Physical Education

At East Claydon C of E School, we recognise that Physical Education (PE) and physical activity has a massive benefit for children, with an influence that reaches far beyond lessons and school. We recognise that increased activity improves behaviour, self-confidence and social skills; improves attention levels and performance at school; develops co-ordination; helps to maintain a healthy body weight; helps children to sleep better; improves mood and makes children feel good. In our EYFS and KS1, we envisage children becoming physically literate. Then, in KS2 children will be able to participate in, and enjoy taking part in sports, whilst improving their physical literacy. We believe children today need to develop their fundamental movement skills so that they can perform with increasing competence and confidence in a range of physical activities. At East Claydon, we aim to develop children’s love of a physical lifestyle and influence them to make informed choices about physical activity throughout their lives.

Intent:

• To develop children’s physical literacy.
• To develop an increasing ability to select, link and apply skills, tactics and compositional ideas through a progressively challenging curriculum.
• To develop children’s motivation and ability to understand, communicate, apply and analyse various forms of movement.
• To develop a variety of movements confidently and competently across a wide range of physical activities.
• To encourage children to make healthy, active choices that are both beneficial to and respectful of themselves, others and environment in order to establish long-lasting lifestyle messages.
• To inspire and engage children’s interest in sporting activities through providing a wide range of opportunities within school, after school and within the wider community.
• To develop the ability to work as a team player, taking the lead and learning to work collaboratively with others.
• To maximise levels of activity for all children throughout the school day.
• To develop children’s sportspersonship and motivation.

Implementation:

Children will experience two hours of high-quality PE teaching each week. All our children are taught by PE specialists from Sports 4 All (S4A). All teachers are highly skilled in all the sports we deliver at East Claydon. Our curriculum inspires all pupils to succeed and allows children to develop their skills in a range of traditional sports. The curriculum is a spiral curriculum which enables children to build on their skills as they progress through the school.  

Children are given opportunities to excel in competitive sport through our links with the small schools’ partnership, led by S4A. Each child in KS1 and KS2 will be given the opportunity to attend these events; we aim to take all children to at least one event a year. We offer a range of extra-curricular activities which all children are encouraged to attend during the after-school club. We use our Activity Tracker to record involvement in extra-curricular activities, competitions, and events.

At break times, our schools boosts a huge range of opportunities for further physical development. We have a wonderful wooden trim trail, which encourages children to climb and balance on different equipment; we have exercise equipment to develop core strength and cardio work-outs; we have a vast array of toys to encourage physical play; and we have S4A present to organise games with the children. During the school day, we encourage children to take movement breaks. We use a wide range of methods to encourage short physical breaks: stretching, relaxation techniques and even choreographed dances through the support of GoNoodle or Jump Start Johnny.

In addition to the traditional PE lesson, we offer swimming to all children in years 3 and 5. All children will attend a 1-hour swimming lesson over the Spring term. In total, children can access 24 hours’ worth of swimming during their time at East Claydon.

For the past few years, we have also been able to access funding to allow our children to complete their Bikeability qualification. Children in year 4 have access to level 1 and children in year 6 can complete their level 2. This scheme promotes cycling skills alongside how to keep safe whilst cycling on the road.

Impact:

Children leave school having a love of sport and physical activity both in and out of school, with this continuing into later life. Children will have worked on their own aspirations in relation to PE and this will be carried on after leaving KS2, with children continuing to participate for enjoyment or competitively. All children should be able to discuss the importance of a healthy lifestyle and how this is achieved as well as developed skills that underpin life such as teamwork, sportsmanship, self-motivation, resilience and independence.