Eastcourt
Independent School
Physical Education
Children are given opportunities to explore their ideas by experimenting, inventing and creating their own works of art using a range of materials. They learn a variety of skills including how to draw, paint and sculpt.
Intent
At Eastcourt we strive to create a culture which inspires an active generation to enjoy PE, encourage each other and achieve. We provide a safe and supportive environment for children to flourish in a range of different physical activities which is essential in supporting their physical, emotional, spiritual and moral development. We offer a dynamic, varied and stimulating programme of activity to ensure that all children progress physically. All children are encouraged to develop their understanding of the way in which they can use their body, equipment and apparatus safely yet imaginatively to achieve their personal goals. They have the opportunity to enjoy being physically active, maintain a healthy lifestyle and, using the medium of sport, increase their self-esteem. Our goal is for children to adopt a positive mind-set and believe that anything can be achieved with determination and resilience.
We want to promote physical activity and leading a healthy active lifestyle. Children are taught to observe the conventions of fair play, honest competition and good sporting behaviour as individual participants, team members and spectators. This links closely to all we do to develop life-long values such as co-operation, collaboration and equity of play. It consolidates the understanding of the importance of healthy living and the need for good nutrition. We hope children develop knowledge and skills which will have a positive impact on their future becoming physically active citizens and benefit their long term health and well-being.
Implementation
Our PE curriculum is varied and long-term plans ensure that we meet the requirements of the National Curriculum. All pupils receive at least two lessons of high quality PE with qualified sports staff each week. Children receive coaching to develop fundamental skills through a variety of activities and games suitable to their key stage.
The curriculum is sequenced precisely to ensure progression of knowledge and skills throughout a child’s primary education, thus enabling children to build upon prior experiences and apply these with confidence. Children also have the opportunity to further skills at school sports clubs.
Inter and intra sports competitions are encouraged. Although we enjoy the competitive nature of sport, we also appreciate and encourage the importance of children ‘having a go’ and promote positive experiences of being physically active and not always participating to win. We take part in a range of invasion, striking and fielding and net and wall games, we promote imagination and creativity in gymnastics and dance as well as provide opportunities for athletics using both indoor and outdoor environments. Pupils are encouraged to take part in school clubs and have the opportunity to compete against other schools. In KS2, children go on a visit to an outdoor activity centre.
Physical Education is fundamental in developing healthy active lifestyles in young people and at Eastcourt we provide a variety of opportunities to develop this. Regular extra-curricular clubs are popular and offer a wide variety of sports, including Football, Netball, Tennis, Dance, Table Tennis, indoor/outdoor athletics and Cross Country.
Playtimes are an important part of our pupils being happy, healthy and ready to learn. We have a team of experienced supervisors who encourage the children to develop leadership and communication skills. Children in Year 6 can apply to become a Playground Buddy which is a responsible role in encouraging younger children to learn how to play collaborative games, respecting rules and to be as active as possible during playtimes. Children selected are positive role-models for younger members of the school, organising lunchtime games and assisting with annual sports days.
Impact
To fulfil our vision to inspire our children to lead active, happy and healthy lives, we motivate children to participate in a variety of sports which are engaging and fun. We teach them to instinctively utilise skills and knowledge acquired during PE lessons and encourage them to take responsibility for their own health and fitness. Pupils are encouraged to meet their 60 active minutes of exercise a day, 30 of which can be achieved during their play times and lunch times by engaging in a range of opportunities to keep active whilst in school equipping children with the knowledge they need to go on to live a healthy active lifestyle.
