"A high-quality physical education inspires all pupils to succeed and excel in competitive sport and other physically demanding activities. It encourages a love of physical activity and promotes lifelong health and well-being."

National Curriculum for Physical Education, Department for Education (DfE)

Intent

At Wessex Gardens, our physical education curriculum is designed to inspire all pupils to succeed and excel in competitive sports and other physically demanding activities. We aim to help pupils become physically confident and resilient, fostering an understanding of how physical activity supports overall health and fitness. Through varied and inclusive sporting opportunities, children will develop important life skills, such as teamwork, resilience, and respect, while learning to value fair play and competition. Our PE curriculum ensures that all pupils gain the knowledge and confidence to lead healthy, active lives, making physical activity an enjoyable and integral part of their daily lives.

Implementation

Our PE curriculum follows the National Curriculum guidelines, ensuring progressive development in key areas across both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. The curriculum is delivered through a combination of structured lessons and extracurricular activities to promote comprehensive physical development.

Key Stage 1:
Pupils focus on developing fundamental movement skills such as running, jumping, throwing, and catching, along with balance, agility, and coordination. They participate in cooperative and competitive physical activities, applying simple tactics for attacking and defending. Pupils also begin performing basic dance routines using simple movement patterns.

Key Stage 2:
In Key Stage 2, pupils expand their skills by applying them in more complex activities, including team sports such as football, basketball, and hockey, as well as individual skills like gymnastics and athletics. They learn more advanced principles of attacking and defending and focus on developing strength, flexibility, and control. Pupils also engage in outdoor and adventurous activities, both individually and in teams, and are encouraged to evaluate and improve their own performance.

• Swimming:
  Swimming is a key component of our curriculum, with all pupils in Reception through Key Stage 2 receiving swimming lessons. By the end of Year 6, we aim for as many children as possible to be able to swim competently, confidently, and proficiently over at least 25 meters, using a range of strokes and performing self-rescue techniques in water.

• Bikeability:
  We offer Bikeability sessions for Year 3 and Year 4 pupils, where they develop mastery in cycle handling. These lessons help prepare children for cycling in both off-road and road environments, ensuring they develop the skills to cycle safely and confidently.

• Extracurricular Activities:
  Wessex Gardens offers a wide range of exciting sports clubs and extracurricular activities to provide children with additional opportunities to engage in physical activities. These clubs are open to all pupils, with many offering competitive opportunities in interschool events and inclusive festivals. Examples of clubs offered in the Autumn term include:

• Y1 and Y2 Multi-skills clubs
• Y3 Basketball club
• Y4 and Y5 Football clubs
• Y6 Basketball club
• Y5 & Y6 GT Multi-sports club
• Swimming booster club
• Parents and carers swimming club

 

Impact

Through our PE curriculum, pupils at Wessex Gardens will:

• Develop competence across a broad range of physical activities, excelling in key skills such as running, jumping, throwing, and catching.
• Be physically active for sustained periods, engaging in both individual and team-based activities that challenge them physically and mentally.
• Participate in competitive sports, demonstrating teamwork, fairness, and respect in both individual and group settings.
• Develop key life skills, such as self-discipline, resilience, and the ability to evaluate personal progress, as well as how to improve in different physical activities.
• By the end of Key Stage 2, most pupils will have achieved the ability to swim proficiently over 25 meters and have a strong foundation in cycling and water safety, ensuring they are well-prepared for future active endeavours.
• Engage in extracurricular sporting activities that extend their learning and provide opportunities to represent the school in competitive events and inclusive festivals.

The impact of our curriculum is seen in the growing confidence of our pupils, their enjoyment of physical activity, and their personal development in terms of both fitness and character.

School Games Mark

As part of our commitment to inspiring young people to be active and competitive, Wessex Gardens submits an application annually for the School Games Mark, a program designed to encourage daily physical activity and competition among young people. We aim to achieve high standards in this program and continuously improve our sports offerings, as demonstrated by our award for the 2023-2024 year.

In summary, our physical education curriculum at Wessex Gardens ensures that pupils not only learn key skills and techniques but also develop their character through the values of respect, fairness, teamwork, and perseverance. This approach helps children build a foundation for lifelong participation in physical activities and a commitment to living healthy, active lives.