Becoming a Skilled Team Player
At Mill Lane, we recognise the value of Physical Education (PE). We aim to provide a PE curriculum that pupils from Nursery to Year 6 not only enjoy but also allows them to experience a range of activities that help them to develop their health, fitness and wellbeing. We intend to offer a high-quality PE curriculum that inspires all pupils to succeed and excel in competitive sport and other physically-demanding activities. It provides opportunities for pupils to become physically confident in a way which supports their health and fitness. Opportunities to compete in sport and other activities build character and help to embed values such as fairness and respect.
The national curriculum for PE aims to ensure that all pupils:
- Develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities;
- Are physically active for sustained periods of time;
- Engage in competitive sports and activities;
- Lead healthy, active lives.
A Progressive PE Curriculum
In Early Years pupils are taught:
Physical development - involves providing opportunities for young children to be active and interactive; and to develop their co-ordination, control, and movement. Children must also be helped to understand the importance of physical activity, and to make healthy choices in relation to food.
Moving and handling: children show good control and co-ordination in large and small movements. They move confidently in a range of ways, safely negotiating space. They handle equipment and tools effectively.
Health and self-care: children know the importance for good health of physical exercise, and a healthy diet, and talk about ways to keep healthy and safe.
In KS1 Pupils develop fundamental movement skills, become increasingly competent and confident and access a broad range of opportunities to extend their agility, balance and coordination, individually and with others. They are able to engage in competitive (both against self and against others) and co-operative physical activities, in a range of increasingly challenging situations. Pupils are taught to:
- Master basic movements including running, jumping, throwing and catching, as well as developing balance, agility and co-ordination, and begin to apply these in a range of activities;
- Participate in team games, developing simple tactics for attacking and defending;
- Perform dances using simple movement patterns.
In KS2, Pupils continue to apply 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, throwing and catching in isolation and in combination;
- Play competitive games, modified where appropriate [for example, badminton, basketball, cricket, football, hockey, netball, rounders and 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.
Year 3 & 4 will attend swimming lessons in terms 1, 5 and 6.
The curriculum is further enhanced by participation in numerous sporting tournaments with other schools in the area and after school clubs. The school also hosts the annual Thame Partnership of Schools Summer sports tournament.
What We Hope Our Pupils Will Achieve at Mill Lane
P.E is taught as a basis for lifelong learning, where the children have access to a wide range of activities in the belief that if taught well and the children are allowed to succeed, then they will continue to have a physically active life. A high-quality physical education curriculum inspires all children to succeed and excel in competitive sport and other physically-demanding activities. We provide opportunities for children to become physically confident in a way which supports their health and fitness. Opportunities to compete in sport and other activities build character and help to embed values such as fairness and respect. Within our lessons, children are taught about self-discipline and that to be successful you need to take ownership and responsibility of their own health and fitness.
The teaching of P.E supports the social development of children in the way they are expected to work together. Groupings allow children to work together and gives them the chance to discuss their ideas and performance. Children will develop a respect for other children’s levels of ability, and encourages them to cooperate across a range of activities and experiences. Children learn to respect and work with each other, and develop a better understanding of themselves and each other.
