of fitness and health.
- Acquire, develop, select and apply skills, tactics and compositional ideas (through Dance, Gymnastics, Games Activities and Athletics).
- To take part in outdoor and adventurous activities.
- To swim safely and competently.
- To evaluate and improve performance.
Physical skills are taught through a progressive curriculum which builds on the foundations of previous years through repetition within different sporting contexts:
KS1 – Games, Dance, Gymnastics and Athletics
KS2 – Games (Football, Netball, Hockey, Basketball, Cricket and Tennis), Dance, Gymnastics and Athletics
At Sacred Heart, we offer swimming lessons from Year 3 to Year 6, fully understanding the importance of children being able to swim by the time they leave primary school. Research carried out by the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) found that a third of children in England cannot swim by the time they leave primary school, with 39% never having been offered a swimming lesson at school, despite it being part of the National Curriculum. Our aim is for every pupil to have achieved the 25-metre certificate by the time they leave primary school.
Teachers and outside agencies run sports clubs each day after school from Year 1 to Year 6. Each term the time table is changed to encourage as many children to try something different and often challenging. Netball, Football, Tennis and Gymnastics are some of the clubs on offer, which children love attending. We ensure our after-school provision is fully inclusive, which endeavours to encourage not only physical development, but also the well-being of all pupils.
Y6 children are offered the opportunity to attend a residential, in which they are tested with a wide range of OAA activities to push them outside their comfort zone. It takes place over three days, currently in the Lake District, which is a wonderful experience for the children.
Children are given the opportunity to compete in intra-school competitions, representing the school in a range of different sports across the year. These competitions are organised in-line with the school games and the values that competitive sport embeds: Passion, Self-Belief, Respect, Honesty, Determination and Teamwork.
PE Pupil voice
Y1 child – ‘We have been doing jumps, rolls and turns in our gymnastics lessons. We can travel across the benches any way we want.’
Y2 child – ‘I feel confident and happy before PE lessons.’
Y5 child – ‘We have practiced hitting, controlling balls, and passing in hockey. We have worked on our flexibility in gymnastics.’
Y6 child – ‘I really like the teachers and the sports we compete in.’