Physical Education
Curriculum Intent
At St Mary's and All Saints Primary School, we are committed to supporting excellence in PE by providing inclusive, challenging, and enriching Physical Education lessons. We have designed a carefully sequenced and progressive PE curriculum that equips our pupils with the essential knowledge, skills, and understanding to perform confidently and competently in a variety of physical activities. Our core intent is to enhance the health and well-being of all pupils, foster active participation, promote lifelong learning, and empower each child to reach their full potential. We are dedicated to ensuring that the children's experience of PE is both positive and motivating, instilling a lifelong commitment to a healthy lifestyle as an integral part of our curriculum.
Pupils participate in regular physical activity, which improves their cardiovascular fitness, strength, and flexibility. They develop a deep understanding of the importance of physical fitness and learn strategies for maintaining their health throughout their lives which extends beyond the school gates.
Through our PE provision, we foster a culture of engagement and enthusiasm for physical activity among our pupils. They will eagerly participate in lessons, demonstrating a genuine joy for movement and fitness. Pupils will develop a passion for sport that extends beyond curriculum time, as evidenced by high levels of participation in extracurricular activities.
Our commitment to inclusive PE provision results in a climate of equality and inclusivity in our school. Pupils of all abilities, genders, and backgrounds feel valued and supported, and barriers to participation are actively dismantled. This inclusive environment promotes positive attitudes towards diversity and challenges stereotypes, fostering a school community that celebrates individuality and promotes respect for all.
In addition, we aim is to offer a broad and balanced range of extracurricular activities that promote high standards of performance and cultivate a positive attitude towards sport and physical activity for life. Through active enrichment activities, inter-house and intra-house sporting events, physically active clubs, and sports opportunities, learners are introduced to new ways to stay active alongside the opportunity to engage in physical activities for a minimum of 60 minutes a day.
Our PE Curriculum PE and extra -curricular opportunities enables children to:
- Become skilful performers
- Acquire and develop skills, performing with increasing physical competence and confidence, in a range of physical activities and contexts
- Learn how to select and apply skills, tactics and compositional ideas to suit activities that need different approaches and ways of thinking
- Develop their ideas in a creative way
- Set targets for themselves and compete against others, individually and as team members
- Understand what it takes to persevere, succeed and acknowledge others’ success
- Respond to a variety of challenges in a range of physical contexts and environment
- Take the initiative, lead activity and focus on improving aspects of their own performance
- Discover their own aptitudes and preferences for different activities
- Make informed decisions about the importance of exercise in their lives
- Develop positive attitudes to participation in physical activity
- Encourage enjoyment through physical activities
- Provide through experience, knowledge and understanding about the relationship between health and physical education
- Work with others, listening to their ideas and treating them with respect
- Co-operate and collaborate with others, in teams and groups, to achieve a goal together
- Develop an understanding of fair play and fairness though knowing and applying rules and conventions.
School Games
At St Mary and All Saints Primary CE School we take part in the School Games Mark. In the academic year 2021/2022 the school achieved the Silver School Games Mark Award.
We are delighted to announce that we have achieved the School Games GOLD Mark Award for the 2022/23 academic year.
The School Games Mark is a Government-led award scheme launched in 2012, facilitated by the Youth Sport Trust to reward schools for their commitment to the development of competition across their school and into the community, and we are delighted to have been recognised for our success. We are extremely proud of our pupils, staff and parents for their dedication to all aspects of school sport, including those volunteers, leaders and officials who made our competitions possible.
As part of our application, we were asked to fulfil criteria in the areas of participation, competition, workforce and clubs, and we are pleased that the hard work of everyone at our school has been rewarded this year. A special thanks to Mr Allison and Mrs Cribbin.
Inter- and Intra- School Competitions
Children have the opportunity to represent St Mary and All Saints in a range of different sports. The school enters into local primary football and netball leagues and takes part in local festivals and competitions in a wide range of different sports including cricket, tennis, rounders and netball. In addition, school teams have the opportunity to play friendly matches against each other in school to provide additional practise and develop key skills. We have strong links with a range of other schools which enables us to be able to organise friendly fixtures or extra sports events based on interest and opportunities available.
South Buckinghamshire School Sports Partnership
We have joined the School Sports Partnership, hosted by Alfriston School. This organisation aligns with our values and believes in a ‘sporting chance for every child’. The partnership provides support from specialist PE teaching staff with a wealth of experience who work alongside our teachers to improve PE teaching. It offers access to a network of schools for continued professional development opportunities and shared good practise. They organise a wide range of sports festivals, which allow competition above intra level to increase children’s participation in School Games competitions.
Active classrooms
The Department of Health (2016) states that at least 30 minutes should be delivered in school every day through active break times, PE, extracurricular clubs, active lessons, or other sport and physical activity events, with the remaining 30 minutes supported by parents and carers outside of school time. St Mary and All Saints is committed to helping children achieve their 60 minutes of physical activity, beginning in the classroom. Physical activity, even just short spans of it, improves children’s cognitive function, focus, and well-being. Through brain breaks, short and quick physical activity sessions within the classrooms, students are able to regain focus and attention and therefore make the most of their learning opportunities.
Sports Leaders
Pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 have the opportunity to apply by writing a letter of application stating why they think they would make an excellent candidate for the job and most importantly, why they want to be one! This is a role, which brings great responsibility and enjoyment. It is an opportunity that allows pupils to become role models within the school as well as developing their basic coaching skills in a range of sports.
Sports Leaders will be trained to lead activities and games with younger children and are taught the important qualities that are needed when working with young people. Once they have become qualified and received their certificates, Sports Leaders will work with children during lunchtimes to lead games and ensure playtimes are inclusive for everyone and that no child is left alone with no one to play with. This role develops important values such a patience, friendship, compassion and kindness as well as building their confidence and communication skills throughout the year.
Sports Leaders help to organise and lead events such as Sports Day, Sports Week, the Commonwealth Virtual Cup, Sport Relief and give their feedback and opinions about Sports at St Marys.
Sports leaders develop essential skills for life such as:
- Being confident and resilient learners while leading others
- Well-rounded young people by demonstrating good communication skills and valuable team working skills
- Greater understanding of responsibility, equipping them for life in an ever-changing world
- Innovative, creative and able to challenge themselves
- Global citizens, respectful of themselves and others
Sports leaders will be responsible for:
- Running break time/ lunchtime sports activities
- Helping to organise key sports events throughout the year
- Helping to organise and run inter-house competitions
- Report on fixtures and results
- Raise the profile of a range of sports across the school
- Support with the organisation of sport across the school
- Support after school clubs and fixtures
Websites to visit to promote active lifestyle at home:
https://www.youthsporttrust.org/resources/physical-challenges-for-kids/send-pe-activities
https://www.youtube.com/user/CosmicKidsYoga
https://www.leapwithus.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Primary-Resources_BMK-Virtual-SG.pdf