Intent
Horndale County Infant and Nursery School recognises and places a great emphasis on the importance of sport and physical education in the curriculum. We strive to achieve a high standard of sports and physical education provision from Nursery to the end of Key Stage 1. A wide range of activities are available as after school clubs to further improve the health and wellbeing of our pupils. We believe that a rich and varied PE curriculum can improve attainment, attendance and behaviour. In addition, we want to inspire a love of sport in order to raise the level of physical activity of our pupils outside of school. Through our PE provision we aim to develop the skills and attitudes needed for every child to have a lifelong participation in physical activity and healthy living.
Implementation
PE in the Early Years
The EYFS provision offers play opportunities and experiences which support the development of children’s Fundamental movement skills (FMS). These are the skills which support children’s co-ordination and movement and the building blocks for movement. Our EYFS environment enables the children to develop all aspects of the Physical Development Prime Area of the Early Years Profile, and there are also planned opportunities which focus on the Expressive Arts and Design.
Our provision includes daily morning dough disco sessions and weekly relax kids sessions to improve mental wellbeing. The children also have access to an outdoor area which is well equipped to develop their gross motor skills and gives them space for energetic activity. They have timetabled hall sessions which are used to access large space for running safely, adjusting speed, basic gym and dance and movement sessions.
Key Stage 1 and 2
PE Curriculum
Pupils receive two hours of PE timetabled per week as set out in the National Curriculum. Children are given the opportunity to swim during in KS1 and we aim for all pupils to be water confident by the time they leave Horndale. Staff plan and deliver lessons focusing on one of these key areas:
- Athletics
- Dance
- Games – net/wall, striking and fielding, invasion games
- Gymnastics
- OAA
- Swimming
Staff use the Durham Core Tasks ‘TOPS’ cards as well as working alongside the local School Sports Partnership, Go Well, to assess and plan learning in PE. These tasks are used at the beginning and end of a unit of work to support this process and evidence progression throughout KS1.
Athletics – All pupils take part in an athletics unit each year, focusing on the three key areas: running, jumping and throwing. Correct techniques for all areas are taught and a focus is placed on both team and personal competition within lessons.
Dance – Within dance, focus is placed on composition, performance and appreciation. Children respond to a range of stimuli to explore different movement patterns, performing with increasing confidence and developing their choreography skills.
Games – Pupils regularly focus on games units within PE lessons. Games encompass net, wall and court games; striking and fielding games; and invasion games. Within these units, we focus on a progression of key skills required such as throwing, catching, hand-eye coordination, batting and developing an understanding of tactics in game situations. Ball control, spatial awareness, shooting, marking and team work are also developed. A key focus within games is also on developing the cooperation and leadership skills needed to be part of a team.
Gymnastics – All children take part in regular gymnastics lessons. Focus is placed on flexibility, strength, technique, control, balance and sequencing. They work as individuals and pairs in lower school, progressing to group work by year 6.
Outdoor Adventurous Activities (OAA) – children work both individually and as a team within OAA lessons. They cover three areas of physical activity: orientation, communication and problem solving. Pupils have to use logical thinking skills to complete tasks.
Swimming – Pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 swim at Newton Aycliffe Leisure Centre as a fundamental life skill.
In particular, pupils will be taught to:
- gain water confidence
- swim with increasing confidence
- begin to use a range of strokes effectively
