Our vision

At Alumwell Infant School we want to inspire children to enjoy active, healthy and fulfilling lives. We believe that Physical Education (PE) is an essential part of a child’s educational development. Alumwell Infant School aims to develop a balanced programme of study that offers a variety of activities to develop children's basic physical competencies, build confidence in their ability and build the foundations for a lifelong love of sport, physical activity and a healthy lifestyle. Positive participation in physical education not only helps children to become physically confident in a way that supports their overall health and fitness but will also enable them to build character and develop values such as team work, fairness and respect for others. PE lessons encourage children to compete against themselves and others whilst being challenged to improve their physical, social, emotional and thinking skills. These skills are embedded in the heart of our planning.

Our aims and objectives

Our objectives in the teaching of PE align with the National Curriculum in that we aim to ensure all pupils:

• develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities.
• encourage children to use their creativity and imagination in physical activity.
• teach children to be more skilful in the way they control their movements and develop coordination.
• develop habits leading to a healthy and active lifestyle and promote physical fitness.
• help children to understand how the body responds to activity.
• develop children’s confidence in applying and adapting a range of skills in a variety of settings.
• contribute to children’s social and emotional development.
• promote self confidence and self esteem, developing qualities such as commitment, fairness, tolerance and a concern for others as well as individual success.
• engage in competitive sports and activities.
• are physically active for sustained periods of time. 

School organisation and curriculum planning

P.E. at Alumwell Infant School is taught as an area within its own right as well as being integrated where possible with other curriculum areas. The key knowledge and skills of each topic are mapped across each year group to ensure the key skills within the programme of study for each year group are developed systematically, building on the previous learning and preparing them for subsequent years. Knowledge and skills are informed and linked to enable achievement of key stage end points, as informed by the 2014 National Curriculum.

Our PE lessons are planned using the Get Set 4 PE platform, which aligns with our core values, our whole child approach to PE and the objectives laid out in the National Curriculum. Get Set 4 PE is planned so that progression is built into the scheme which ensures our children are increasingly challenged as they move up through the school.

The curriculum planning in PE is carried out in three phases (long-term, medium-term and short term). The long-term plan maps out the PE activities covered in each term during the key stage. The PE subject leader works this out in conjunction with teaching colleagues and pupils in each year group. Together we create a broad and balanced curriculum that is exciting for our children to learn through. Our medium-term plans give details of each unit of work for each term. These schemes of work provide an overview of the unit, links to other areas of the National Curriculum and assessment criteria for that unit. The short-term lesson plans provide opportunities for children of all abilities to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding in each activity area.

In Key Stage 1 there are regular dedicated PE sessions to deliver the curriculum requirements. These are delivered through a variety of disciplines including fundamental skills, dance, gymnastics, invasion games and athletics.

We teach lessons so that children:

• develop fundamental movement skills, become increasingly competent and confident and access a broad range of opportunities to extend their agility, balance and coordination, individually and with others.
• engage in competitive (both against self and against others) and co-operative physical activities, in a range of increasingly challenging situations.
• apply and develop a broad range of skills, learning how to use them in different ways and to link them to make actions and sequences of movement.
• enjoy communicating, collaborating and competing with each other.
• develop an understanding of how to improve in different physical activities and sports and learn how to evaluate and recognise their own success. 

Outside of these dedicated lessons, physical activity and the promotion of the importance of physical activity is taught and evidenced across other aspects of the school curriculum. For example, planned physical activity is an on-going part of Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) and is also evident outside of lessons such as during break times and after school. Alumwell Infant School has contracted specialist qualified Sports Coaches to provide extracurricular opportunities for all children to extend and enrich their skills within PE. This can be seen during dedicated lunchtime opportunities where the coach acts as a play leader, as well as during after-school clubs. All our clubs aim to aid sports development across the school as well as individuals’ learning and performance and to provide access to new opportunities for children. It is an excellent opportunity for those children who are gifted and talented in P.E to extend their skill set even further and to take part in a sport that they thoroughly enjoy.

As an integral part of their work, children in the EYFS access time and space to enjoy energetic play daily as well as using large portable and static equipment. We encourage the children to develop confidence and control of the way they move, and the way they handle tools and equipment. We give all children the opportunity to undertake activities that offer appropriate physical challenge, both indoors and outdoors, using a wide range of resources to support specific skills. Furthermore, specific Physical Development lessons give children the opportunity to practise movement skills through games with beanbags, cones, balls and hoops. Children participate in activities where they can practise moving in different ways and at different speeds, balancing, target throwing, rolling, kicking and catching. As the year progresses, children in EYFS are given opportunities such as dedicated physical activity sessions and simple competitions, to build on their knowledge and skill acquisition, in order to be ready to enter Key Stage 1.