Spring Meadow Infant and Nursery School
PE Curriculum
Intent
At Spring Meadow Infant and Nursery School we encourage a positive approach to physical activity, health and well-being. All pupils develop their physical literacy through practising their fundamental skills in agility, balance and co-ordination which are built on progressively as the children go through the school. Fine and gross motor skills are developed through whole body strength and structure, as pupils are given ample opportunities for movement, games and outdoor activities.
We ensure our physical education curriculum is fully inclusive of every child in all levels of physical ability or health. We ensure our school creates an environment where pupils feel safe to take risks and are encouraged to be aware of the importance of health, fitness, well-being and how to be safe in P.E. We develop confidence and independence towards Physical Education and have a positive impact on their future well-being. P.E skills, knowledge and language are progressively built on as the children pass through the school.
Our school provides lessons to help children develop their knowledge of how the body moves and works when physically active. Children will learn co-operative skills, such as fairness and respect, through these lessons, as well as how to work with others in a group or when working with a partner. Our aim is to enable PE lessons to provide opportunities for pupils to be creative and competitive whilst breaking through the challenges of competing as individuals in groups or teams. Children will develop the drive and desire to take part and compete in sporting activities, through extra-curricular activities, such as archery and cricket. They will be introduced to new sports and clubs outside of our school day and within the school community, for example they may attend our football or multi-skills clubs after school.
Implementation
Physical Education provides challenging and enjoyable learning through a range of sporting activities including; invasion games, net and wall games, functional fitness, gymnastics and dance.
Physical development is one of the three prime areas within the EYFS, where there is a focus on moving and handling with fine and gross motor skills being at the centre of it. Our Early Years indoor and outdoor learning environment provide varied opportunities for the children to learn and develop their physical skills.
Key Stage 1 pupils participate in high quality PE lessons taught by class teachers and external providers at least twice a week, covering sporting disciplines and skills every half term. In P.E lessons pupils are engaged taking part in activity-based learning, through activities which are differentiated, linking previous learning and planning carefully to ensure that individual pupils make progress. Children are given the opportunity twice a week to achieve additional physical activity at lunch time taking part in playground games organised and led by Premier Sports.
Our long-term plan sets out the PE units which are taught throughout the year and ensure that the requirements of the National Curriculum and Early Years Foundation Stage are fully met. In Key Stage 1, the Get Set for PE scheme of work is used which provides a detailed, structured curriculum that builds skills progressively. Physical education has direct links with a range of curriculum areas for example using speaking and listening skills when evaluating a pupil’s performance the creative aspects of music and art and the scientific knowledge behind how the body works and keeping fit and healthy.
The teaching sequence for PE:
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All learning starts with revisiting prior knowledge
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Staff will model specific key movements, actions and activities
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Through a variety of warm ups and cool downs, children will develop their knowledge of why this is important and how their bodies start to change
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Demonstration of skills including key teaching steps
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Explore using different equipment to perform the skill
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Provide opportunities for the children to work independently and collaboratively
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Provide opportunities for children to critically review their own work and that of others
Impact
The key knowledge, skills and language are revisited throughout children’s learning using formative assessments (observations, self-assessment, peer assessment, question, discussion and physical tasks) to allow teachers to be responsive to the children’s learning. At the end of a unit of work in KS1, the children’s accumulated physical skills and knowledge are assessed through an end of unit task. In Early Years the staff gather ongoing assessment information through observations and interactions in the provision and in adult led physical focus activities.
The physical education subject leader monitors the teaching and learning of physical education throughout the year through learning walks, outcome scrutinies and discussions with children from across the school to find out what they enjoy and the skills they have gained in physical education. This evaluation of the teaching and learning of physical education within the school informs them of next steps to be taken in further raising standards in physical education.
Our physical education curriculum is tailored to impact on our children’s ability to acquire the knowledge, skills and understanding of health and well-being allowing them the best opportunity to grow up to live happy and healthy lives. We have embedded this through our Early Years physical continuous indoor and outdoor provision and the use of the Val Sabin scheme of work in KS1.
