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Intent

At Lethbridge, we want every pupil to enjoy being active and to become physically confident in a way that supports their health, fitness and wellbeing. We offer high-quality physical education and a wide range of sporting opportunities, so that every child, from Reception to Year 6, can find activities they love and develop a healthy relationship with physical activity that lasts their whole life.

Our curriculum develops the whole child, not just their physical ability. It is built around Sport England’s four strands: move, think, feel and connect. Pupils learn to move well, to understand the rules, tactics and healthy habits behind what they do, to build self-belief, resilience and enjoyment, and to work with others as team-mates, leaders and fair competitors.

In line with the national curriculum, we want all pupils to:

• develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities
  
  
• be physically active for sustained periods of time
  
  
• engage in competitive sports and activities
  
  
• lead healthy, active lives.

Our PE curriculum reflects our motto, Firm Foundations, Bright Futures. Pupils build firm foundations of fundamental movement skills in the early years and key stage 1, and use them with growing skill and confidence in a wide range of sports and activities, giving them the knowledge, confidence and motivation to stay active for life.

Our curriculum is built on the Oak National Academy PE curriculum, which covers the full national curriculum, and is adapted to fit our pupils, our facilities and our school.

What pupils learn

PE is carefully sequenced so that knowledge and skills build year on year. Fundamental movements are taught first, in units such as Locomotion in key stage 1, and are then revisited and applied in every later unit. Pupils learn through the following main areas of activity.

Area of activity	What pupils learn	Examples
Foundational movement	Running, jumping, hopping, skipping, balance, agility and coordination, the building blocks for every sport	Locomotion; ball skills; sending and receiving
Invasion games	Keeping possession, attacking and defending, and simple then more advanced tactics	Football, netball, hockey, tag rugby, handball, tchoukball, korfball
Net, wall, striking and fielding games	Sending and returning, hitting and fielding, and the rules and tactics of each game	Tennis, badminton, pickleball, volleyball, cricket, rounders
Gymnastics	Shapes, balances, rolls, jumps and travelling, linked into sequences on the floor and apparatus	Floor work; flight; apparatus
Dance	Moving expressively to music, creating and performing sequences, and responding to different styles	Thematic dance; street dance; capoeira
Athletics	Running, jumping and throwing for speed, distance and accuracy, and measuring personal bests	Sprinting; relays; long and short distance; jumps and throws
Outdoor and adventurous activities	Problem-solving, communicating and trusting others, individually and in teams	Team building; orienteering; problem-solving challenges
Health and wellbeing	How exercise affects the body, how to stay fit and healthy, and ways to look after mental wellbeing	Fitness; yoga; mindfulness; self-defence
Inclusive, target and world games	New and less familiar sports that everyone can take part in, and games from around the world	Boccia; seated volleyball; goalball; kubb; kabaddi
Swimming and water safety	Swimming confidently, using a range of strokes and staying safe in and around water	Front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke; self-rescue

Early years. In Reception, PE is part of Physical Development. Children develop balance, coordination and control through active play, dance, games and our OPAL outdoor play, building the foundations for PE in key stage 1.

Swimming. Pupils go swimming in Year 2, where they learn to swim confidently over at least 25 metres, use a range of strokes and perform safe self-rescue.

Move, think, feel and connect

Four strands run through every unit from key stage 1 onwards. They help pupils link new learning to what they already know, and they continue into secondary school, which helps pupils make a smooth transition.

Strand	What it develops	For example
Move	Movement competence, physical fitness, applying tactics and compositional ideas, and performing and competing	Linking runs, jumps and throws in athletics; using space to attack in invasion games
Think	Knowledge of rules, tactics and strategies, knowledge of healthy, active living, decision-making, and evaluating and improving performance	Explaining why a warm-up matters; choosing when to pass or shoot; suggesting how to improve a sequence
Feel	Self-belief, resilience, confidence, engagement and enjoyment	Trying a new skill; keeping going in a challenge; reflecting on personal bests
Connect	Teamwork, leadership, fair play and cultural and ethical awareness	Solving problems as a team in outdoor activities; leading a warm-up; playing sports from around the world

PE beyond the lesson

We enrich the PE curriculum throughout the year, so that every pupil has the chance to take part, compete and shine.

