Physical Education
Our Aims
At St Helen's Primary School, we deem P.E. to be an integral part of school life. It is our aim to provide a P.E curriculum that inspires every child to succeed and excel in a variety of different sport and physically-demanding activities. We value the importance for children to have experiences and opportunities to engage in physical activities from an array of cultures. A key aspect that underpins our teaching and learning is ensuring that every child develops physical confidence to support their health and fitness.
The National Curriculum Aims
The Nation curriculum for Physical Education aims to ensure that all pupils:
· develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities
· are physically active for sustained periods of time
· engage in competitive sports and activities
· lead healthy, active lives.
How do we strive to implement these aims?
At St Helen’s we have carefully devised a long term plan to ensure that children are not only being exposed to a broad range of physical activity but that they have the opportunities to develop their understanding and deepen their knowledge of that area. We are lucky to be able to offer a broad range of activities which include, athletics, games, gymnastics, dance and swimming.
Fundamental movement skills are an imperative part of developing physical confidence which is why it is at the centre of everything the children do in EYFS and KS1. These skills focus on movement, agility, balance and coordination, both individually and with others. We recognise the importance of these skills early on and the impact it will have on their successes if not valued. Children in KS2 continue to build on these skills and develop their understanding in a variety of physical activities.
It is recommended that all children engage in at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day, of which 30 minutes should be in school. Therefore, we strive to ensure that there are multiple opportunities for all children to be active during different points in the day. Such as in class active breaks of yoga, active lunchtimes where children are encouraged to get moving and making lessons active where appropriate.
Competition
All children across the school are encouraged to take part in a range of varied competitions. We do this through being active members of the Schools Games Marks. With sport often comes competition and at St Helen’s there are opportunities for competition both in school and in the wider community to ensure all children have the opportunity to compete in circumstances they feel comfortable in. There are many valuable attributes that can be fostered through sport such as fairness, teamwork and respect. We endeavour to support all children in understanding and developing these attributes to build their character.