PE
Physical Education at St Luke’s
At St. Luke’s Primary School we fully support Ofsted’s guidance that “Physical Education is part of every child’s entitlement to a good education. It provides pupils with the generic knowledge and understanding they need to become physically literate.”
Our aim is to enthuse pupils to participate fully and develop a love of taking part in all that the P.E. curriculum and school sport has to offer at St. Luke’s. Today it is more important than ever to teach our children the importance of a healthy lifestyle and participating in sustained physical activity is one of the ways to achieve this. Research has also shown that children perform better in school when they are emotionally and physically healthy illustrating that quality PE can affect both the body and mind!
British Values Through P.E and School Sport
The Department for Education state that there is a need 'to create and enforce a clear and rigorous expectation on all schools, to promote the fundamental British Values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.'
So how can we do this through PE and School Sport?
Sport at all levels, whether it is a playground game with friends or representing your country at the highest level, breaks down barriers of all kinds. It is open to all participants regardless of age, sex, race or belief; often uniting teammates in a common goal to succeed and be the best that they can be. It can bring together communities, both within the school and the neighbourhood, as participants and spectators cheer each other on, offering support and encouragement to one another. It is not uncommon to see the supporters of an opposition team applaud a fantastic piece of skill from the opposition team, clearly demonstrating that the beauty of sport is more important than individual loyalties.
Within the PE curriculum mutual respect, teamwork and resilience are essential for success at all levels. Pupils are taught, and expected to demonstrate, respectful attitudes towards their peers in all aspects of PE lessons and sporting activities, as this forms the basis of sportsmanship and teamwork. A team may have many talented individuals but will often succumb to a team demonstrating a stronger spirit and work ethic. It is also of the utmost importance that this is demonstrated in the respect shown to opposition teams and officials too. Pupils are taught to win with grace and lose with dignity; the ability to follow the rule of law is essential both in sport and in everyday British life.
Resilience and self-esteem can be fostered in PE lessons and during sporting activities where we encourage pupils to persevere with learning new skills and to take part in unfamiliar experiences. 'If at first you don't succeed, try, try again!' is a typically British attitude to possess, regardless of the result.
How do we teach P.E. at St. Luke’s?
In the Early Years Foundation Stage children are provided with daily opportunities to develop their physical skills. They enjoy a wide variety of activities, including running, climbing, ball games and riding bikes and scooters, to name just a few. They are encouraged to dance and move to music and this becomes more formal in the Reception classes, where they have the opportunity to dance and move to a variety of stimulus in the hall. As the children begin to prepare for KS1 they are also introduced to Gymnastics and Games lessons.
At St Lukes, our PE lessons are planned using the Get Set 4 PE platform, which aligns with our core values, our whole child approach to PE and the objectives laid out in the National Curriculum. Get Set 4 PE is planned so that progression is built into the scheme which ensures our children are increasingly challenged as they move up through the school.
The curriculum planning in PE is carried out in three phases (long-term, medium-term and short-term). The long-term plan maps out the PE activities covered in each term during the key stage.
The PE subject leader works this out in conjunction with teaching colleagues and pupils in each
year group. Together we create a broad and balanced curriculum that is exciting for our children
to learn through. Our medium-term plans give details of each unit of work for each term. These
schemes of work provide an overview of the unit, links to other areas of the National Curriculum
and assessment criteria for that unit. The short-term lesson plans provide opportunities for children
of all abilities to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding in each activity area.
Our Year 4 children take part in swimming lessons, making use of their excellent facilities and equipping them with vital skills for life.
In all our PE lessons we want to make sure children are physically active and that they are challenged to improve both their own performance and their performance as part of a team. We also want the children to improve their physical, social, emotional and thinking skills. These skills are embedded in the heart of our planning. Through the use of ICT in our lessons we will enable children to evaluate themselves and the performances of their peers. We will of course be continually striving to improve teachers own assessments in order to fully meet the needs of all abilities in each class.
Increased government funding of school sport (Sport's Premium Grant) has allowed us to train our staff to an even higher level, ensuring that your children receive the best Physical Education possible.
At St. Luke’s we are always striving to improve our participation in competitions, both within school and against other local schools, and this will be a priority to build on the fantastic progress the children make in their PE lessons.
What else do we provide at St. Luke’s
Each morning your children are welcome to come and join the staff and children at ‘Breakfast Club’ where a nutritious breakfast is provided.
Our staff at St Luke's provide a variety of after school clubs for the children to participate in throughout the year, such as: Funky Fitness, Boys and Girls Football, Basketball and Disc-golf to name a few.
Key stage 2 participate in a weekly focused fitness club, promoting health and well-being and the importance of an active lifestyle.
Here at St. Luke’s we hope not only to discover the next Marcus Rashford or Phil Foden but, with continued commitment from both ourselves and you as parents, to mould our children into healthy, active citizens enabling them to enjoy their lives to the full.