Physical Education

Intent

The PE curriculum at Cathcart Street aims to develop pupils’ physical competence and confidence, and their ability to use what they have learnt to perform in a range of activities. It promotes physical skills, physical development and knowledge of the body in action. Physical education provides opportunities for pupils to be creative, competitive and to face up to different challenges as individuals and in groups and teams. It promotes positive attitudes towards active and healthy lifestyles. Pupils learn how to think in different ways to suit a wide variety of creative, competitive and challenging activities. They learn how to plan, perform and evaluate actions, ideas and performances to improve their quality and effectiveness. Through this process pupils discover their attitudes, abilities and preferences, and make choices about how to get involved in lifelong physical activity. Physical education has the potential to make significant contributions to, and provide substantial support for, many areas of the curriculum. Physical activity not only improves health, reduces stress and improves concentration, but also promotes correct physical growth and development.

Exercise has a positive influence on academic achievement, emotional stability and interaction with others. We provide the broad and balanced programme of physical education we believe every child should have; with activities designed to be enjoyable, vigorous, purposeful and regular. Through providing positive experiences, a lifelong interest in physical activity is encouraged. The range of physical activities is wide and includes athletics, dance, games, gymnastics, swimming and outdoor education. 

PE is delivered by class teachers with a high quality programme designed to satisfy the needs, abilities and interests of all individual children. A wide range of after-school clubs are also available for all children from years 1-6 to participate in. 

Implementation

Cathcart Street’s aim to improve the standard of PE across the school is outlined at the beginning of each academic year with a robust action plan and a spending plan to align with the budget allocated to the school. It is paramount that the budget is allocated carefully to the aim of the PE curriculum.

We aim to improve the engagement of all pupils in regular physical activity – kick-starting healthy active lifestyles. We will do this by providing a range of physical opportunities for all children through a broad PE curriculum through after school and breakfast clubs. We ensure that there is adequate training for TA’S for active play and how to implement through the play leaders and promoting activities at lunch time. Expanding opportunities for physical activity outside of the allocated PE lessons. Lunchtime staff ensure that there is someone overseeing the activities the play leaders are undertaking, there has also been additional sports equipment for school ordered to ensure all can access equipment.

We also aim for profile of PE and sport to be raised across the school as a tool for whole school improvement. There are teacher surveys completed to assess the needs of training for delivering the PE curriculum. In the year 2020-2021 we are aiming to implement the Daily Mile throughout school. There is also a weekly walking to school award to the class that are most active in transportation to school to promote healthy lifestyles outside of school. Another ongoing aim is to increase participation in competitive sport by maintaining the silver award quality mark for PE.

We aim to develop children's confidence and competence to take part in a range of sports and physical activity. The year is split into 6 half terms, all year groups have specific focuses in dance and gymnastics and a range of sports are taught across a child's time at Cathcart. These include;

Key Stage 1

Pupils are developing fundamental movement skills, becoming increasingly competent and confident and access a broad range of opportunities to extend their agility, balance and coordination, individually and with others. Children engage in competitive and co-operative physical activities, in a range of increasingly challenging situations. We adhere to the national curriculum and pupils are able to;

Key stage 2

Pupils continue to apply and develop a broader range of skills, learning how to use them in different ways and to link them to make actions and sequences of movement. They continue to enjoy communicating, collaborating and competing with each other. They are continuing to develop an understanding of how to improve in different physical activities and sports and learn how to evaluate and recognise their own success. We adhere to the national curriculum and pupils are able to;

• Use running, jumping, throwing and catching in isolation and in combination
• Play competitive games, modified where appropriate through badminton, basketball, cricket, football, hockey, netball and tennis, and apply basic principles suitable for attacking and defending
• Develop flexibility, strength, technique, control and balance through athletics dance and gymnastics
• Perform dances using a range of movement patterns
• Take part in outdoor and adventurous activity challenges both individually and within a team
• Compare their performances with previous ones and demonstrate improvement to achieve their personal best.

Impact

Progress in PE is measured over time, and not necessarily in individual lessons, and can be demonstrated in pupils knowing and remembering more from the curriculum. Throughout the year key content is reinforced and memory built through short assessment. PE is assessed using teacher judgement based on the outline set out in the national curriculum. This is assessed and monitored by the subject leader in order to implement any actions that may need to take place.