Introduction
Physical Education (PE) contributes to the overall education of all children by helping them to lead full and valuable lives through engaging in purposeful and high-quality activity. It promotes active and healthy lifestyles, physical skills, physical development and knowledge of the body in action. PE enables children to learn confidence, perseverance, team spirit, positive competitiveness and organisation. Children must engage in a programme of PE that encourages fitness and improves their strength. PE is an integral part of school practices allowing all children in the school to gain a sense of achievement and develop positive attitudes towards themselves and others.
National Curriculum
The National Curriculum for physical education aims to ensure that all pupils:
- Develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities;
- Are physically active for sustained periods of times;
- Engage in competitive sports and activities;
- Lead healthy, active lives.
Our Vision for Physical Education
At Sedlescombe Church of England Primary School it is our vision that PE will create a culture that inspires children to become active for life and enjoy physical activity, whilst encouraging and supporting each other to achieve. All members of staff will strive to achieve this by providing fun and engaging PE lessons and through a broad and balanced curriculum and throughout school life.
Aspiration
PE will encourage all children to be aspirational learners by encouraging them to set goals that take them beyond their current levels of performance and beliefs. Children will be encouraged to work hard to improve their physical and mental fitness through well planned lesson and skills development throughout the PE curriculum. Children will understand the importance of health and exercise.
Creativity
PE will offer creative and innovative approaches to teaching all parts of the PE curriculum. As well as teaching children the key skills needed in a variety of well-known and widely played games children will be encouraged to apply the skills learnt in PE lessons to designing their own games for different audiences developing their creative skills. The aim of the PE Curriculum will also be to introduce children to new games to develop their creative thinking.
Curiosity
PE will encourage children to think about their physical and mental fitness and about the importance of this throughout their lives. Children will be encouraged to be curious when taking part in physical activity about the positive effects it is having on their physical and mental well-being. By introducing children to a range of new sports we hope that children will be curious to try new sports and physical activities that will encourage them to develop healthy lifestyles for life.
Courage
Children will learn that they may not always master a skill and that improvements will need to be made. Learning that it is OK to make mistakes is integral to learning new skills in PE. PE will also provide children with opportunities to be risk takers by learning new skills and taking part in new and challenging activities. Children will also be given opportunities to take part in competitive sports where they will need to have the courage to persevere and face the prospect of being beaten by others. Children will need to have the courage to risk losing and learnt that it isn’t always possible to win, but with courage, determination and practice it is always possible to improve.
Cooperation
In PE the children will be given opportunities to take part in team sports and activities in which they will need to communicate with their other team members, share ideas and evaluate each other’s performance against the activity expectations to help each other improve. Cooperation will be an essential element of all PE lessons.
Independence
In PE children will be encouraged to develop their independence through the setting of individual goals to improve their performance, physical ability and mental well-being. This will develop children’s motivation and self-esteem. This will support children to make healthy lifestyle choices and live healthy and active lives in adulthood.
