A high-quality physical education 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. (NC2014)

    

We offer 2 hours of protected PE teaching each week. In the EYFS PE is taught under the Physical Development area of learning. In Year 1-6, content from the National Curriculum has been divided between year bands to ensure a progressive curriculum and to ensure that pupils are exposed to a range of different sports throughout their primary school life.

Basketball is our school sport and this is taught within each year band across the school. It is our intent that revisiting our school sport develops proficiency and enables mastery. Our broad PE curriculum offers a good balance between dance, gymnastics and games. Links between PE units strengthen and supports pupils’ knowledge and understanding.

Vertical links allow PE learning to build progressively between year groups. Unit plans are progressive allowing children to revisit and build upon their prior learning. Games based skills are transferable between different sports. For example, children in the EYFS develop catching skills which are developed and applied in Year 1 basketball units. Children from Year 3 to 6 swim in each year group and build upon their prior learning.

Horizontal links allow children to link their PE learning to other subjects in their year group. For example… in Year 3 children learn about muscles in Science which children apply in their PE lessons with a dynamic stretching warm up.

Diagonal links allow children to link their current PE learning back to other subjects covered in previous year groups. For example in the EYFS, children learn about Our World in Understanding the world and apply this knowledge through a dance unit.

PE begins in Reception through the Physical Development strand and focuses on developing pupils’ fine and gross motor skills. In KS1, pupils learn the skills of different sports and in KS2, pupils apply these skills into some competitive games-based situations.

PE features on our planned programme of academic chocolate chips. Experts from the Birmingham Royal Ballet visit children in Year 1 where they lead a workshop and audition for the Dancetrack programme. Experts from the Birmingham Rockets basketball team spend a day with our Year 4 children.

We offer a broad range of ‘intra-school’ and ‘inter-school’ competitions through our School Sports Partnership. These allow children to participate in competitive sport opportunities.

We have a full programme of before and after school sports-based clubs. These focus on a range of sports, games-based activities and mindfulness.

Pupils are selected to be trained as Playleaders at the beginning of each academic year. Playleaders promote active lunchtimes by leading playground activities.

PE is sometimes a focus for our Whole School Days and Junior Leadership Days.

It is our intent that all children have access to PE lessons which are appropriate to their age stage and need. Where necessary, we work with families to remove barriers to participation. For example, we might enable a pupil who does not have the correct kit to participate by offering a PE kit.

Equality is embedded in our PE curriculum and is visible in our choice of sports and sporting role models within these sports from different genders, ethnicities and disabilities. Adaptive teaching ensures appropriate support and challenge for all children.

Opportunities for developing independence run throughout all units. Once children understand and can communicate how to be successful, independent practise enables them to improve on their previous best.

It is our intent that throughout all units, children are taught resilience. Children apply a growth mindset to master new skills, improve past performance and recognise their own success. The winning and losing aspect of competition requires children to demonstrate their resilience and prepares them well for real life. It is our intent that by adopting basketball as our school sport, children are enabled to demonstrate a commitment, to progress and improve over time and to develop proficiency and mastery.

Communication is an essential part of all team games and opportunities to practise and improve are built into unit plans.

It is our intent that demonstrating tolerance, respect and team work is a common thread through all our PE teaching. Children at Grendon have the opportunity to watch and evaluate their own performance and that of others. They are encouraged to feedback in a positive and respectful way, focusing on the learning outlined.

It is our intent our PE curriculum enables children to find physical activities and sports that they enjoy and are good at and in which they can excel. The team work, fitness and transferable skills taught are an essential part of the PE curriculum, and are also life skills. It is our intent that pupils leave Grendon being Fit for Life.

Through their primary PE education, children will be well prepared for accessing PE at secondary school. An interest in PE at primary school may lead children to pursue a future career in sport, sports coaching, personal training or physiotherapy.