Subject Leader: Mrs L Richardson-West

“Sports teaches you character, it teaches you to play by the rules, it teaches you to know what it feels like to win and lose-it teaches you about life.” Billie Jean King

Our vision for PE at St Augustine of Canterbury is to provide opportunities for our children to experience, enjoy and excel in high quality PE and school sport incorporating a diverse range of motivational activities which offer life-long learning through challenge and competition. At St Augustine of Canterbury, PE, physical activity and school sport has always had a high profile and we strongly believe that they contribute to the holistic development of our children. We believe our high-quality PE curriculum inspires all children to succeed and excel in both competitive sport and other activities involving physical literacy. It is through these activities that children become physically confident; they learn that physical activity is ‘fun’ and crucial in terms of leading a healthy lifestyle. Our children compete in competitions and other activities which build character and embed key values such as teamwork, fairness and respect for themselves and others. We recognise that PE, physical activity and school sport make an extensive contribution towards aspects of children’s social, moral, spiritual and cultural development.

Intent

St Augustine of Canterbury believes that Physical Education (PE), experienced in a safe and supportive environment, is essential to ensure children attain optimum physical and emotional development and good health. We intend to deliver high-quality teaching and learning opportunities that inspire all children to succeed in physical education and in developing life skills. We want to teach children knowledge and skills to keep them safe such as being able to swim. We also want to teach children how to cooperate and collaborate with others as part of an effective team, understanding fairness and equity of play to embed life-long values. Our curriculum aims to improve the wellbeing and fitness of all children at St Augustine of Canterbury, not only through the sporting skills taught, but through the underpinning values and disciplines PE promotes.

Implementation

We use The PE Hub, a clear and comprehensive scheme of work, to plan and deliver lessons which show progression of skills across KS1 and KS2 within the different strands of PE. Children are provided with opportunities to develop and build upon skills which will engage and inspire them, whilst building confidence. They are encouraged to try new techniques and become confident and competent in the use of specific equipment for a wide variety of games and activities. Teachers model and inspire children to use a range of skills which they can practise and improve lesson by lesson. We welcome our sports coaches from ‘Progressive Sports’ throughout the year who offer CPD and team teaching to support the delivery of PE in school to teachers.

All junior classes have swimming lessons throughout the year, which supports children in aiming to meet the curriculum requirements for Swimming in Key Stage 2.

Children have a minimum of 2 PE lessons per week, as well as completing the Daily Mile on a regular daily basis.

Healthy Eating and looking after ourselves is covered within PHSE lessons.

P.E. is taught at St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Primary School as an area of learning in its own right as well as integrated where possible with other curriculum areas.

We teach lessons so that children:

·         Have fun and experience success in sport

·         Have the opportunity to participate in P.E at their own level of development

·         Secure and build on a range of skills

·         Develop good sporting attitudes

·         Understand basic rules

·         Experience positive competition

·         Learn in a safe environment

·     Have a foundation for lifelong physical activity, leaving primary school being physically active.

PE in the Early Years is mainly taught through ‘Physical Development’. The EYFS Framework states:

Physical activity is vital in children’s all-round development, enabling them to pursue happy, healthy and active lives. Gross and fine motor experiences develop incrementally throughout early childhood, starting with sensory explorations and the development of a child’s strength, co-ordination and positional awareness through tummy time, crawling and play movement with both objects and adults. By creating games and providing opportunities for play both indoors and outdoors, adults can support children to develop their core strength, stability, balance, spatial awareness, co-ordination and agility. Gross motor skills provide the foundation for developing healthy bodies and social and emotional well-being. Fine motor control and precision helps with hand-eye co-ordination, which is later linked to early literacy. Repeated and varied opportunities to explore and play with small world activities, puzzles, arts and crafts and the practice of using small tools, with feedback and support from adults, allow children to develop proficiency, control and confidence.

Skills for PE in the Early Years are mainly taught through the following areas of learning:

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Physical Development
• Expressive Arts and Design

In planning and guiding what children learn, we reflect on the different rates at which children are developing and adjust our practice appropriately, referring to the Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning.

In addition to our PE Curriculum, the children are encouraged to participate in a range of extracurricular activities. Children can attend the after-school sports club. Children are also invited to attend competitive sporting events within the local area – Mini youth. This is an inclusive approach which endeavours to encourage not only physical development but also mental well-being. These events also develop teamwork and leadership skills and are very much enjoyed by the children.

Impact

Our PE Curriculum is taught as a basis for lifelong learning, where the children have access to a wide range of activities in the belief that, if taught well, and the children are allowed to succeed, then they will continue to have a physically active life and take responsibility for their own health and fitness. A high-quality physical education curriculum inspires all children to succeed and excel in competitive sport and other physically demanding activities that is both engaging and fun. At St Augustine Catholic Primary School, we provide opportunities for children 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. We equip our children with the necessary skills and a love for sport. They will hopefully grow up to live happy and healthy lives utilising the skills and knowledge acquired through PE.