Physical Education
“Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body,
it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity”
John F Kennedy
What we teach
At Mersey Park Primary School, we follow the guidelines set by the National Curriculum and the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, and this is mapped out in broad and balanced blocks using the Wirral Scheme of Work for PE. We believe that PE is a vital part of school life and ultimately children’s future well-being. It is therefore our intent to provide an inclusive, broad and balanced PE curriculum that ensures ALL children will benefit, whether through enhancing existing skills, learning new skills or being introduced to new sports, clubs, teams and organisations. It is our aim to ensure children know the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle and to equip them with the tools to do so through health and well-being education. Children know how to take care of themselves both physically and mentally in order to be successful as adults. Beyond merely a subject, we believe that participation in sporting activity is a key element of developing a school in which pupils are proud of the community in which they belong. We believe it is important to encourage our pupils to positively engage with our local community and be active citizens within it to help promote a sense of belonging and pride in our local area. We encourage an inclusive environment with all of our curriculum and ensure all pupils, including those most vulnerable and those who are disadvantaged, have the opportunity to access the full and broad curriculum through carefully planned support and scaffolding as required.
Implementation
We provide a progressive and enjoyable PE curriculum that meets the needs of pupils from Reception to Year 6 and allows pupils to experience a range of activities that help them to develop their health, fitness and wellbeing. The curriculum inspires all pupils to succeed and excel in competitive sport and other physically-demanding activities. It provides opportunities for pupils to become physically confident in a way which supports their health and fitness. As well as weekly PE lessons, pupils are encouraged to keep active at break times by engaging with activities such as ‘Mile-a-day’, Key Stage 2 circuits, Key Stage 1 Yoga and Anomoly board activities. We also offer a whole school day each half term that focusses on physical and mental well-being. The curriculum is further enhanced by participation in sporting tournaments with other schools in the area, inter and intra class competitions, as well as after school clubs. We offer clubs that allow pupils to experience a diverse range of sporting activities, that they may not otherwise have opportunities with which to engage.
Pupils are regularly reminded about what it means to be a ‘good sport’ and we provide them with opportunities to compete in sport and other activities which build character and help to embed values such as fairness, respect and teamwork, principles we have identified as areas of development for our pupils.
Children are taught by both teaching staff and professional sports coaches from Reception to Year 6., to ensure that we offer a range of activities that allow each child to feel challenged and offer opportunities to progress further. Our whole school curriculum overview maps out the links to key areas of the National Curriculum and identifies professional sports people who embody sporting traits such as confidence, resilience, courage and ambition. Pupils are encouraged to discuss what makes these individuals so successful in their chosen field. Through this we hope to inspire our pupils to aim high and follow their ambitions, developing perseverance, grit and determination whilst developing their own personal goals, ambitions and leadership skills. Our aim is that through PE all children will develop skilful use of the body, the ability to remember, repeat and refine actions and to perform them with increasing agility, balance and co-ordination.
From Year 4 upwards, classes will attend daily, one hour swimming lessons for one week each year.
A strong focus for teaching is the use of correct technical vocabulary. Teachers carefully plan the language they use during their sessions and model, through discussion, specific technical vocabulary to help embed this language in the children’s long term memory. This is also reinforced through the use of Knowledge Organisers which are used to recap, revise and revisit key vocabulary regularly and short informal quizzes are used to embed knowledge.
Teachers are provided with regular opportunities to develop their own subject knowledge through sharing good practice, peer observation and visiting experts. Teachers also regularly take part in practical CPD sessions ran by professional sports coaches or school staff, following training.
SMSC through P.E.
Through our P.E curriculum pupils show a range of skills including teamwork, sportsmanship and self- reflection through our half termly focused themes. We provide opportunities for children to consider their moral understanding by teaching them about codes of conduct, etiquette and unwritten rules. Through participating in both competitive and non- competitive activities, children are given the opportunity to adopt leadership roles, respect differences in ability and share ideas in a supportive environment where they can learn to give reasoned views and respect the views of others. In doing so, our pupils may develop a deeper understanding of the importance of laws, consequences for actions and justice.
