PE & Healthy Lifestyles

Physical Education Curriculum

Intent

Our curriculum ensures that pupils:
• Develop knowledge about the choices they should make in order to lead an active and healthy lifestyle, from childhood through to adulthood.
• Develop their understanding of the links between physical health and mental wellbeing.
• Inspire children with the confidence and resilience to tackle physical challenges, understanding that strength, agility and endurance can be improved with consistent effort.
• Develop children’s collaborative and leadership skills, equipping them with the ability to integrate positively in a range of situations.
• At St Mary’s, we encourage children to participate and embrace physical challenges, regardless of their starting points. Our Physical Education curriculum is designed so that physical education skills are linked to our school mission and values, ensuring that children develop both physical and personal skills simultaneously. Opportunities for children to witness and explore the impact of good physical health, particularly among diverse and minority groups, are identified and are also linked to school values. Children are encouraged to uncover the stories behind great sports men
and women, in order to identify the personal skills that have helped them succeed. Excitement about their bodies and what they can achieve is nurtured via physical challenges so that every child views themselves as a unique individual, capable of pushing themselves to their limits and beyond.

Implementation

Teachers create meaningful learning opportunities in physical education lessons, with clear links to
aspirational personalities who demonstrate drive, commitment and courage to succeed. Our whole school approach to the teaching and learning of physical education involves the following:
• Physical Education is taught in half-termly blocks throughout the year. Key physical and developmental skills are mapped, ensuring that these are revisited and honed throughout pupils’ time at St Mary’s.
• Cross curricular outcomes are encouraged where appropriate and all skills will be linked back to our core school values.
• As children move through the school, they acquire a progressive development of physical and social skills. This allows them to develop holistically and identify ways to improve their physical and mental wellbeing.
• Alongside learning about the physical skills necessary to participate in a variety of sports, children also learn explicitly about the importance of interpersonal skills, including but not limited to collaboration, providing feedback and leading others positively.
• Teachers find opportunities for aspirational visitors to share their failures and successes, demonstrating to children that there are no limits on what they can personally achieve.
• Where possible, teachers will identify opportunities for children to participate in competitive sports, helping to embed values such as fairness and respect
• At the end of each topic, class teachers will assess the impact of teaching on children’s personal development by using specific success criteria.

Impact

The approach to teaching Physical Education that we take at St Mary’s promotes a deep understanding of the importance of active lifestyles both inside and outside of school. Children have the opportunity to acquire knowledge about the impact of sport on their bodies and minds, as well as studying key figures to identify their journeys. Development of these skills ensures that children will make choices to incorporate
physical activity into their daily lives beyond their time at primary school. Engagement with the experiences of others cements the belief that they can succeed at sport and inspires them to continually challenge themselves. Through our Physical Education modules, children develop an understanding of the impact of their choices
on themselves and others, as well as how to integrate with and support others in a range of situations.
Children also learn about careers related to sport from members of the local and wider community, helping them to see the relevance of physical education in the wider world. Our topics allow them to see the possibilities of a healthy lifestyle and look for opportunities to extend their skills outside school. This engagement with physical education enables our children to develop into individuals who are prepared for
both physically and mentally demanding activities in the future.