PE
Intent
Our intent at Wychwood is that all children in our school will have a positive relationship with physical activity which will continue sustainably as part of a healthy lifestyle into the future. We focus on developing key foundations in all children to allow them to progress confidently in team and individual sport and physical activity. This is paired with consistent education about how physical activity is beneficial for both our physical and mental health.
We aim to strike an effective balance between encouraging students to test their abilities against others in competitions while also offering inclusive opportunities for all children to be physically active. We aim to set an example at competitions and events we attend, ‘shining as lights’ and consistently demonstrating our strengths as a school in competitive sporting events.
Implementation
The implementation of our PE Curriculum is based upon a 3-tiered model.
Core PE Curriculum
This level is at the heart of our entire curriculum and is the quality teaching of PE which children receive in their 2 hours of allocated PE lessons each week. Children are exposed to a variety of teaching units, alongside the core sports, in which we build on their knowledge each year.
When teaching PE at Wychwood, we do so through the use of transferable skills which are linked to the sport’s focus for the term. For example, we may use a sport such as Tag Rugby to teach skills such as evasion, developing tactics and communicating with your team. We also carefully ensure all children have a secure knowledge of the benefits to both physical and mental health and wellbeing which can be provided through regular physical exercise.
Children in KS1 and EYFS also engage in weekly Forest School sessions, encouraging activity from a young age and enabling them to develop their gross and fine motor skills by immersing them in a variety of games; fostering their ability to work as part of a team and individually: all skills which are built on further as they continue their PE throughout the school.
Extended PE Curriculum
The extended curriculum encompasses those extra opportunities we are providing children to engage in after-school clubs and represent their school in competitions. We carefully monitor the uptake of this through different groups of children to ensure we are providing a good variety of activities for all children in the school. We encourage finding the pleasure in competition and success and having pride representing the school in these opportunities. This level also encompasses certain educational school visits, such as residential trips, where children engage in the Outdoor and Adventurous Activities area of their learning.
School Culture and Ethos
As is depicted in the model, this level is the overarching image children receive of PE at Wychwood Primary School and as such is the most key to their view of it in the future. We work hard to ensure both the conscious and subconscious portrayal of our outlook on PE as a staff is positive and instil this belief through positive reinforcement and example-setting. We are fortunate enough to have a very active school community and continue to reinforce these strengths to ensure the children are receiving the best possible educational experience with us.
EYFS
PE may look slightly different in EYFS as, with many subjects, it is taught in a more free or lightly structured manner. In EYFS, PE is a constant focus through both the continuous and targeted provision pupils receive. Children have access to a dedicated outdoor learning environment all day. This area has a wide range of equipment and zones designed to develop their physical well-being throughout the areas of their curriculum. There are also daily directed fine motor skills which the children engage in and additional targeted interventions for any children needing further support in a specific area of the curriculum. Additionally, children in EYFS engage in weekly Forest School sessions as mentioned above. The provision we provide supports our children in building core strength, stability, balance, spatial awareness, co-ordination and agility.
Impact
We carefully ensure and monitor the impact of our PE Curriculum using the 5 Key Indicators as described by the Department for Education:
- The engagement of all pupils in regular physical activity.
- The profile of PESSPA being raised across the school as a tool for whole school improvement.
- Increased confidence, knowledge and skills of all staff in teaching PE and sport.
- Broader experience of a range of sports and activities offered to all pupils.
- Increased participation in competitive sport.
