Physical Education
Intent
At St Gabriel’s, we aim to inspire our children to adopt a physically active life-style. We want children to develop an enjoyment for physical activity and to understand the positive impact this has on their health and fitness. Our curriculum aims to positively promote a competitive spirit where children strive to improve their performance and fulfil their potential. Additionally, PE at St Gabriel’s intends to enable children to build character and embed values such as fairness, respect and community. We aim to ensure all children leave St Gabriel’s as confident and competent swimmers.
Implementation
PE is taught weekly as a discrete lesson. In Early Years and Key Stage One, children are taught PE by their class teachers. In Key Stage Two, specialist coaches teach the children following the school’s curriculum. Our curriculum meets the requirements of the National Curriculum. Dance, Gymnastics and Games units are central to our curriculum and our children develop their PE skills through these as well as participating in athletics. Our long-term plan has been designed to provide children with the opportunity to develop skills over time. For example, games in Year 3 are repeated in Year 5 enabling the children to refine technique.
Dance lessons are linked to children’s learning in History/Geography. Children also have the opportunity to learn to swim as well as completing outdoor and adventurous activities. Children in Key Stage One and Two participate in outdoor learning for a half-term during their forest-school lessons.
Younger children in school are taught to master basic movements such as running, jumping catching and throwing whilst also developing balance, agility and co-ordination. As the children move through the school, they build on these skills developing flexibility, strength, technique and control. Children apply these skills in competitive games and learn how to compare and evaluate their own performance and the performance of others.
Children at St Gabriel’s are also taught to understand the positive contribution physical activity has for their health and fitness. They reflect on the impact exercise has on their body. This includes basic heart-rate monitoring and their breathing. During their lessons, children will learn to apply their skills in a respectful and competitive environment. Children are taught how to effectively communicate with each other and to positively influence the performance of others through evaluating their performance. Values of fairness, respect and encouragement are promoted as is resilience.
Impact
Assessment for learning strategies are employed to enable teachers/coaches to identify children’s performance in lessons and to support or extend children’s skills as necessary. Teachers/coaches use an online tool called PE Passport to track the progress children are making against National Curriculum objectives. PE Passport is updated regularly and reviewed routinely by the school’s PE Leader termly.
During each unit, teachers/coaches will collect evidence of children’s learning. Video recordings and photos are taken to illustrate the progress children make. Teachers keep these to support them to assess children each term. School leaders monitor this evidence and hold a termly meeting with the School’s PE Leader. In addition, children’s views and understanding are ascertained through pupil interviews/surveys.