Physical education and sport
A high-quality physical education curriculum inspires all children to succeed and excel in competitive sport and other physically-demanding activities. It should 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.
Early Childhood Education
Throughout nursery and reception, pupils engage in weekly physical education lessons and develop their ability to negotiate space and obstacles safely with consideration for both themselves and others. They are also provided with opportunities to demonstrate strength, balance and coordination whilst playing and to move energetically by running, jumping, dancing, hopping, skipping and climbing.
Pupils working across our Early Childhood Education Centre receive a weekly physical education lesson which is delivered by their class teacher using Real PE’s ‘foundations’ curriculum.
Early childhood education curriculum milestones
Developing the knowledge and skills I need to be a successfully active
The progress of pupils accessing our Early Childhood Education Centre is monitored using our unique curriculum milestone objectives to ensure they are suitably prepared with the foundational knowledge, skills and understanding they require to succeed in key stage one.
I develop manipulation and control and gradually gain control of my whole body through continual practice of large movements, such as waving, kicking, rolling, crawling and walking.
I enjoy playing alone, alongside and with others, inviting others to play and attempting to join others’ play.
I am increasingly able to use and remember sequences and patterns of movement which are related to music and rhythm.
I skip, hop, stand on one leg, squat and hold a pose for a game like musical statues (whilst shifting my body weight for stability) and I can grasp and release with two hands to throw and catch a large ball, beanbag or an object.
I show resilience and perseverance in the face of challenge. I know and talk about the different factors that support my overall health and wellbeing, including physical activity.
I develop confidence, competence, precision and accuracy when engaging in activities that involve a ball.
I develop overall body-strength, balance, co-ordination and agility; revising and refining the fundamental movement skills I have already acquired, including rolling, crawling, walking, jumping, running, hopping, skipping, climbing and sliding.
I work and play cooperatively and take turns with others.
I am confident to try new activities and show independence, resilience and perseverance in the face of challenge.
I demonstrate strength, balance and coordination when playing and move energetically, for example by running, jumping, dancing, hopping, skipping and climbing.
Achieving these milestones throughout my early childhood education will support me in accessing my first steps in key stage one because they provide a foundation for me being able to:
- enjoy working on simple tasks independently.
- move confidently in different ways.
- work sensibly with others, taking turns and sharing.
- perform a small range of skills or movements and link two movements together, with some control.
- be aware of why exercise is important for good health
Key stage one
How children will build on the foundational knowledge, skills and understanding they developed throughout their Early Childhood Education
Throughout key stage one, pupils develop fundamental movement skills, become increasingly competent and confident across a broad reange of opportunities aimed at extending their agility, balance and coordination, both when working individually and with others. They develop their ability to engage in competitive (both against self and against others) and cooperative physical activies in a range of increasingly challenging situations.
Pupils are taught to master basic movements including running, jumping, throwing and catching, as well as developing balance, agility and co-ordination, and begin to apply these in a range of activities. They learn how to participate in team games, developing simple tactics for attacking and defending and how to perform dances using simple movement patterns.
All pupils in key stage one receive two weekly physical education lessons. The first is delivered by the school’s Specialist PE Teacher and covers the following areas.
Dance
Throughout year one, pupils begin to explore basic movements and shapes, responding to a range of stimuli such as sound, poetry, pictures and words. They work towards being able to create, practise and perform a short dance that explores moods, ideas and feelings through body actions.
Throughout year two, pupils consolidate basis movement skills learned in year one, but also learn to perform turn, gesture, travel and stillness movements with fluency and control. Pupils build these skills into more complicated sequences, progressing towards varying the speed, tension and strenght of their movements.
Gymnastics
Throughout year one, pupils build on the basic movement skills they learned in reception through travelling in different ways including rolling, holding basic balances and developing the basic gymnastic shapes of stretch, pike, tuck and straddle. They begin to develop their compositional skills through linking skills in simple sequences using mats and apparatus.
Throughout year two, pupils increase the variety of ways they travel between learned skills. Rolls of increasing difficulty are developed and balances incorporate taking weight on hands as well as feet. Pupils practise performing sequences of several linked compositional skills with a focus on smooth transitions and moving with control.
Games
Throughout year one, pupils begin by working on the skills of sending and receiving balls and their ability to present a target ready to receive. Pupils apply the skills of sending and receiving in a variety of simple games and activities by utilising movement, balance and coordination. They progress to making choices and employing simple strategy in competitive games.
Throughout year two, pupils build on the sending and receiving skills they developed in year one through their application in target activities and develop their ability to throw for distance. They also develop striking skills with a range of equipment, including bats and hockey sticks. Their improved coordination, balance and movement are utilised in games where strategies are needed to beat an opponent or defender and through developing their understanding of how to use space in competitive activities.
The second physical education lesson each week is delivered by the Class Teachers using the Real PE approach.