Throughout their time at school, all children at Robert Arkenstall are given access to a wide variety of different sports and activities and are taught a multitude of skills.

Whether it's playing tag-rugby on the school field, travelling to the new swimming pool in Ely, doing gymnastics in our school hall or learning how to cycle using balance bikes, we endeavour to make lessons engaging, fun and accessible to all children. 

Intent

Our Physical Education curriculum inspires all pupils to achieve and succeed in physically demanding activities and competitive sport. Physical Education is taught through clear sequential learning mapped out from the Early Years to Year 6. The Physical Education long term plan sets out the topics that will be taught across the school and determines the teaching sequence. The curriculum is planned and ordered so that prior knowledge and learning is built on. Children are taught skills through a broad range of sports.

Additional experiences, such as Sporting Competitions, Sports Experience days and before and after school sports provision, enhance the curriculum. Opportunities to compete in sport and other activities build character and help to embed fairness and sportspersonship. We want all children to know and recognise that physical education enhances their wellbeing. Our provision creates opportunities to explore a wide variety of different sports and activities which equip them for a physically active life beyond primary school.

Throughout our Physical Education curriculum children are given opportunities to explore: 

• the importance of looking after their own body;

• the benefits of exercise and a balanced diet; 

• the necessary steps to improve their own and others’ performance and 

• their experiences in light of the school values.

The School Sports Premium Funding assists us in delivering a high quality PE provision
(see Sports Premium Funding).

Implementation

Children participate in two weekly PE lessons, one indoor and one outdoor. Some of these lessons are led by specialist external sports coaches.

Within the Early Years, children revise and refine the fundamental movement skills they have already acquired through a range of activities. They also develop their physical skills through personal, social and emotional development in learning to manage their own needs. Our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provision provides many opportunities to learn independently and with other children.

In Key Stage 1, pupils develop fundamental movement skills, become increasingly competent and confident and access a broad range of opportunities to extend their agility, balance and coordination.

In Key Stage 2, pupils continue to apply and develop a broader range of skills. 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.

We provide opportunities for cycle training throughout KS2 and include safer scooting as part of our Travel Plan and active journeys to school.

The ‘Get Set 4 PE’ programme is used to support teachers with their planning of Physical Education.

KS2 children are provided with the opportunity to attend the local swimming pool for lessons. During their lessons, children are taught to:

• swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres;
• use a range of strokes effectively (for example, front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke);
• perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations.

We work to provide a fully inclusive programme of activity such that children who do not typically participate in sport beyond school have the opportunity to learn about a range of sports and can attend sporting festivals tailored to their needs. Via our sports partnerships, Improve It, we have recently participated in Panathlon events (a combination of competitive and inclusive sport for fun) for children with SEND and also a Health and Wellbeing festival (exploring fitness and sporting activity) for children as part of our Covid recovery offer.

We provide school a school Netball club using our sports coaches but free to access for all pupils. Many children belong to the highly successful community clubs like football and tumble gymnastics clubs in the village, which also use our school facilities to extend their capacity. We enjoy golden mile running and this enhances our performance at cross-country running events.

 

Impact

The impact of our Physical Education curriculum and lessons is that children strive to be the best that they can be, develop endurance and resilience and, as a result, excel in competitive sport.

Through our carefully planned and sequenced Physical Education curriculum, children are encouraged and supported to become physically confident which, in turn, develops both their physical and mental health and well-being. Our high quality PE lessons, not only improve the health and mental well-being of our pupils, but also reduces stress, improve concentration and promote correct physical growth and development.

The impact of the Physical Education curriculum is evidenced in a range of ways, including: pupil voice, lesson visits, engagement in before and after school sports clubs and engagement and success at competitive sports events. Our annual Health and Wellbeing Survey with year
5-6 indicates a strong participation within our community.

As a result of the overall curriculum design, pupils make outstanding progress over time across the key stages, relative to their individual starting point. Children are expected to leave our school reaching at least age-related expectations for Physical Education.