Physical Education (PE) | Fairlight Primary and Nursery School

PE AT FAIRLIGHT

Curriculum intent for PE

At Fairlight Primary School, we believe PE is one of the main driving factors for our pupils’ physical and mental well-being. We place a high importance on sports and physical activity, building opportunities for children to compete against both each other in school and against local school in competition.

Our curriculum is designed with inclusivity in mind, not just for those with physical difficulties but those who are reluctant to engage in competitive sports or those lacking confidence in their physical abilities. To achieve this, our curriculum is designed around Real PE, a multi-skills programme that develops the children’s ability in the core skills of agility, balance and coordination through a series of movements and skills.

This approach is designed to ensure that all children, regardless of their abilities, can engage in meaningful and progressively challenging skills development that can be applied across to a range of games: rather than just learn rounders specific skills, for instance, the children learn a range of skills that can be applied to any striking and fielding game, developing their ability to engage in any striking and fielding game.

There is also opportunity for children to work on dance and gymnastics throughout each year, and children also swim in Key stage two.

We also strive to educate children not just about their physical abilities, but also their health, fitness and diet, so that they can be active and healthy individuals and have a good understanding of how to look after themselves physically and mentally.

Due to the nature of the Real PE skills programme, lessons are extremely adaptable – a session can have children working on a very wide range of skills so all children can be included, and all children can be challenged.

We also aim to get as many children active outside of PE sessions as possible, aiming to get as many children to take part in competitive sports against other schools, getting children moving and encourage them to be active at breaks, dinnertimes and after school. We want children to have a range of experiences and allow children to try different things and hopefully spark an interest in new sports or activities.

Our implementation of our PE curriculum

The curriculum we use works on a series of colour graded skills, which progress naturally into each other. These twelve areas of movement or skill are referred to as ‘FUNS stations’, and they move right from EYFS to Y6. Each of the twelve FUNS stations progressively builds, with small increments designed to continually push children in a way that is achievable – children are able to progress at their own pace and there is not a feeling of failure as the steps are small. This makes them especially useful for children who have poorer motor control or physical difficulties.

The PE lead, has arranged the curriculum so that the skills children develop first in each year group are fundamental to the acquisition of further skills, and are also applicable to the widest range of sports and activities. Opportunities are then built in through the year for dance and gymnastics, again sequencing the units so that the skills of agility, balance and coordination are constantly being revised and developed. This is supported by a skills progression document which has been introduced to all staff.

There is repetition year to year, with the same units falling into the same order across the vast majority of year groups, with some changes as the FUNS focus for the units changes higher up school. This cyclical approach allows children to revisit familiar skills and develop them, with each year becoming progressively harder. As the children move up through the school, there is also more emphasis on team competition and more opportunity for children to lead their own and each other’s learning – the FUNS stations each have cards that allow children to be guided through the sessions and well in the main modelling at the start of sessions. This consistency of approach allows children to revisit skills and develop them to the best of their potential.

Children are invited to attend competitive sporting events within the local area. This is an inclusive approach which endeavours to encourage not only physical development but also mental well-being. These events also develop teamwork and leadership skills and are enjoyed by the children. Children’s achievements in and out of school are valued and celebrated on the weekly updates throughout the year.

As a coastal school, we regard swimming as being an essential part of the curriculum. Year Three children receive swimming lessons in the Spring and Summer Term. We also offer intensive swimming sessions to children in Year 5. The swimming lessons provide children with the experience of water confidence and water safety, as well as learning stroke techniques.

The impact of our PE curriculum

Since the introduction of Real PE a three years ago and Real gym and dance two years ago, we have seen a huge reduction in the number of children not participating in PE – while we have been using Real PE we are getting the entire class engaging really well in their sessions, and making good progress against the FUNS stations. Children are also becoming aware of their areas of development and are more confident in finding ways to improve their performance.

The lead teacher, who helped introduce the scheme and get it off to a good start, reports that the children’s skills have greatly improved, especially around their catching and coordination.

We have a greater number of children taking part in extra-curricular activities, and are offering a wider range of activities whenever they are made available. This year, we are going to do some work on pupil voice to see which activities we could introduce to get more children involved.

Whole school celebration and rewards have encouraged children’s participation in sport and as a result, the profile of physical activity has been raised.

The standard of PE is consistently good across school, with recent monitoring showing engagement of pupils and modelling done by staff being of good standard. Challenge is offered to those who are not working at skills correctly, and extension work is given using the skills progression document.

As a school this year we will be working on a new assessment framework for PE to help teachers to monitor the impact of their teaching and to inform planning and ensure challenge is appropriate.

Sports Premium

To find out more click here https://www.fairlight.brighton-hove.sch.uk/aboutus/official-documentation/pe-and-sports-premium-funding