Physical Education

Our PE curriculum develops creativity, sets challenges, engages and inspires children and equips them with the skills to succeed in a range of different sports. The curriculum provides opportunities for pupils to become physically confident in a way that supports their health and fitness and leads them to live healthy, active lives. Starting in EYFS and focussing on the fundamentals of movement, revising and refining gross motor skills and developing control and grace, the pupils will progress through school to develop further skills to support their physical education. Developing their fundamental movement skills in KS1, sport-specific skills in lower Key Stage 2 and applying them in game situations in upper Key Stage 2, pupils will be equipped with the skills and control to be confident in their physical development. At St Mary and St John, pupils will have the opportunities to compete in sport and other activities; build character and help to embed values such as fairness and respect through being physically active for sustained periods of time.

How PE is taught at St. Mary and St John Catholic Primary School? 

• Our PE curriculum provides a clear and comprehensive scheme of work that will show progression of skills across all key stages within the strands of PE. 

• As pupils move through school, they will develop understanding in the skills needed in different sports: focusing on fundamental movements in key stage 1; developing sport-specific skills in lower key stage 2 and applying those skills in sporting environments during upper key stage 2.

• A PE specialist is employed by the school to ensure pupils are engaged to develop age-related appropriate PE skills through a series of lessons that are planned with clear skilled-based learning objectives. 

• A dance specialist ensures that all classes receive a high standard of dance throughout school as well as offering after school clubs in in different dance styles.

• Children develop skills to lead their own learning by offering evaluations of learning and steps for success for other pupils in class, with an atmosphere of nurturing and improvement across school.

• Children are able to lead their own extra-curricular clubs as they are coached to be ‘play leaders’ and coach other pupils to improve by offering sport-specific guidance. 

• Pupils take part in half-termly intra-school competitions where they participate in challenges in different athletic activities whilst immersing themselves among friendly competition with classmates. 

• At St Mary and St John, we take part in a multitude of different friendly and competitive sporting events against other schools, giving pupils from all year groups the opportunity to represent school in a sporting environment in sports such as football, rugby, athletics, gymnastics, dance, basketball, hockey, swimming and orienteering, as well as inclusion activities. 

• Our pupils also develop learning in outdoor activities during our Year 6 residential in sports such as canoeing and kayaking. 

• There are a range of different extra-curricular clubs aimed at inspiring a healthy, sporting lifestyle that are available during and after school which include a range of sports as well as less traditional sports such as archery, judo and fencing. 

• PE provides links to other subjects such as Science as pupils develop their understanding of the human body and the impact that health and fitness as has on the body.

How will we measure the impact of our P.E. Curriculum?

• At St Mary and St John Catholic Primary School, we have devised a subject specific Assessment Tracker that determines children’s development of skills, understanding and informs teachers planning. 

• This is completed on a termly basis by the class teacher, and is shared with Subject Leaders and SLT.

• Action Plans are reviewed termly by Subject Leaders and shared annually with Governors. 

• Intra-school competitions within each year group give opportunities for pupils to showcase their development in a range of areas and offer teachers opportunities to monitor improvements and allow for alterations to future planning.

P.E 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. A 

high-quality physical education curriculum inspires all children to succeed and 

excel in competitive sport and other physically-demanding activities. 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