Physical Education
At the Olive School, we have designed our physical education (PE) curriculum with the intent to: maximise children’s physical activity; develop their fundamental movement skills in a range of disciplines and sports; and build confidence and enjoyment in the activities they undertake. Whilst centring our PE curriculum on these essential practical skills, we will also develop important ‘PE life skills’ such as body awareness and leadership, in order to equip our children with the PE mindset that will enable them to flourish in future PE learning.
We will deliver a broad and balanced skill-based PE curriculum that:
- Systematically develop the practical skills required for gymnastics, dance, athletics, swimming, invasion games (e.g. hockey), net and wall games (e.g. tennis); and striking and fielding games (e.g. cricket) arching across the whole primary age range.
- Focusses exciting sequences of learning on discrete component skills and applies these to a meaningful composite outcome. For example, in Year 4 gymnastics, children will focus on the component skills of balancing, travelling and rolling, before combining these to create and perform a sequence with a partner.
- Promotes the development of essential PE life skills, such as: the importance of cooling down; body awareness; giving peer feedback; measuring; and leadership.
The detailed, sequential development of PE knowledge, skills and understanding is carefully mapped out in our progression map (see below). This progression map ensures that the PE coach is supported to plan challenging, ambitious lessons that include all learners, of all abilities, allowing specific skill progression within a particular strand of PE to be fully understood.
Our children are given motivating and inspiring enrichment opportunities and special experiences to embed essential learning in PE. This enrichment is an essential element of our curriculum offer. For example, our children experience:
- A range of after school clubs to promote physical activity –
- Football
- Dodgeball
- Curling
- Taking part in local school competitions in the borough
- Enhanced opportunities for physical activity at break times –
- Physical activity resources
- Trim trail
- Key Stage 1 opportunities for outdoor provision – e.g. using crates, logs
- Residential visits to explore the great outdoors
- Orienteering
- Walking
- Problem solving