Physical Education

Intent

At St Stephens, we aim to provide children with the opportunities to improve on coordination, spatial awareness, fundamental movement skills, collaborative skills, fitness and general wellbeing.We achieve this through the teaching of Physical Education in lessons, and the wide range of free sport clubs that we offer with the ultimate goal of enabling children to make informed choices about physical activity throughout their lives and to promote physical positive attitudes towards hygiene, fitness and health. We expose children to a broad range of different disciplines, including swimming, dance, gymnastics and a wide variety of invasion and striking and fielding games. We intend to provide as many children as possible with opportunities to represent the school and their ‘houses’ in competitive sport and games in annual and termly events inside and out of school. We work with other schools in the local area to extend opportunities for competition even further. We foster attitudes of fair play and sportsmanship and use this as a vehicle to developing children’s overall character. We believe that P.E. should give all of our children - regardless of ability - an enjoyable experience, which they will continue on into their adult lives with them continuing to live healthy, active lifestyles.

Implementation

St Stephens Community Primary School fully adheres to the aims of the National Curriculum for Physical Education to ensure all children; 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 and lead healthy, active lives.

At St Stephens PE is timetabled twice a week for a total of 2 hours. We always celebrate children’s interests and achievements both in and outside of school, by recognising their successes in weekly assemblies. We have an exhaustive range of sports clubs available after school including: football, basketball, tag rugby, tennis, hockey, cross country, girls’ football, netball, bmx and scooter club, EYFS yoga, KS1 football and KS1 multiple skills. These are all run by members of staff and experienced external agencies. As a result, the children at St Stephens have a solid foundation for lifelong physical activity, leaving primary school as physically active as they can be.

The school have well-established teams who play in local competitions, but we also select children who would not normally have the chance to take part in competitive sport - in line with the Cornwall School Games values. We take part in many regional competitions, and we pride ourselves on having positive attitudes towards competition and place personal conduct above all else. The year of sport culminates in an inter-house competition on Sports Day. Thanks to our dedication to increasing physical activity, every single lunchtime is an active one, with experience external coaches, school staff and student play leaders working together to increase participation. They run a range of activities ranging from tennis, basketball, football, rugby, table tennis, as well as setting monthly challenges which encourage children to beat their personal best. We have outdoor speakers which are used to play music and enable us to hold ‘dance offs’ each lunch time.  We participate in intensive swimming programmes, with children in Years 3 and 4. We aim for every child to be a swimmer before they leave primary school so will ensure year 6 pupils attend lessons again if they do not reach 25 metres.PE is a vital part of the curriculum and promotes a healthy lifestyle for all of our children encouraging them to be alert and active. ARENA schemes of learning are used to deliver high-quality lessons where children are encouraged to think and talk as much as move, with clear success criteria and top tips shared each and every lesson and children judging themselves against these.

Impact

Physical Education is taught with the assumption that it is laying the foundation for lifelong learning and activity. Children have consistent access to a wide range of sports and activities in the belief that if it is taught well and the children are given enough opportunities to succeed, then they will continue to have a physically active life through secondary school, and into their adult life. Our robust, high-quality physical education curriculum inspires all children to succeed and excel in competitive sports and other physically demanding activities. At St Stephens, we provide opportunities for children to become physical confident in a way which supports their health and fitness. Opportunities to complete in sports build character and help to embed values such as fairness and respect for teammates, other competitors and officials.

Physical Education in the Early Years

Physical Education starts as young as Birth, under the remit of Physical Development within the Early Years Framework. This is where the child will focus on their balance and different ways of movement, i.e. running, skipping, jumping etc. As well as throwing, catching and kicking large balls and the lead up to being able to hold tools correctly. By the end of foundation, the aim is for children to show good coordination and control in both small and large movements, move confidently in a range of ways and handle equipment and tools effectively, ready for the transition to Year One.

 The Subject Leader for PE is Mr G Stevenson.