Policy Statement for Physical Education

Definition

Physical Education is concerned with extending and refining motor skills.  It is a way of learning through action, sensation and observation – learning by doing and moving.

Aims

To contribute to the physical development of every child by providing opportunities to:

1. Develop a range of psycho motor skills
2. Maintain and increase physical mobility and flexibility
3. Develop stamina and strength
4. Foster an appreciation of physical fitness and a desire for a healthy way of living
5. Promote enjoyment in physical activities
6. Develop an appreciation of the concepts of fair play, honest competition and good sportsmanship
7. Develop the ability to appreciate the aesthetic qualities of movement
8. Develop an understanding and appreciation of the purposes, forms and conventions of a variety of physical activities

All children receive two hours of Physical Education a week.  The school ethos is one which supports the view of “Sport for All”.

Our Physical Education programme gives all children irrespective of ability and including children with Special Needs the opportunity to participate in a variety of outdoor and indoor activities which encourage both group and individual development.  The programme is designed to play an integral part in fulfilling the aims of the school with opportunities provided for children to be physically and mentally challenged both as individuals and co-operative members of larger groups or teams.

A balanced programme which promotes a sense of achievement, success and enjoyment as well as the progressive development of particular skills and personal qualities, helping to extend the children’s experiences and interests will be provided.  The children will be helped to develop a feeling of well-being and body control through a range of activities leading to an increase in strength, suppleness and stamina.

Physical Education is taught in a variety of groupings, mixed ability, ability, mixed sex, and single sex depending on which is most educationally appropriate.  To ensure equality of opportunity across the ability range consideration is given to a variety of teaching styles which facilitate individual and group learning.

All children have the opportunity to move from

1. Dependence to independence
2. Performing given tasks to constructing their own
3. Simple tasks to difficult and complex ones
4. Using given criteria to judge performance, to using their own
5. Natural movements to skilful/technical movements

Skills being developed in Years 5 & 6

Pupils will learn to;

• Find solutions, sometimes responding imaginatively, to the various challenges that they encounter in different areas of activity.
• Practise, improve and refine performance repeating a series of movements with increasing accuracy.
• Work safely alone, in pairs and in groups as well as members of a team.
• Make simple judgements about their own and others performance and use this information effectively to improve the accuracy, quality and variety of their own performance.
• Sustain energetic activity over appropriate periods of time and demonstrate that they understand what is happening to their bodies during exercise.

Skills being developed in Years 7 & 8

Pupils will learn to;

• Devise strategies and tactics for appropriate activities.
• Plan and compose more complex sequences of movements.
• Adopt and refine existing skills and apply these to new situations.
• Use skills with precision and perform sequences with greater clarity and fluency.
• Recognise the importance of rules and apply them.
• Appreciate strengths and limitations in performance and use this information in cooperative team work as well as to outwit the opposition in competition.
• Understand the short term and long term effects of exercise on the body systems.
• Demonstrate how to prepare for particular activities and how to recover after vigorous exercise.

Assessment

Children are assessed on a regular basis throughout each key stage.  This enables us to build up knowledge of children’s strengths and weaknesses, which in turn helps us to plan and evaluate our teaching.

The children are assessed on each unit of work with assessment criteria drawn from the learning objectives for the Unit and end of Key Stage statements.

To ensure assessment is effective we have based our procedures on the following principles:

1. Assessment should be on the basis of agreed criteria which are known to pupils
2. Criteria used should reflect expected educational development and progression
3. Assessment should not interfere with normal teaching and learning
4. Assessment should be related to a manageable recording and reporting system

We believe that informal day to day reporting to pupils on their progress is vital e.g. “that’s the best handstand I’ve seen you do Sarah, it’s really improved since last week”.

Curriculum Map

Extra-Curricular Activities