As well as reinforcing friendships and social mixing through involvement in sport and extra–curricular sporting activities, lessons provide opportunities for pupils to cooperate with others from various backgrounds. We want pupils to develop and demonstrate the skills and attitudes which will help them participate fully and contribute positively to life in modern Britain. Our focus on famous sportsmen and women through the curriculum reinforces these positive attitudes.
Impact
PE is monitored through a variety of strategies, including planning scrutiny and lesson observations. Summative assessments take place throughout the year and teachers record the progress and attainment against the National Curriculum expectations. Teachers use this information to inform future lessons; ensuring children are supported and challenged appropriately. This data is analysed regularly to inform and address any trends or gaps in attainment. Information is also gathered through pupil questionnaires, which highlight both strengths and achievements and the knowledge and skills that require further work in order to be embedded.
Final end of year assessments are made using criteria that have been developed in line with the National Curriculum and Target Tracker, to identify the level at which the child is working. Age related expectation levels are reported to parents at the end of each year. Each part of the PE curriculum is reviewed on a termly basis by the subject leader.
By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study. We aim to produce active pupils who value the importance of physical fitness as well as healthy minds and bodies. We hope our pupils leave Mersey Park understanding the importance of being a ‘good sport’ and develop an appreciation of sport as a way of bringing people together and building a strong sense of community. Through our inclusive teaching methods, we aim to develop pupils who see sport as a platform for bringing together people from all different cultures, ethnicities and backgrounds and, in turn, produce pupils who demonstrate acceptance and appreciation of diversity in sport.
Here is a copy of our curriculum overview for all year groups.
Swimming
All children in Year 4, 5 and 6 are taken swimming, each completing a 5 hour block. They are assessed against the National Curriculum standard using the online Swimphony assessment package. In Year 4 and Year 6 pupils have the opportunity to take part in outdoor pursuit activities during residential stays at Barnstondale and the Conwy Centre in Anglesey.
We provide every child with a PE kit in school so that all children can participate in lessons.
Physical Education at Mersey Park
Autumn Term
Foundation 1
Through regular use of the outdoor area, Foundation 1 children begin to develop their movement, balancing and riding skills. They ride trikes, bikes and scooters and climb up and over play equipment with increasing control. They use large-muscle movements to brush, mop and play with streamers developing their core strength. They learn how to play games such as; tag and hide and seek, following simple rules and begin to learn how to co-operate with each other.
Foundation 2
In Foundation 2 the children dance to celebrate the Diwali Festival. They exercise their bodies and minds with a focus on their breathing techniques in yoga. In the outdoor classroom they lift and carry planks and crates to create their own obstacle courses and other structures. They develop their balancing, crawling and climbing skills as they play together outside.
Year 1
In Year 1 the children enjoy jogging, lunging, practising star jumps and learning how to do sit ups. They relax their minds in yoga by practising breathing while exercising their bodies and minds. In dance they listen to music related to their Toy topic and learn how to move and dance like a puppet would.
Year 2
In Year 2 Athletics the children learn the correct running and sprinting technique. They practise their throwing skills and take part in relay races that involves accuracy and focus when throwing into hoops. In dance they listen to music related to the seasons and create an eight count routine that incorporates different speeds and movements. They teach a partner their dance and combine it with others to create a choreographed routine.
Year 3
In Year 3 Basketball the children control the ball with their hands and use their new skills in a competitive game. Each lesson they begin with a warm up incorporating key stretching and mobilising. In small groups children discuss why heart rate and breathing rate change during exercise.
Year 4
In Year 4 Tag Ruby the children focus on the skills of agility, balance and co-ordination. They work on the accuracy of passing and learn what to do once a pass has been made. The children learn how use effective teamwork to keep possession of the ball and practice different attacking and defending techniques.
The children also explore different dances from around the world including; African dance, Bollywood dance and the Haka! They learn and perform key movements from each dance and create short routines.
Year 5
In Year 5 the children start the year by continuing to develop their dance skills by combining styles of dance to create their own performance. They learn the Lindihop, followed by the Twist, then Disco dancing and finally Street dancing as they dance through the decades. They then work on their basketball skills by passing, shooting and learning the tactics of the game. Alongside basketball, the children are taught gymnastics where they will know how to balance, roll and create short performances by adding sequences together.
Year 6
In Year 6 Gymnastics children perform a range of balances, jumps and incorporate them into a sequence with a partner. They travel in different ways across the floor at different levels and perform a variety of shapes and jumps on the benches and beam. In Yoga they practise different breathing techniques and learn new poses.
