Physical Education (PE)
2 Timothy 2:5
Building fitness, self-esteem, creativity and competition through physical education.
Organisation of PE
At Eltham we firmly believe that a healthy lifestyle is linked to strong mental wellbeing so we allocate the recommended two hours for high quality PE each week. We have a varied and exciting programme of lessons, with clear progression across the year groups. In addition, we incorporate intra-competitions such as football, cross country and gymnastics across the school year, and we celebrate dance with an annual dance festival. Sport is encouraged in other aspects of the school day for example: organised clubs in the morning and at lunchtime, daily skipping, supervised playtime activities.
The Children’s Health Project forms part of our medium-term planning. It is a scheme of work designed to strengthen and develop children’s physical and mental health, and an understanding of living a healthy lifestyle.
During all PE lessons we encourage self-analysis and raise pupil’s self-esteem whilst providing opportunities for pupils to be creative and competitive. All lessons include:
- Appropriate warm-up with health-related discussion using correct technical vocabulary.
- Acquiring and developing new skills and reinforcement of old.
- Using and applying skills in a situation.
- Warm down.
- Reference back to objectives and language learnt.
Click here for the PE Curriculum Overview
PE is planned in half term units within year groups and where possible we link PE to the cross curricular topics covered as part of the wider curriculum. Swimming, a national curriculum requirement, takes place in Year 4 with additional lessons in Year 6 for those not achieving 25m. As an inclusive school, we have broadened our PE curriculum by including inclusive sports such as boccia and seated volleyball. We also endeavour to offer our children access to specialised sports such as rock climbing, ultimate Frisbee and golf. As a member of the Greenwich Schools Sport Partnership, we have access to staff training and events for the children to participate in such as cross country, inclusive swimming and dance.
All children are expected to take part in PE lessons appropriate to their stage of development. Challenge for all is integral to our teaching and we aim to encourage all pupils to reach their full potential through the provision of varied opportunities and skills demonstrated within lessons. Lessons are differentiated to aid children’s learning. Gifted pupils are challenged by setting open-ending tasks and by giving them the opportunity to apply their skills in more complex games and activities.
We recognise that our curriculum planning must allow pupils to gain a progressively deeper understanding and competency as they move through our school and any specific individual’s needs must be identified in their provision maps.
PE takes place on the MUGA (Multi Utility Games Area), in the junior and infant playground and in the hall. Markings on the junior playground are for netball, basketball, small-sided football and short tennis. We use the Eltham Centre for swimming and in the summer we use Sutcliffe Park for KS2 Sports Day and Eltham Park South for tennis, cricket and orienteering.
PE Lessons
Reception
In our reception classes, the pupils are encouraged to be physical throughout the day. They are given opportunity to ride bikes and scooters, to climb in a safe environment and to create games using a wide variety of small PE apparatus. In addition, we implement the BEAM programme for all our reception children to help them with balance and coordination.
Year 1
In Year 1, PE is generally skill based activities to develop locomotion in jumping and running and ball skills with hands and feet. In gymnastics, we develop the children’s knowledge of the key skills, as devised by the British Gymnastics Association, along with teaching movements to improve control and balance. Dance is a wonderful way to keep fit and Year 1 have fun dancing to their favourite music and creating their own dances. In the summer, Year 1 have opportunity to learn some basic tennis skills with a qualified coach and they develop their understanding of small sided games.
Year 2
In Year 2, we are looking for the children to start applying their skills and exploring. In locomotion, the children are now encouraged to use their hand and feet skills more intricately, for example by passing the ball in different ways, thinking about the force applied and how they can make the ball go in different directions, dodging. In gymnastics, the focus switches to linking controlled movements together and developing their understanding of pathways. In dance, the children are expected to be able to develop their dances and be able to improve through constructive advice and be able to give feedback to other children on their performances. In the spring Year 2 further develop their tennis skills with a qualified tennis coach. They also play small sided competitive games.
Year 3
Through our links with Metro Judo Club, we offer all pupils in Year 3 judo coaching. This is a wonderful addition to our curriculum because alongside the physical benefits, this sport also helps with discipline and building resilience. Year 3 are also the only year group to learn basic golf skills. We use Tri-Golf to teach the children how to putt and pitch. They particularly enjoy hitting balls onto the target mat. Athletics, basketball, football and cricket are the some of the other outside sports included in the Year 3 curriculum along with gymnastics and dance in the hall.
Year 4
In Year 4 all the children go swimming at the Eltham Centre. The national curriculum requirement is for all pupils to be able to swim 25m by the end of Year 6. Year 4 pupils are introduced to handball in the autumn term, a competitive small sided game. They also learn some of the basic skills in basketball and tag rugby. The inclusive sports of boccia and seated volleyball are planned for the summer term along with an introduction to netball with a qualified coach. The children are taught bridges in gymnastics, and they further develop their performing and exploring skills in dance.
Year 5
In Year 5 PE, the development is towards playing competitive games in football, netball, basketball, tag rugby and cricket and the children are taught skills in defence, attack and interception. Year 5 have judo coaching in the autumn term with a qualified coach. Also in this year group, we include the teaching of the inclusive sports of boccia and seated volleyball and introduce Ultimate Frisbee. In gymnastics, Year 5 practise the skills of counter balancing and further develop their dance skills, with the expectation for improved self-analysis and refinement of their skills.
Year 6
One of the highlights of Year 6 is the annual residential trip. The children have a wonderful opportunity to try a wide range of outdoor and adventurous activities. The Year 6 pupils also receive coaching in judo and netball. In judo, they will progress to more complex holds and throws, alongside learning about the history of judo. In netball, they apply their skills to play the recommended junior netball version, High 5. Year 6 play Ultimate Frisbee, in a competitive game and continue to develop their boccia and seated volleyball skills. Gymnastics focuses on matching and mirroring. In dance, we encourage the children to create more complex dances, with opportunities to develop and refine for performance. Other sports taught in Year 6 include cricket, athletics and tag rugby.