Why I'm passionate about P.E
Hi I’m Miss Bradbury one of the subject leads for PE and School Sports. As a Blackburn Rovers supporter, I know too well the ups and downs and of supporting a team and I’m sure lots of you do too! I know the joys of winning a game on a cold rainy night, sitting waiting for your own match to start or coaching a team playing on a bright summer’s day; of making new friends through activities and events and challenging yourself to go just that little bit further. All our inspirational Olympians and Sport stars had to start learning their skills and positive sporting behaviours somewhere and I can guarantee some of them were learnt in school. Whether its learning fundamental skills like: running, skipping, hopping or throwing, learning team sports like football, netball or dodgeball or individual activities like swimming and yoga. Whether we take part to compete-to learn win and also to sometimes lose, to stay active or simply to have fun. We only get one body, so at St James’ let’s learn to keep it moving, keep our minds healthy, learn new skills, work with our friends and have fun!
Hello! I am Mr. Brammer, one of the subject leaders here at St. James' for PE and School Sports. I am a huge advocate of the importance of PE and school sports as I believe they teach children a wealth of skills and personality traits that are invaluable to their development from an early age. I have played sports all of my life such as football, rugby, netball and so many more. I like to keep fit in the gym and enjoy going for runs around the valley in my local area. Despite a nasty knee injury stopping my dreams of representing Manchester City in the Premier League (In my late 20's), I can still stress the importance of physical activity on our wellbeing to the children of St. James'. I agree with Miss Bradbury and echo her sentiment that we only get one body, so at St James’ let’s learn to keep it moving, keep our minds healthy, learn new skills, work with our friends and have fun!
PE and School Sport at St James Catholic Primary
Our PE curriculum provides opportunities for pupils to become physically competent; enabling them to take in a broad range of sports and activities. We use our links with the West Lancashire Sports Partnership to ensure our children have access to high quality teaching from specialist teachers. Our children are given opportunities to take part in various extra-curricular clubs. We also take part in many inter school competitions, events and activities organised through both the West Lancashire Sports Partnership and the TWF Cluster.
Curriculum Intent
At St James’ we actively promote the importance of PE and physical activity. We intend to provide a range of high-quality teaching and learning opportunities that inspire and motivate our children to succeed in Physical Education and become lifelong active learners. The main aim of our PE curriculum is to ensure children have opportunities to develop the appropriate skills to take part in a broad range of physical activities. We want our children to have the swimming skills to keep themselves and others safe and to be able to enjoy activities on and around water. Our PE curriculum will give our children opportunities to be creative, competitive, to reflect on their performances and to make decisions. We want to teach our children how to cooperate and collaborate with others as part of a team and develop an understanding of fair play and equality. We want our children the values of resilience and determination so they can use these skills to tackle challenges. We aim to improve the wellbeing and fitness of all children so they have the knowledge to help them lead healthy active lifestyles.
Curriculum Implementation
Children will take part in PE and physical activities throughout the week. We encourage children be to be active at playtimes and lunchtimes using our Trim Trail, Tyres and Mile a Day Track. Children in Year 1 to Year 6 will have two PE sessions, one of which will be led by a Sports Specialist from the West Lancashire Sports Partnership. We also work with West Lancashire Schools Sports Partnership to provide additional Bolt on activities such as: Bikeability, Mini Wheelers, Health Related Fitness, Scooting Stars and Forest School activities. West Lancashire Schools Sports Partnership also provide opportunities for our children to attend: competitions, SEND festivals, G&T events.
EYFS have continuous outdoor provision to improve gross motor skills and movement patterns. Throughout the year we will provide opportunities for children to develop their skills and make progress in the Prime and Specific Areas: including Physical Development, Personal, Social and emotional Development, Communication and Language and Expressive Art and Design. Progress is tracked in EYFS using the statements from 2020 Development Matters, the pre-requisites skills for PE within the NC.
In EYFS and KS1 pupils will develop fundamental movement skills, become increasingly skilled and confident and they will access an extensive range of opportunities to extend their agility, balance and coordination, individually and with others. They will engage in competitive and cooperative physical activities, in a range of increasingly challenging situations.
Pupils will be taught to: master basic movements including running, jumping, throwing and catching, as well as develop balance, agility and coordination, and begin to apply these in a range of activities. Participate in team games, develop relationships, communication skills and learn simple tactics for attacking and defending. In PE they will learn to perform simple dances using simple movement patterns.
In KS2 pupils will continue to apply and develop an extensive range of skills, learning how to use them in different ways and link them to make actions and sequences of movement. They will be taught to communicate, collaborate and compete with each other applying the basic principles of attacking and defending. They will have an opportunity to engage in a variety of competitions at level 1 and level 2 (against each other in school and against other schools). In KS2 children will continue to develop fundamental skills such as: running, jumping, throwing and catching. Pupils will grow an understanding of how to use their skills to improve in different physical activities and sports, whilst learning how to evaluate and distinguish success.
Children will develop flexibility, strength, technique, control and balance through Athletic, Dance and Gymnastic activities. Children will have opportunities to learn and perform dances using a range of movement patterns. At KS2 children will take part in outdoor and adventurous activity challenges, individually and in a team. All children will have opportunities to improve their personal bests. At KS2 children will attend Swimming sessions to learn to swim capably, confidently and skilfully, aiming for at least 25m, including the use of a range of strokes and develop water safety ability.
In all classes there are children of differing ability including SEND. This fact is recognised and suitable learning opportunities are provided for all children by matching the challenge of the task to the ability of the child. This is achieved through a range of strategies such as:
- Setting common tasks that are open-ended and can have a variety of responses;
- Setting tasks of increasing difficulty where not all children complete all tasks;
- Providing a range of challenges through the provision of different resources and equipment;
- Grouping children by ability and setting different tasks for each group;
- Using additional adults to support the work of individual children or small groups;
- Providing support where individual children have particular gifts or talents.
Curriculum Impact
We help to motivate our children to participate in a variety of physical activities and sports through quality teaching that is engaging and fun. We provide a wide range of opportunities for children to develop their skills and experience different sports and activities both in curricular and extra-curricular time. Children learn to take responsibilities for their own health and fitness, understand how to be safe in and around water and develop a love for keeping physically active.
