“A high-quality physical education curriculum inspires all pupils to succeed and excel in competitive sport and other physically demanding activities. It should provide opportunities for pupils to become physically confident in a way which supports their health and fitness. Opportunities to compete in sports and other activities build character and help to embed values such as fairness and respect.” National Curriculum in England

At Deanesfield Primary School we aspire to provide a high-quality physical education curriculum, which is broad in nature, encompassing elements such as: a range of sports; gymnastics and dance. We also aim to engage every child in at least 90 minutes of actual physical activity in PE lessons each week. This is generally made up of two lessons, one focusing on the development of sporting skills and the other in personal physical development, including elements such as balancing, travelling, jumping with increasing control as children move through the school.

We aim to create positive attitudes towards PE from a young age by ensuring lessons are relevant, engaging, inclusive and skills are developed over time. Teachers encourage every child to try their best and to give all activities a try. Our curriculum ensures there is plenty of time for children to revisit key skills to improve and perfect their abilities. We want to provide opportunities for our pupils to become physically literate and confident in a way which supports their physical and mental health and fitness as they move towards making their own choices as young adults and supporting them with leading healthy and active lives.

To help us achieve our ambitious aims, we use the ‘Real PE’ scheme across the school for indoor lessons and employ qualified PE coaches to lead outdoor sport lessons from Reception to Year 6. We also provide a range of sporting activities at lunchtimes and after school to further support children’s learning and development. We are also proud to be a school in which children take part in the ‘Daily Mile’ and have built a track especially to facilitate this around the perimeter of the school grounds.

We value and pay attention to the many links between PE and other subjects. For example, the scientific concepts which describe the importance of exercise and the effect of exercise on the human body as well as the need to provide our bodies with the right nutrients for it to develop. Our Physical Education curriculum also ties in with elements of PSHE in which the focus is on ensuring all children know how to keep their minds and bodies healthy. We aim to ensure that these cross-curricular links will support all children with understanding the significance of leading active lives. 

Early Years Foundation Stage

Children in EYFS learn the fundamental skills of PE through the physical development aspect of the curriculum when developing their fine and gross motor skills. They also have well-resourced and learning focused outdoor environments with a range of equipment to promote physical activity and which also helps develop key learning behaviours such as curiosity and problem solving. Reception children are taught PE by qualified coaches who also work in small groups with those children who need greater support to achieve their physical development early learning goal.

Key Stages 1 and 2

The statutory National Curriculum for England provides much of the rationale for our PE teaching from Year 1 to Year 6.

In Key Stage 1, children are taught to master basic movements such as running, jumping, throwing and catching, as well as activities to develop their balance, agility, coordination, which they then begin to apply to a range of physical activities. They start to learn team games and perform simple movement patterns in dance.

In Key Stage 2, children continue to develop and apply learned skills in different ways and link movements in sequences. They become more skilled at communicating, collaborating  and competing with each other. The reflect on and improve their own performance and recognise their successes. They take part in a range of competitive games, such as football, netball, hockey and tennis. They continue to develop their flexibility, strength and technique which they apply to their work in gymnastics, athletics and dance.

In Key Stage 2, we also offer every child the opportunity to learn to swim and aim for them to be able to swim 25 metres confidently. They are taught a range of swimming strokes and learn how to perform safe self-rescue. Children also take part in outdoor, adventurous activity both individually and in teams during Year 5, including on their residential education visit.

Throughout their education at Deanesfield, children are exposed to a wide range of opportunities to take part in physical activity and sport and we hope everyone will develop a passion for physical activity to serves them well as they grow into adulthood, keeping them physically and mentally fit throughout their lives.