PE

At Keys Meadow Primary School, we believe that physical education, school sport and daily physical activity (DPA) experienced within a well-managed, safe and educational context is a unique and vital contributor to a pupil’s physical and mental health and well-being. Physical Education (PE) contributes to the overall education of all children by helping them to lead full and valuable lives through engaging in purposeful and high-quality activity. It promotes active and healthy lifestyles, physical skills, physical development and knowledge of the body in action. PE enables children to learn confidence, perseverance, team spirit, positive competitiveness and organisation. Children must engage in a programme of PE that encourages fitness, improves their strength and teaches them the rules of games. PE is an integral part of school practices allowing all children in the school to gain a sense of achievement and develop positive attitudes towards themselves and others.

The selection of suitably differentiated and logically developed tasks, will help pupils, irrespective of their ability, enjoy success and be motivated to further develop their individual potential and take part in lifelong physical activity. 

Providing a balanced range of individual, paired and group activities, in addition to, cooperative, collaborative and competitive situations, we aim to cater for the preferences, strengths and needs of every pupil. These activities, experienced within a broad physical education curriculum, aim to promote a broad base of movement knowledge, skills and understanding. The activities offered and the teaching approaches adopted seek to provide pupils with opportunities to develop their creative and expressive abilities, through improvisation and problem solving. 

In addition to a well-planned PE curriculum, we also offer a wealth of other sporting opportunities which involve participating and competing in inspiring venues, for example our Sports Days are held at Lee Valley Athletics Centre. By experiencing sport at such venues we are encouraging all our children to step outside their comfort zones while enlightening them to opportunities and possibilities both currently and in their futures. 

Pupils are encouraged to appreciate the importance of a healthy and fit body, and begin to understand those factors that affect health and fitness. This work is closely aligned with the school’s policy and curriculum on Health Education. Whilst retaining its unique contribution to a pupil’s movement education, physical education also has considerable potential to contribute to much wider areas of learning. At Keys Meadow, physical activity is integrated into the whole school’s ethos. In order for children to be ‘ready’ for their learning, they are provided with opportunities throughout the day to partake in Daily Physical Activity. This gets children up and moving and offers them a break from their work to help with concentration, focus and behaviour.  

At Keys Meadow, our aim of establishing and applying safe practice standards in Physical Education, School Sport and Physical Activity (PESSPA) are to:

• Enable pupils to participate in PESSPA that provides appropriate challenge with acceptable risk
• Promote pupils learning about risk management, and their responsibility in this, in order for them to participate independently in later life
• Fulfil the provision of a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum for physical education through:

• an environment that is safe for activity
• adequately supervised activities
• the use of regular and approved practice
• progressive stages of learning and challenge
• building a system of advice and the practice of warning
• the use of equipment for the purpose for which it was intended
• providing basic care in the event of an accident
• the use of forethought and sound preparation
• involving pupils in the process of risk management

• Ensure clear management responsibilities and organisation provide for safe systems of work
• Identify and provide for any professional learning needs the staff are likely to encounter in their work.

Curricular Aims

• To develop physical competence to excel in a wide range or physical activities, including competitive sports.
• To develop an increasing ability to select, link and apply skills, tactics and compositional ideas
• To improve observation skills and the ability to describe and make simple judgements on their own and others work, and to use their observations and judgements to improve performance. 
• For pupils to be active for sustained periods of time and to develop an understanding of the positive effects of the exercise on the body.
• To develop the ability to work independently and respond positively towards others. 
• To promote an understanding of safe practice and develop a sense of responsibility towards their own and others’ safety and well-being.

At Keys Meadow Primary School, all pupils are entitled to a progressive and comprehensive Physical Education programme, which embraces the statutory orders of the National Curriculum 2014 and Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Guidance, which takes account of individual interests and needs.

Swimming

Swimming takes place for all Year 3 pupils at The London Aquatic Centre in Olympic Park. Pupils are set by ability and the group sessions are planned and delivered by the qualified swimming instructors. The instructors provide assessments once the sessions have been completed. 

Here is an example of a progression map:

Year 3 PE Progression Map