Intent
At St. Monica's Primary, our Physical Education curriculum is designed with the intent to inspire every child to achieve and excel in competitive sports and other physically-demanding activities. Our aim is to instil confidence in their physical abilities while supporting their overall health and fitness.
We provide opportunities for all students to engage in competitive sports and activities, fostering character development and promoting values such as fairness and respect. Through Physical Education, we aim to cultivate students' knowledge, skills, and understanding, enabling them to confidently and competently participate in a variety of physical activities.
Our curriculum prioritizes the improvement of health and well-being, encouraging active participation and lifelong learning. We are committed to helping each child reach their full potential in physical education, ensuring their experience is positive, motivating, and contributes to the development of positive attitudes towards a healthy lifestyle.
At St. Monica's, we believe that Physical Education plays a vital role in holistic education, and we provide a curriculum that empowers students to lead active and healthy lives now and in the future.
Implement
At St. Monica's, we prioritize physical education (PE) as an integral part of our curriculum, ensuring each child receives 2 hours of dedicated PE time weekly. These sessions are meticulously planned to encompass a wide array of skills and activities, delivered by specialist coaches.
For children in Year 3, swimming lessons are a core component of their PE education, held at the Britannia leisure Centre School swimming pool. Here, our aim is for students to become proficient swimmers, mastering various strokes and confidently swimming 25 meters.
Beyond structured curriculum PE, we provide numerous extracurricular opportunities for students to engage in physical activities through various sports and active clubs, form EYFS all the way thought to KS2.
Our PE lessons are designed with specific goals in mind:
- Ensuring children have fun and experience success in sports.
- Providing opportunities for participation at each child's developmental level.
- Building and securing a range of physical skills.
- Cultivating positive sporting attitudes and understanding basic rules.
- Fostering a sense of positive competition within a safe environment.
The overarching aims of our curriculum are to:
- Develop fundamental movement skills.
- Enhance agility, balance, and coordination.
- Encourage students to lead and engage in PE activities with growing confidence, fostering their communication skills.
- Equip students with essential PE vocabulary and knowledge to aid their progression into KS3 and beyond.
- Instil enthusiasm for fitness and foster an understanding of the importance of a healthy diet and exercise regimen.
At St. Monica's, our PE curriculum is not just about physical activity; it's about holistic development and lifelong health habits.
Impact
At St. Monica's, we are committed to providing a comprehensive and inclusive PE curriculum that caters to the diverse needs and abilities of all our students, regardless of their year group. Every child participates in a broad and balanced range of PE activities, ensuring they access all key areas of the subject.
Our teachers meticulously plan PE lessons with a clear progression of skills and knowledge, ensuring that each child engages with age-appropriate content. From Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) through to Key Stage Two (KS2), our curriculum is carefully structured to support the development of fundamental movement skills, agility, balance, and coordination.
In addition to regular PE lessons, we offer daily opportunities for physical activity such as The Daily Mile and playground games during lunchtimes. Furthermore, students have the chance to showcase their skills and sportsmanship in competitions against other local schools throughout the academic year.
In EYFS, children focus on improving fundamental movement skills, with teachers monitoring their development in agility, balance, and coordination. In KS1, pupils have ample opportunities to further enhance these skills through various competitive and cooperative activities, including games, dance, and gymnastics.
As students progress to KS2, they continue to develop a broader range of skills such as running, jumping, throwing, and catching. These skills are integrated into competitive games, performances, and evaluations, fostering communication, collaboration, and self-improvement.
We prioritize cross-curricular links, promoting the physical and mental wellbeing of our students. Meaningful connections are made between PE and other areas of the curriculum to provide a holistic learning experience.
For those needing additional support, small groups are targeted to improve their fitness levels, with tailored PE sessions offered on a weekly basis. These sessions allow children to take ownership of their development and set personal goals.
Enrichment opportunities are also integrated into our PE curriculum, including "Commando Joe" lessons for children and a focus on wellbeing and mindfulness through activities such as Yoga and breathing exercises.
Progression and assessment are integral parts of our PE provision. In EYFS, regular observations and assessments contribute to summative evaluations, recorded using an online insight tracker to track each child's progress over time.
At St. Monica's, we strive to foster a love for physical activity, promote lifelong health habits, and celebrate the achievements of all our students in sports and physical education.