Physical Education
Intent
At Spring Gardens, our PE curriculum is designed to help all children develop their physical health, fitness and well-being. We ensure that all children receive 2 hours of high quality PE teaching each week, delivered by either their class teacher or a sports coach. All lessons are designed and delivered to a high standard and through sporting events and competitions, contribute greatly to our school ethos ‘caring, learning, achieving’.
We offer an inclusive, balanced and exciting curriculum that aims to engage, enthuse, motivate and challenge our children to achieve in a range of both indoor and outdoor sporting activities. Our units of study provide the children with lessons in Athletics, Gymnastics, Games, Swimming, Dance and team sport and are adapted and personalised to support all children, ensuring it is fully inclusive and accessible to all.
Our sporting overview allows children to build on skills previously learned, and develop new knowledge and skills as they move through school. It is designed to support children in developing competence in a broad range of physical activities and to allow them to be active for a sustained period of time.
At the core of our PE curriculum is the School Games Mark ethos. We actively encourage our children to show honesty, passion, respect, and determination whilst developing good teamwork skills and maintaining self-belief.
Through our curriculum lessons, coaching sessions, after school clubs and external competitions, we at Spring Gardens, aim to instil a life-long love of physical activity in our pupils. We aim for them to have a clear understanding of the importance of physical activity to both physical and mental well-being so that they can go on to live happy, healthy and active lives.
Implementation
All children at Spring Gardens receive 2 hours of quality PE teaching a week taught either by their class teacher or an external sports coach. Other opportunities for children to be active are in place for playtime, lunchtime and after school, ensuring that 30 extra minutes of physical activity are built into every day.
In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children are taught how to run safely, climb on and off equipment confidently and move freely in a range of ways such as crawling, walking, running, jumping, skipping and hopping. They take part in engaging and tailored lessons that specifically target their gross-motor developments, but also match their individual needs to ensure that they develop their fundamental skills (agility, balance, coordination) which then allows them to further develop essential skills when they move into Key Stage 1 and 2. The lessons also incorporate nonphysical outcomes such as taking turns and following instruction which are all part of the development process.
In Key Stage 1, children 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.
Children in Key Stage 2 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.
Each year, our curricular overview is adapted and designed to coincide with the competition and sporting festivals organised and hosted at John Spence High Community High School. These allow our children to participate against other local schools in a range of fun and exciting competitions and leagues that provide pupils with the chance to participate at local, regional and national level if successful.
We offer a broad range of after school clubs for children across Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 free of charge, ensuring there are opportunities for all to participate. Through these sessions, children are sign posted to external agencies and sporting groups within our local community which allow children to continue to pursue their interests away from school.
Children in Years 4-6 participate in swimming lessons at Tynemouth Pool, ensuring that they can swim confidently, competently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres. They are taught to use a range of different strokes effectively, and can perform safe self -rescue in different water-based situations.
Children are given many opportunities at Spring Gardens to celebrate their sporting successes. Children are encouraged to share certificates/medals/trophies in assemblies and each teacher gives a termly PE award to recognise children who have shown any of the school Games Mark aims during PE lessons. Achievements are shared via school newsletters and social media pages, allowing children to have their sporting successes recognised and celebrated by the whole school community.
Impact
P.E is taught as a basis for lifelong learning and children at Spring Gardens 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. At Spring Gardens, we provide opportunities for children to become physically confident in a way which supports their health and fitness. All lessons are planned to be inclusive and ensure children of all abilities can engage in physical activity whilst excelling at their own rate. Opportunities to compete in sport have shown to build character and help to embed our core RESPECT values such as resilience, communication and team work, as well as fairness and respect. We understand the importance of physical activity and the impact a healthy diet and lifestyle can have on both their childhood and later life.
Regardless of social background, all children are given the same opportunity to take part in a range of extra curricular sports taught by fully qualified coaches. Children are also encouraged to pursue these sports outside of school if desired. Through competition and fixtures, children are able to achieve highly, with the award of medals and certificates, contributing to mental well-being and confidence. Children at Spring Gardens work well in teams and all children develop resilience, self -belief and respect through a well-structured and high quality PE and extra-curricular programme.