Intent
At Durham Gilesgate Primary School, we recognise that Physical Education is an integral part of the National Curriculum and our intent is that the PE curriculum in our school is inclusive and engages all pupils.
Children at Durham Gilesgate Primary school will develop the knowledge, skills and competence to achieve or excel in a broad range of sports and physical activities. We aim to deliver high-quality teaching and learning opportunities that inspire all children to succeed. We aim to teach children how to cooperate and collaborate with others, as part of a team, understanding fairness and equity of play to embed life-long values. We aim for all children to be physically active for sustained periods of time and be able to make informed decisions to lead healthy and active lives. Swimming is an important life skill and we aspire for all children to leave primary school being able to swim at least 25 metres.
Implementation
Our PE curriculum ensures all children develop the confidence, tolerance and the appreciation of their own and others’ strengths and weaknesses. PE is taught by teachers, trained HLTA’s or specialist coaches who use, and adapt, Durham County Council and QCA planning and resources to ensure that sequences of lessons, within and across years, show progression. Our carefully planned PE overview ensures that pupils participate in a variety of sports and physical activities including invasion games, net and wall games, athletics, gymnastics, dance and Outdoor and adventurous activity (OAA). Pupils encounter all areas regularly, at age specific levels, aimed at developing and consolidating core skills.
We buy into the School Sport Partnership in order to provide specialist sports coaches who deliver high quality lessons and training for staff. Ongoing assessment and flexible planning ensures that children are supported to develop at their own level. PE lessons regularly offer pupils the opportunities to be compete, through personal challenges or through organised games during lessons. Children also have the opportunity to participate in a variety of competitive and non-competitive sports and festivals for Key Stages 1 and 2, through intra and inter school competitions.
There are specific festivals and tournaments for children with SEND for example; an regional, annual tennis tournament for pupils with a hearing impairment.
All classes have 2 hours of PE each week, and in addition all classes participate in high quality physical activity daily to help achieve the recommended 30 minutes a day. This could be in the classroom linked to other curriculum areas or part of our active burst programme using LK Health and Wellbeing fitness videos. Our curriculum drivers underpin the PE curriculum, particularly the drivers ‘values’ and ‘growth mind-set’. Within our lessons, children are taught about self-discipline and that to be successful you need to take ownership and responsibility of their own health and fitness.
Children in Year 6 attend swimming in the autumn term, Year 4 attend in the spring and Year 5, as well as any Year 6 children who have not yet met the standard, attend in the summer. We also provide children with opportunities to participate in extra-curricular activities such as football, netball, dance and gymnastics that are inclusive, enjoyable and increase children’s physical activity.
Impact
We will measure impact through improved wellbeing and fitness of all children at Durham Gilesgate Primary School; not only through the sporting skills taught, but through the underpinning values and disciplines PE promotes. We expect that the majority of children will achieve at age related standards in PE at the end of each year. We recognise that some children may not achieve this standard but we will expect that they have made good progress from their starting point. We also recognise that some other children will exceed age related standards and we will have challenged these children effectively. Children’s knowledge, understanding and skills will build progressively over time and this will be evidenced in lessons, core tasks, performances, assessments, and through discussions with children.
The majority of Year 6 pupils leave school with the skills to self-rescue in the water and swim 25 metres competently. CPD and working alongside talented coaches will increase staff confidence in delivering activity and supporting pupils in PE and will ensure high quality of delivery and progressive knowledge of pupils as they move through the school.