Intent

At Stamfordham Primary, we believe that physical education, experienced in a safe and supportive environment, is vital to a pupil’s physical, cognitive, social and emotional development and health.  We aim to provide a broad and balanced PE curriculum to develop children’s increasing self-confidence in their ability to manage themselves and their bodies within a variety of individual, team, co-operative and competitive situations. Through a balance of individual, paired and group activities, we aim to cater for the different strengths, needs and preferences of each child.

 The PE curriculum at Stamfordham aims to:

• Give all children the opportunity to access a variety of sports, allowing children to develop a love for sport and potentially pursue physical activity within the local community. 

• Highlight the importance of a healthy lifestyle and show pupils how physical education can assist in achieving this. 

We aim that our curriculum has an overarching impact on creating firm foundations in which children can lead a lifelong healthy lifestyle. We believe that PE can strengthen children’s mental health, resilience, learning and give them a variety of social skills that they can use throughout their lives and in the workplace.

Implementation

At Stamfordham Primary School, we aim to deliver two hours of high quality PE per week, the majority of which is delivered by specialist teachers.

As part of this process, in lessons teachers:

• Plan their PE lessons to promote key vocabulary linked to sporting skills.
• Link skills and sports to famous role models. 
• Use small steps, sequential sequencing of sessions to develop skills.
• Incorporate equipment into each lesson to scaffold tasks and allow access for all.
• Include competitive situations to challenge and foster resilience.
• Provide opportunities for pupils to reflect and refine skills. 
• Where appropriate allow children to set up/design activities.

We encourage, promote and provide opportunities for children and their families to lead active and healthy lifestyles.  We achieve this by:

• Providing a wide range of after school sporting activities.
• Encouraging children and their families to take part in local sporting clubs and activities
• Making lessons as active as possible
• Promoting healthy food choices
• Learning about planting and growing crops to help sustain a healthy and balanced diet
• Encouraging our Y6 children to lead games during playtimes

EYFS

In the Early Years Foundation Stage, the curriculum is carefully designed to support children’s physical development. We provide daily playful opportunities for children to engage in physical activity both in and outdoors. Our children have access to free flow play for sustained periods of time and are encouraged to use our outdoor environment. We access this environment all year round and in all weather conditions to support the development of gross and fine motor control, balance, coordination, confidence and problem solving skills. We share a range of healthy snacks to develop our understanding of the importance of a balanced and healthy lifestyle.

In Key Stage 1 pupils develop fundamental movement skills, become increasingly competent and confident and access a broad range of opportunities to extend agility, balance and coordination, individually and with others. They engage in competitive (both against self and against others) and cooperative physical activities, in a range of increasingly challenging situations. 

Pupils are taught to: 

• master basic movements such as running, jumping, throwing, catching, as well as developing balance, agility and coordination, and begin to apply these in a range of activities 
• participate in team games developing simple tactics for attacking and defending 
• dance using simple movement patterns 

In Key Stage 2 pupils continue to implement and develop a broader range of skills, learning how to use them in different ways and to link them to make actions and sequences of movement. They enjoy communicating, collaborating and competing with each other. They develop an understanding of how to improve in different physical activities and sports and learn how to evaluate and recognise their own success. 

Pupils are taught to: 

• Use running, jumping, catching and throwing in isolation and in combination 
• Play competitive games, modified, where appropriate, which utilise the same skills needed in other sports such as basketball, cricket, football, hockey, netball, rounders, tennis and apply basic principles suitable for attacking and defending 
• Develop flexibility, strength, technique, control and balance, for example through athletics and gymnastics 
• Perform dances using a range of movement patterns 
• Take part in outdoor and adventurous activity challenges both individually and within a team 
• Compare their performances with previous ones and demonstrate improvement to achieve their personal best 

Swimming and Water Safety 

All children have access to swimming instruction in Key Stage 2. In particular, pupils are taught to: 

• Swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres 
• Use a range of strokes effectively such as front crawl, backstroke and breast stroke 
• Perform safe self-rescue in different water based situations 

As a school we participate in many sporting competitions including multi skills, gymnastics, athletics, skipping and much more. We believe in healthy competition, teaching the children to do their best and be gracious in victory and defeat.

Impact:

Our PE curriculum is well thought out and is planned to demonstrate progression and prepare our pupils for the next steps in their learning and for transition from our school to High School. We work closely with specialist teachers to develop a curriculum that is sequential and builds upon skills taught throughout a child’s time within our school. 

• Children become more active and continue to do so into adulthood
• Children continue to lead active lifestyles and realise the importance of activity to support learning
• Children become more active during playtimes and are given opportunities to take on leadership roles to encourage the next active generation
• Children become proud of sporting achievements and want to be more active for the betterment of themselves
• Children feel comforted, a sense of wellbeing and supported with any mental health issues
• Families and parents attend more sporting events and participate with children
• Families participate in wider sport and become more active and healthier for the benefit of themselves and the children in their care
• Children develop pride for our school and continue to compete in sport competitively and at a more elite level in later life
• Children explore and are engaged by a wider range of sport leading them to be more active

SEND:

All children are treated as individuals with their own abilities, attitudes and talents. Children have their own individual gifts to contribute, which can be used to enrich the experience of others. The overriding aim should always be to create an environment in which, from the earliest age, children learn to respect each other. The P.E. curriculum enables all children to benefit, progress and achieve. There will be no barriers to access or opportunity based on ability. Consideration will be given to those with special educational needs, whether they have disabilities or a particular talent.  The action necessary to respond to an individual's requirements for curriculum access will be met through greater differentiation of tasks, materials and adult support where required.