Physical Education at Christ Church and Holy Trinity Primary Schools
Physical Education Intent
At Christ Church and Holy Trinity we strive to create a culture which aims to inspire an active generation to enjoy PE, encourage each other and achieve. We provide a safe and supportive environment for children to flourish in a range of different physical activities which is essential in supporting their physical, emotional, spiritual, social and moral development.
At Christ Church and Holy Trinity we offer an interesting, varied and stimulating program of activity to ensure that all children progress physically through a fun, challenging and fully inclusive PE curriculum. We encourage all children to develop their understanding of the way in which they can use their body, equipment and apparatus safely yet imaginatively to achieve their personal goals. All children have the opportunity to enjoy being physically active, maintain a healthy lifestyle and using the medium of sport, increase their self-esteem. We aspire for children to adopt a positive mind-set and believe that anything can be achieved with determination and resilience.
The aim of Physical Education is to promote physical activity and healthy lifestyles. Children are taught to observe and produce the conventions of fair play, honest competition and good sporting behaviour as individual participants, team members and spectators. Thus, embedding life-long values such as co-operation, collaboration and equity of play.
We provide opportunities for children to learn how to swimming in lessons from Year 3 and continuing until children have become confident in the water, knowing how to keep safe and also meet the National Curriculum requirements of swimming 25m by the end of Year 6.
Children are encouraged to engage in competitive sport and athletics, representing their school from Year 3 to Year 6 in a range of competitions and events.
Our PE Curriculum, along with PSHE and science, teaches children about the importance of healthy living and learning about the need for good nutrition. At Christ Church and Holy Trinity we aim for children to develop the necessary knowledge and skills which will have a positive impact on their future by becoming physically active citizens to benefit their long-term health and well-being.
Physical Education Implementation
At Christ Church and Holy Trinity our PE curriculum is varied and long-term plans ensure that we meet the requirements of the National Curriculum. All pupils receive at least two hours of high quality PE using the vast outside space or school hall. All children have a weekly PE lesson with their class teacher and have weekly sessions with a qualified coach during an enrichment afternoon. During these afternoons, children receive expert coaching to develop fundamental skills through a variety of activities and games suitable to their key stage.
Our PE curriculum is sequenced precisely to ensure progression of knowledge and skills throughout a child’s primary education, thus enabling children to build upon prior experiences and apply these fluently, with confidence. Children also have the opportunity to further these skills at after school sports clubs thus making club links within the community and development officers for specific sports. At Christ Church and Holy Trinity we endeavour to provide a broad range of activities based on children’s interests and new initiatives.
Inter and intra sports competitions are a particular strength of the school and we are managing to get back into them now that we are learning to live with COVID. Although we enjoy the competitive nature of sport, we also appreciate and encourage the importance of children ‘having a go’ and promote positive experiences of being physically active and not always participate to win. We have an inclusive approach and value the importance of physical and mental well-being.
Children take part in a range of invasion, striking & fielding or net & wall games, we promote imagination and creativity in gymnastics and dance as well as provide opportunities for athletics using both indoor and outdoor environments plus outdoor and adventurous activities. Pupils are encouraged to take part in after school clubs and have the opportunity to compete against other schools. In KS2, children go on a residential course for outdoor activities. Children have swimming lessons from Year 3 (weekly) and continue every year up to Year 6 (4,5 and 6 every week for a term).
Physical Education is fundamental in developing healthy lifestyles in young people and at Christ Church and Holy Trinity we provide a wide array of opportunities to develop this and sporting skills outside of the normal curriculum time such as kayaking and climbing.
Regular extra-curricular clubs are very popular and offer a wide variety of sports, including: Dance (KS1), Girls and Boys Football, Fencing, Netball, Dance, Cricket, Rounders, Yoga and Athletics.
Playtimes are an important part of our pupils being happy, healthy and ready to learn. We have well-staffed and equipped playgrounds, a sports field, two adventure playgrounds (one for KS1 and one for KS2), skipping ropes and an Outdoor Area specifically for the EYFS children. Also within our vibrant EYFS area we have a new trim trail which was designed to provide opportunities for children to develop and improve fundamental skills using various body parts.
To develop leadership and communication skills, children in Years 5 and 6 children can apply to become a Young Sports Leader which is a responsible role in encouraging younger children to learn how to play collaborative games, respecting rules and to be as active as possible during playtimes. Children selected are positive role-models for younger members of the school, organising lunchtime games and assisting with annual sports days.
Physical Education Impact Statement
To fulfil our vision by inspiring a generation, at Christ Church and Holy Trinity we motivate children to participate in a variety of sports which are engaging and fun. We inspire children to instinctively utilise skills and knowledge acquired during PE lessons, encouraging them to take responsibility for their own health and fitness thus developing a love of sport leading to a happy and healthy life.