Physical Education
Curriculum intent
At Oulton First School, it is our intent that all children will be ‘lifelong participants’ in sport, with the skills and abilities to apply their learning to a range of different sports or activities. As a school, we share the vision that physical education is not only important for children’s physical health but also their mental health. We aim to make physical education enjoyable and accessible to all children regardless of ability, gender, faith or culture. Whatever the pursuit, physical education and sport supports essential team building skills and helps to maintain fitness and vigour, self-esteem and confidence. Through the promotion of “Growth Mindsets”, we teach our pupils that mistakes are an important part of the learning process and that by persevering through challenging tasks, they develop essential life skills of resilience and the ability to problem solve. This, in turn, enables our children to take responsibility for their learning.
We endeavour to introduce children to a wide range of sports in lessons and after school, so that they can find the activity that appeals to them and that they can pursue beyond their time in school, promoting a healthier future lifestyle.
Implementation
Physical education is provided through a broad and balanced curriculum of physical activities including gymnastics, dance, athletics, tri-golf, outdoor and adventurous activities, various games including playground games, swimming and opportunities to explore other sports. We aim to provide two hours of curriculum PE a week. Progression in skills and knowledge in the subject is outlined in the PE progression grids. The curriculum for PE is delivered throughout the whole school and repetition of sports is part of our coverage to allow children to refine and further develop the skills that they have learnt previously. This allows the children to transfer skills learnt in one activity/ sport and relate it to another, always building upon what they have learnt or skills acquired. We provide swimming for years 3&4 at the local pool and they are coached by the swimming teachers at the centre. The children also learn about safety in the water. We give all pupils access to high quality learning outside the classroom through our Forest School curriculum. This not only teaches valuable life skills but also teaches them to take risks safely and think about their own wellbeing. We feel that this area of our curriculum is essential as it enhances pupils’ wellbeing and encourages them to adopt healthier lifestyles, making full use of the outdoors. We also complement this with a residential experience for pupils in Year 4. Year 3 children have two activity days at Kibblestone International Scout Camp, where they take part in outdoor and adventurous activities, these are organised and supervised by qualified members of site staff.
We provide a variety of opportunities to attend sporting afterschool clubs. We offer a range of clubs including: dance, football, rugby, athletics, multi-skills and many more. At the end of the year we have a sports day, where we welcome parents to enjoy watching their children beat their personal best in a range of activities. We have guest sports people into school to share their experiences and inspire and motivate pupils.
Impact
Through PE, we equip children with skills in team building and problem solving, which they can use across the curriculum. We promote enjoyment, physical and mental health as well as boosting confidence and resilience. Children experience a range of sports in their PE lessons, extra-curricular activities and through intra and inter school competitions, developing confidence to compete against their peers, discussing the emotions related to winning or losing and how to behave in each situation.
PE teaching at Oulton gives children the building blocks for their future learning.
