Physical Education

National Curriculum Purpose of Study

A high-quality physical education curriculum inspires all pupils to succeed and excel in competitive sport and other physically-demanding activities. It should provide opportunities for pupils to become physically confident in a way which supports their health and fitness. Opportunities to compete in sport and other activities build character and help to embed values such as fairness and respect.

National Curriculum Aims

The national curriculum for physical education aims to ensure that all pupils:

• develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities
• are physically active for sustained periods of time
• engage in competitive sports and activities
• lead healthy, active lives.

PE at Eastwick - Intent

The PE curriculum at Eastwick meets the requirements of the National Curriculum and is in accordance with the school’s Curriculum Ethos. Therefore, it prepares children to be ‘Ready for Everything’ in their futures in terms of: 

• Success in the next stage of their education and beyond: by developing competence to excel in a broad range of sports and physical activities; by developing an understanding the importance of physical education (and of being physically active for sustained periods of time) to their physical, cognitive, social and emotional development; by enabling them to make informed choices about physical activity throughout their lives
• their ability to navigate life’s personal Challenge: by having an appreciation and understanding of the benefits of a physical and healthy lifestyle to physical and mental health; by building physical confidence and resilience through engaging in competitive sports and activities; by celebrating personal and team achievements
• understanding their place in communities at global, national and local levels and seize the Opportunity of the future: by helping to embed values such as fairness and respect through participation in intra- or inter-school competitive sports and activities

PE at Eastwick - Implementation

• In Reception, pupils are taught elements of physical education that prepare them for the Year 1 curriculum.
• All pupils in Years 1-6 each receive two PE lessons per week. In Key Stage 1, one lesson is taught by a specialist sports coach and the other is taught by the class teacher. In Key Stage 2, a specialist sports coach teaches one lesson, and a specialist PE teacher teaches the other.  Swimming teaching is provided by a qualified swimming teacher for all children from Reception to Year 6.  
• Our curriculum in Years 1-6 is built from: units devised by our specialist sports coaching partners, Sports Stars and Dip 'n Dive; selected units from schemes (Get Set for PE, PE Planning, Star Steppers, iMoves, BBC School Radio, Outdoor Education Adviser's Panel)
• Knowledge is built progressively throughout Key Stages 1 and 2.  For each unit, the following is identified:
  • 'knowledge end points' ('I know (that)...' or 'I know how to...' outcomes that children are expected to master by the end of the unit)
  • ‘substantive knowledge strands’ (key themes and vocabulary that form the basis of children’s mental mind maps or schemas, which enable pupils to recall and build on prior knowledge)
  • 'disciplinary knowledge', which is taught implicitly and enables children to ‘walk in the expert’s shoes’.
• Pupils revisit the substantive knowledge strands as they progress through the school.  Each time a strand is revisited, prior knowledge is recalled before it is covered with greater complexity or in a different context, therefore increasing children’s breadth and depth of knowledge.  
• Provision is made for all pupils, including those with SEND, by teachers providing suitable access arrangements as part of their 'Quality First Teaching' offer, adapting resources and activities to meet individual children’s needs.
• Our curriculum makes use of the school's extensive outdoor facilities, which include two playing fields, three playgrounds, a daily mile track, two woodlands and a swimming pool. 

Curriculum Progression

Please visit the Subject Progression Documents page for details of curriculum progression in knowledge end points, substantive knowledge strands and disciplinary knowledge from Reception to Year 6. 

PE at Eastwick - Impact

• The PE subject leaders, in conjunction with senior leaders and others, carry out monitoring of provision. This takes the form of pupil voice and lesson observation.  
• We know that teaching is impactful on children’s progress when:
  • children demonstrate that they have built progressively complex ‘schemas’ in their long-term memory for each of the substantive knowledge strands. This is demonstrated when they can recall prior knowledge and learning, and master the knowledge in each progressive step in the curriculum because they have mastered the knowledge gained in previous steps and built on it 
  • children show increasing mastery of disciplinary knowledge as they progress through the curriculum 
  • children therefore show that they 'know more and remember more' after each unit of learning.