Spring Term
Foundation 1
In Foundation 1 the children continue to develop their movement balancing, riding, running, hopping and climbing.
Foundation 2
In Foundation 2 the children watch videos of Chinese Lion and Dragon dances on the internet. They look carefully at them and made up their own. Some children make the music for the dragon to dance to using percussion instruments. They listen carefully and move in time with the music!
Year 1
In Year 1 the children learn different gymnastic shapes and ways to travel and jump. They also learn and practise different balances and rolls.
Year 2
In Year 2 the children revise gymnastic shapes and balances they learned in Year 1. They practise different ways of travelling, jumping and rolling and combine to form routines. They perform their routine to music and evaluate their peers use of different techniques.
Year 3
In Year 3 the children learn, practise and perform a pirate dance where they take on the role of a fictional character.
Year 4
In Year 4 the children revise gymnastic skills learnt in previous years. They focus on flight skills which involves being suspended in the air without hands. They compose routines and demonstrate their new skills in front of their peers.
Year 5
In Year 5 the children continue with invasion games. They recap skills needed to play hockey from Year 4 and begin learning additional techniques and skills needed to play tennis at a higher level.
Year 6
In Year 6 the children continue to practise and play invasion games and racquet games such as tennis. The children learn a contemporary dance and record to self and peer evaluate their own techniques. They use a water themed dance performed by a contemporary dance company as inspiration to create their own class compositions using a range of movements, repeated motifs in both cannon and unison.
Summer Term
Foundation 1
In Foundation 1 we continue to develop our fine and gross motor skills by building in the outdoor area making the most of the British summer.
Foundation 2
In Foundation 2 the children use a lot of logic and problem solving skills to build on their gross motor skills developed through the rest of Foundation Stage. They spend a lot of time outside building, moving and climbing.
Year 1
In Year 1 the children begin to develop skills needed for team games. They practise basic throwing and catching skills and aiming a ball to a partners feet. Then progress on to attacking and fielding skills learning to play small 3 x 3 games.
Year 2
In Year 2 the children refine the throwing and catching skills taught in Year 1 and begin to think about the tactics that can be used in bigger team games. They use balls of different sizes to increase the difficulty of the activities.
Year 3
In Year 3 the children continue to develop and refine their throwing and catching skills using a range of balls to improve their agility and reflexes. This then develops into a game of tennis.
Year 4
In Year 4 the children love learning how to play cricket this term. They learn how to bowl, bat and field just like those playing in ‘The Ashes’. They also find the summer term PE curriculum helps them build their skills of team work and cooperation.
Year 5
In Year 5 the children learn how to play the incredibly tricky Maya ball game called pok-a-tok. They have to try to hit the ball with their hips which is super difficult and learn the tactics involved in this team game. They also use cricket and rounders to help them learn more about striking and fielding games.
Year 6
In Year 6 the children work on their team building skills, resilience and perseverance. In school they learn how to improve their striking and fielding skills and continue to learn the rules and tactics of rounders. They also take part in a range of outdoor activities at the Conway Centre such as canoeing, raft building, climbing and zip and rope courses.
Extra Curricular Clubs
We offer a wide range of extra curricular clubs across the year. These sessions are ran by both teachers and other professionals from outside agencies, such as Personal Best (Edsential), Activity for All and Tranmere in the Community. These clubs include; Mini Marshall Arts, Tri Golf, Handball and Football. Our school sports coach offers sports clubs twice a week to Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. These clubs change each term and include; Multisports, Basketball, Dodgeball, Cricket and Parent-Child Fun Fitness sessions. We attend a range of inter school sports competitions with Activity for All (Dodgeball x 2, Dance festival, Multi skills, Athletics). We also have Sports Coaches come in to school from NB7 to train all teachers in key skills such as striking and fielding. Teachers have the opportunity to observe our school sports coach each half term to support their own CPD. We also promote physical activity at playtime where we encourage the children to complete 5 minutes at action stations placed around the playground at start of each playtime. As well as this we have yoga available in the hall and access to gym apparatus in upper playground.
Key Stage 1 Multi-Sports Club
FOUNDATION SUBJECT REPORT TO GOVERNORS