Physical Education
Intent:
At Ashdon Primary School, we believe we are all athletes. We want our children to love physical education and take part in a wide range of sporting activities. We are passionate and committed to ensuring that the children have no limits to what their ambitions are. We want our children to have a future built on the foundations of the physical education they have with us, whether they become a personal trainer, nutritionist, sports journalist, simply feel and seek the benefits of being active or even become a gold medal winner! We believe that through the providing of positive experiences in physical activity, a lifelong interest is stimulated, which ultimately encourages a continuation into a healthy adult life. At Ashdon Primary School, children have a range of experiences that all children access which cover all aspects of the PE National Curriculum and Physical Development in EYFS. Our approach provides an array of opportunities to be both physically active and to support learning, and this applies to all pupils in school regardless of age, gender, race and faith. Due to the smallness of our school all children get opportunities to represent our school at external events and against other schools, it’s not just our ‘best’ or sportiest children that experience being part of a team.
Physical activity not only improves health, reduces stress and improves concentration, but also promotes healthy physical growth and development. Exercise has a positive influence on academic achievement, emotional stability and interaction with others. We believe that the providing of a broad and balanced curriculum of physical education should result in positive accessibility to activities that are purposeful and enjoyable. We strive to help all pupils make good progress in their physical, social and mental development. This will result in a positive physical and mental outlook for the future. In addition to in school activities, Ashdon Primary School also offer focused sports activities during lunch breaks led by a P.E specialist. We also have a few out of school clubs led by outside professionals. The intent of these is to give pupils the opportunity to develop additional PE skills which are of particular interest to them.
Implementation:
Children at Ashdon Primary School have two or three PE sessions a week, taught by their class teacher, a PE specialist, dance teacher or sports coach. Specialist and sport specific teachers or coaches provide our children with quality provision and supports the ongoing development of our own staff’s PE knowledge and teaching skills. Support is provided for pupils with SEND in line with other subjects and differentiation/scaffolding is provided accordingly, meaning every pupil has access and consistent opportunities to achieve. PE lessons focus on improvement in knowledge, skills, performance, emotional, social and mental development. Progression is assessed and monitored from EYFS to the end of Key Stage 2 with reference to a progression of skills and through ongoing observation and assessment alongside end of unit assessments (introduced by KidsActive).
During playtimes and lunchtimes at Ashdon Primary School, our Sport’s Ambassadors, Leap Legends and Sports Coach encourage the pupils to engage in physical activity and games with the aim of children being physically active for at least 60 minutes a day. Our 'trim trail' and outdoor gym is available to children during play and lunch times.We also have a large field where pupils like to engage in games and activities during breaks and lunch breaks. We also have some sports clubs, available at no or very low cost, during lunch or after school, including running, football, gymnastics and dodgeball.
Our participation within sporting events with USSP and other local primary schools raises the profile of PE further and creates pride and enjoyment of physical activity and in representing our school. This closely links with our intent for all our pupils to be physically active for life and understand the benefits of this.
The pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 participate in a swimming curriculum during the autumn term. The whole school participate in dance lessons taught by a professional dance teacher for the whole of the spring term. It is essential to teach our pupils these important life skills, as well as life saving techniques. Year 5 and Year 6 pupils are invited to attend a residential trip every two years, where they undertake a vast range of outdoor activities with an aim to further develop a love for adventurous activities.
A specialist dance teacher teaches all children in the Spring term in preparation for our Spring Festival and Dance shows at Radwinter School for our younger children and Saffron Walden County High for our older children.
We reach out beyond our school every year with our annual ‘fun run’ and 10k run event. This is an event that inspires our children, their families and the wider community to participate and in some cases compete in running.
Our annual Sports Day is planned to provide children opportunities to show their own strengths by including as many different sports and skills as we possibly can.
Impact:
The impact of our PE curriculum will be outstanding progress in children’s physical development and performance and well-being. We expect our children to develop competence within their sporting abilities, gain confidence, self-belief and enjoyment of being active. Our pupil voice tells us that our children love representing our school at sporting events, there is a real buzz when a team from our school beats a team from a large town school. They are also amazing at supporting each other if they don’t win. Our ethos has made it very natural to support each other in team events and celebrate individuals’ achievements. We celebrate ‘in school’ and ‘out of school’ sporting achievements in Sharing Assemblies where children will bring in medals, certificates or rosettes from clubs they attend or sporting events they’ve participated in, ranging from stock car driving and show jumping to gymnastics and swimming, we celebrate it all!