• Specialist coaches. Specialists and qualified coaches model excellent practice for our staff and enhance pupils’ learning, for example football specialists from Swindon Town working with Year 1.
  
  
• Competitions. We take part in inter-school competitions, such as cross country, tag rugby and athletics, and we are proud of our performance in our local football league and tournaments. The annual Blue Kite Trust Athletic Games is a highlight of the year.
  
  
• After-school clubs. Clubs such as dance, football, netball and tag rugby give pupils more time to develop their skills and enjoy sport.
  
  
• Sports days. Our key stage 1 and key stage 2 sports days are supported by the local community and by students from The Commonweal School, using their facilities and sports field. Early years has its own sports day, supported by our Year 6 pupils.
  
  
• Residential visits. Residentials in Years 4 and 6 give pupils and adults the chance to try adventurous outdoor activities.
  
  
• Active playtimes. Our OPAL outdoor play gives pupils active, adventurous play every day, building fitness, confidence and teamwork.

How we teach PE

Every lesson is practical and active, with clear explanations, high-quality demonstrations and plenty of time to practise.

• Time for PE. PE is taught every week by teachers, specialist visitors and qualified coaches. In line with DfE guidance, we aim for pupils to have two hours of PE each week.
  
  
• Sustained movement. Practice is the main focus of every lesson, so pupils are physically active for most of the lesson. Even checks for understanding are practical, with ‘show me’ activities where pupils demonstrate what they know.
  
  
• Warm-ups and cool-downs. Every lesson begins with a warm-up that includes a ‘show what you know’ check of prior learning, and ends with a cool-down and reflective questions that reinforce the key learning.
  
  
• Demonstration and feedback. Teachers model skills and techniques clearly, using demonstration clips where helpful, and give pupils precise feedback to correct misconceptions.
  
  
• Purposeful competition. Lessons include competition from key stage 1 onwards, starting with fun games and building to small-sided and full games, with opportunities to lead and officiate. The focus is on enjoyment, collaboration and fair play.
  
  
• Vocabulary. Keywords are taught explicitly and revisited, so pupils can talk about movement, tactics and health with growing precision.
  
  
• Revisiting and building. Units are sequenced so that pupils revisit skills and knowledge, building competence, and with it confidence, over time.
  
  
• Links across the curriculum. PE connects with science (the body, exercise and health), PSHE (healthy lifestyles, teamwork and resilience) and maths (measuring times and distances).

Inclusion and safety

Our PE curriculum is an entitlement for every pupil, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.

• Teachers adapt the communication, space, task, equipment and people in each activity (C-STEP), so that every pupil is challenged and can succeed, for example by changing the ball or the size of the target.
  
  
• Inclusive sports such as boccia, seated volleyball and goalball mean everyone can play together.
  
  
• Lessons are broken into small steps with clear explanations and modelling, and resources can be used when pupils are ready, whatever their age.
  
  
• Pupils learn to warm up, use equipment safely and stay safe in and around water.
  
  
• Additional adults help pupils become more independent, so every pupil still benefits from the class teacher’s teaching.

Assessment and impact

We measure impact by what pupils know, can do and how they feel about being active.

• During lessons: ‘show what you know’ warm-ups and ‘show me’ activities let teachers check understanding and adjust teaching straight away.
  
  
• End of unit: teachers assess pupils against the unit’s learning objectives, so progress can be tracked and every pupil supported and challenged.
  
  
• Pupil voice: pupils reflect on their performance and talk about what they enjoy, how they have improved and how they stay active.
  
  
• Subject leadership: the PE lead visits lessons, talks with pupils, monitors participation in clubs and competitions, and uses what they find to refine the curriculum and support staff.

By the end of Year 6, pupils will move with confidence, control and skill across a broad range of sports and activities. They will understand the rules, tactics and strategies of the games they play, know how to stay healthy and active, and be able to work as part of a team and lead others. They will be able to swim at least 25 metres. Above all, we want them to enjoy being active and to carry a healthy relationship with physical activity with them for the rest of their lives.