Intent:
Physical activity is vital in achieving a healthy, happy and active life.
At Cupernham Infants we are committed to offering children opportunities to develop a wide range of movement skills to build their strength, co-ordination and positional awareness through both structured PE sessions and during their play. Across all year groups, indoor sessions of yoga, dance and gymnastics promote core strength and an awareness of natural shapes, music and movement, whilst outdoor sessions offer each child the chance to build their skills, knowledge and resilience using accessible and age-appropriate equipment. Adults and children demonstrate and celebrate good sporting values; more specifically, they understand and manage emotions linked to competition, personal challenge, winning and losing.
We also offer children the chance to compete with other local schools through our links with Mountbatten and neighbouring Test Valley Primary Schools. Wearing our school uniform and representing the school at local events is the highlight of many children’s experiences here. Competition provides the experience of winning and losing in a supportive and safe environment as well as making learning memorable and giving a focus and outcome for any scheme of work.
In the Early Years, children are free to explore activities and games both indoors and outdoors that build on their fine and gross motor development, such as, using spray bottles and washing windows with sponges or navigating the Trim Trail. We also timetable a one hour PE session each week. Within these sessions children are encouraged to develop their core strength and gross motor skills to ensure that they are ready for the fine motor movements linked to early literacy. We encourage children to be active and use games, songs, music and dances within the classroom and in our outdoor environments.
In Years 1 and 2, children have the opportunity to participate in PE sessions which are taught directly within structured and sequenced lessons. Teachers ensure that children build upon previous learning and acquire fluency of movement before moving promptly to the next step. Indoor sessions make links to our creative curriculum, which allows strong connections to be made across all subjects, for example, whilst learning about Australia, children in Year 1 learn a traditional Aboriginal dance to enhance their learning and cultural capital.
We are fortunate to have ample outdoor space that the children make good use of during their play time and during breaks. Children have free access to the Trim-Trail, PE equipment and balance bikes which encourages movement and exercise, problem-solving and teamwork in a less formal environment.
When children leave Cupernham Infant School we want children to value exercise and movement and understand the importance it has on our overall health and wellbeing. Through first-hand experiences of working in partnerships and in teams with others we want children to leave us as a collaborative team-player, resilient during setbacks and understand that success takes practice and dedication.
Aims:
The National Curriculum for Physical Education aims to ensure that all pupils develop fundamental movement skills, become increasingly competent and confident and access a broad range of opportunities to extend their agility, balance and coordination, individually and with others. They should be able to engage in competitive (both against self and with others) and co-operative physical activities, in a range of increasingly challenging situations.
At Cupernham Infant School our aims for every child are:
Implementation:
Our PE curriculum focusses on Physical Literacy, Gymnastics, Dance and Multi-Skills such as; golf, football, handball and rounders as well as opportunities to prepare for Sports Day. We offer a range of after-school club opportunities, such as: Tennis, Dance, Football and Gymnastics. We also draw attention to and celebrate local, national and international sporting events such as the Olympics as a whole school community. Children at Cupernham are respectful of themselves and others and they understand that they are a valued member of their class, their school and the wider community.
Within the Early Years, children are introduced to Physical Education sessions in a careful and supported way, with emphasis on developing each child’s independence during getting changed routines, safety and the importance of exercise for healthy bodies. We use the ABC programme to assess the children’s needs before tailoring our planning to meet each individual cohort’s requirements and interests. By the end of the Early Years Stage children will have developed their ability to negotiate space and obstacles safely, play with others through a range of play opportunities, taking calculated risks to become ready, respectful and safe during their PE sessions.
In Key Stage One our indoor PE curriculum is often taught as part of our cross-curricular approach which makes links to other areas of the curriculum which encourages strong connections to be made and makes learning memorable and fun. Our skills based curriculum is recursive and cumulative and delivery is confident and consistent thanks to our rich CPD opportunities for staff. Teachers give children time to secure movements such as running, jumping, throwing and catching and ensure that children build upon previous learning, acquiring fluency through appropriate support and challenge.
Impact:
At Cupernham Infant School we care about the development of the whole child. Our PE curriculum and learning environment encourages children to be creative problem-solvers; courageous sportswomen and men who are confident in their abilities. The skills they acquire here are not only physical, they will learn many valuable social and emotional tools to help regulate themselves and form positive attachments with both their peers and adults. They will have the opportunity to compete or perform and then reflect on how well they participated, could they do anything differently next time?
At the end of both the Early Year Foundation stage and Key Stage 1 children will be assessed by their teachers to establish their successes and identify the next steps in their learning journey.
We aim to inspire children by increasing awareness of current sporting events around the globe. Through celebrating the individual success stories of boys and girls, women and men in sport, we hope to encourage children to use their staying power and resilience to be the best version of themselves.
PE Subject Overview: