Physical Education
Intent
At New Brancepeth Primary Academy, we aim to provide a Physical Education curriculum that pupils not only enjoy but allows them to experience a range of activities in order to develop their health, fitness and wellbeing. We recognise that physical and mental health are important aspects of this and therefore aim to expose children to a wide range of physical activities to promote wellbeing, healthy lifestyles, a balanced diet, positive growth mindset and resilience to persevere. Opportunities are offered to compete in sport. Other activities are used to build character and help to develop values and transferable life skills such as tolerance and respect. We are passionate about the need to teach children how to co-operate and collaborate with others, as part of a team, understanding fairness and equity of play to embed life-long values.
Our curriculum offers a high-quality physical education curriculum that inspires all pupils to succeed and excel in competitive sport and other physically demanding activities. It provides opportunities for pupils to become physically confident in a way which supports their health and fitness and experience a variety of sports and physical skills which will enhance life-long fitness and life choices. PE can challenge and promote self-esteem through the development of physical confidence and problem solving. It can teach children to cope with both success and failure in competitive, individual and team-based physical activities. Within dance it will allow children to explore their personal and spiritual identity.
Physical activity is an area of difficulty for some of our children, so we have a clear focus on Active 20 every day for children in Year 1-6 where they children participate in 20 minutes of fast-paced activity to support them in keeping active and developing physical skills to impact across the curriculum, for example with core strength to support sitting in class. Many of our children do not have wider life experiences so therefore we also run a range of after-school sports clubs at least twice per week to encourage children to be physically active outside of the school day. Key Stage 2 pupils also take on the role of House/Vice Captains, Buddies and Playground Leaders to support with the development of physical activity at break and lunchtimes and during Active 20.
The EYFS framework is structured very differently to the national curriculum as it is organised across seven areas of learning rather than subject areas. The most relevant statements for Physical Education are taken from the following areas of learning:
- Communication and Language
- Physical Development
- Expressive Arts and Design
Within our EYFS, children’s physical skills are challenged through ongoing levelled continuous provision and targeted implicit and explicit challenges linked to the EYFS framework and through daily fine and gross motor sessions. Physical development is supported across school with programmes developed for individual children, where appropriate, by Future Steps Consultancy (Occupational Therapy Service).
Our whole school curriculum is planned on a two-year cycle, and this year (2022/23), we are covering Cycle A. This allows us to support mixed- age classes across school. PE is taught using Core Task Cards. In some elements, there is consistent sequencing such as in the lead up to competitions/festivals across our Trust e.g. Gymnastics Festival in February and Dance Festival in Easter. Due to the issues in relation to weather across the Autumn 2 and Spring 1 terms, we focus on aspects of the curriculum that can be taught indoors. Our curriculum is also linked, where appropriate, to our core themes of family, community and the wider world through targeted Project Outcomes across the whole curriculum to involve parents in their children’s education. These are identified within each topic such as a community tea dance in Y5&6. Sports Day is also held annually from Nursery-Year 6.
Our aims for Physical Education are reflected in our achievements with the School Games Mark which we were awarded Gold for in 2021/2022 and our School Games Impact Award for ‘Opportunity Supporters Winner’. We aim to continue to share our successes with our community and pupils to further develop the importance of Physical Education within our setting to promote a life-long passion for the subject.
