P.E.

Head of Physical Education  : Mr J Fry  

Introduction of the P.E Curriculum

To develop the full potential of every pupil at Hartshill School through high quality physical education within academic and sporting environments. Physical education is a cornerstone in developing healthy, academic and well-rounded young people today and for life.  

We study PE to develop the physical, social and emotional well-being of our pupils. We aim to provide an engaging and challenging curriculum that allows (all) pupils to achieve beyond their expectations. To offer excellent opportunities to develop a healthy life-long love of physical activity and to develop a first-class teaching and learning environment where both staff and pupils enjoy working hard together to achieve success. We want all pupils to feel they belong as part of a team, believe in their healthy potential and thrive physically, socially and emotionally. We do this by developing the attitudes, skills and knowledge required to be a leader and provide memorable experiences throughout a pupil’s journey within Physical Education. 

Intent of the Physical Education Curriculum

Pupils will be provided with a variety of opportunities and experiences throughout their time at the academy, challenging them both inside and outside the classroom. Throughout the five-year curriculum, pupils have the opportunities to experience a robust programme of awards, qualifications and memorable learning experiences. Pupils will develop physical, technical and tactical sporting skills enhanced by an embedded focus on mental skills such as resilience, determination and confidence. There will be an emphasis on improving fitness in conjunction with health and well-being through knowledge and application. Leadership skills take a strong emphasis throughout the key stages, with pupils able to take on additional roles than just a performer.   

We aim to ensure all pupils leave the school possessing the skills, motivation and knowledge to enjoy a lifelong engagement with sport and physical activity. We trust that our broad and innovative PE curriculum will allow pupils to develop their love of learning and sport well beyond their time with us  

Our firm belief in the transformative power of knowledge through sport means we have put a great deal of care and thought into what our pupils learn. Our Curriculum supports the development of long-term memory and learning. This means that sport is deliberately visited and re-visited across a module, across a term and a year, and then across 5 years.  

Our curriculum is designed to provide children with the core knowledge they need for success in education and later life, to maximise their cognitive development, to develop the whole person and the talents of the individual and to allow all children to become active and economically self-sufficient citizens.   

By teaching our curriculum well we develop pupils’ cultural capital: “the essential knowledge that pupils need to be educated citizens, introducing them to the best that has been thought and said and helping to engender an appreciation of human creativity and achievement.” (DfE National Curriculum, 2014)  

We draw on Michael Young’s distinction between ‘the knowledge of the powerful’ and ‘powerful knowledge’: “Powerful knowledge ensures that people are not trapped by the limits of their experiences.” Yet we also want all pupils to be able to see themselves in our curriculum. Our recent review into the Diversity and Inclusion of our curriculum included a commitment to this dual function of curriculum: that all pupils see themselves in our curriculum, and our curriculum takes all pupils beyond their immediate experience. This, and the other guiding principles for our curriculum, are stated here:  

  • Entitlement: All pupils have the right to learn what is in the United Learning curriculum, and schools have a duty to ensure that all pupils are taught the whole of it. 
  • Coherence: Taking the National Curriculum as its starting point, our curriculum is carefully sequenced so that powerful knowledge builds term by term and year by year. We make meaningful connections within subjects and between subjects. 
  • Mastery: We ensure that foundational knowledge, skills and concepts are secure before moving on. Pupils revisit prior learning and apply their understanding in new contexts. 
  • Adaptability: The core content – the ‘what’ – of the curriculum is stable, but schools will bring it to life in their own local context, and teachers will adapt lessons – the ‘how’ – to meet the needs of their own classes. 
  • Representation: All pupils see themselves in our curriculum, and our curriculum takes all pupils beyond their immediate experience. 
  • Education with character: Our curriculum - which includes the taught subject timetable as well as spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, our co-curricular provision and the ethos and ‘hidden curriculum’ of the school – is intended to spark curiosity and to nourish both the head and the heart.  
Implementation of the Physical Education Curriculum 

The curriculum plan is balanced and sequential covering all aspects regarding subject knowledge, ready for life skills and practical element. The planning has considered the weighting of certain topics; some providing base knowledge for later topics. The school calendar has also been considered - with topics that require a greater depth of learning delivered across a whole term. Finally, the complexity of some topics have resulted in them being repeated, but in greater depth as pupils’ progress through the curriculum.  

In years 7, 8 and 9, pupils will focus on improving their physical, social and emotional wellbeing through an engaging range of sport and physical activities. Development of pupils’ physical literacy is key, with pupils assessed on the attitudes, skills and knowledge or becoming happy, healthy and successful people through PE. This is achieved through experiencing a range of sporting activities within specific areas (invasion, net-wall, fit to lead, fit for life, accurate replication and striking and fielding).  

In years 10 and 11, pupils will continue to develop their confidence, leadership skills, officiating, motivation, physical competence, knowledge and understanding to value and take responsibility for engagement in physical activities for life. This is done by ensuring lessons are both engaging and purposeful. This is achieved through experiencing a range of sporting activities within specific areas (invasion, net-wall, performing at maximum, accurate replication, non-traditional and striking and fielding).  

Pupils selecting GCSE PE or OCR Sport as a vocational pathway will be assessed on leadership, practical sports performance, psychology of sport and the body’s response to exercise amongst other options. This is all achieved by teaching theoretical content through and alongside high-quality practical PE  

We believe that pupils deserve a broad and ambitious Physical Education curriculum, rich in skills and knowledge, which develops physical, social and emotional well-being which prepares them well for future learning or employment. Our Physical Education curriculum will give pupils the opportunity to:  

  • Develop a healthy life-long love of physical activity; 
  • Experience a first class learning environment; 
  • Be part of a team, and develop this well-being; 
  • Experience a variety of opportunities and experience through sport and physical activity; 
  • Gain leadership skills; 
  • Develop physical, technical and tactical sporting skills.  
Physical Education table

Pedagogy  

Enrichment  

Other general principles  

Our pedagogy is supported by:  

  • Expert knowledge and a passion for sport and physical activity:
  • The nurturing of a ‘can do’ attitude towards learning, built through individual and team activities;  
  • Inspiring pupil’s curiosity of the subject where a passion for physical activity is enthusiastically promoted;  
  • The regular use of modelling (through demonstrations) to demonstrate accurate skills;  
  • The importance of giving pupils regular opportunities to improve through teacher, peer and self assessments.  

We will enrich our curriculum by:   

  • Establishing cross-curricular links (literacy and numeracy); 
  • Providing regular on and off-site subject or topic related experiences;  
  • Offering opportunities for children to learn in a range of settings where appropriate (indoor and outdoor);  
  • Holding Trust-wide competitions to celebrate best work and extraordinary effort;  
  • Developing partnerships with external providers that extend children’s opportunities for learning.  

Our curriculum will enable pupils to:   

  • Learn within a coherent and progressive framework; 
  • Develop new skills through a variety of interesting contexts to foster enjoyment;  
  • Develop a rich and deep subject knowledge;  
  • Understand what they are doing well and how they need to improve;  
  • Explore the breadth and depth of the national curriculum;  
  • Build on their understanding of the importance of British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and tolerance and respect;  
  • Improve their spiritual, social, moral and cultural understanding to develop autonomy around their own reading choices  
United Learning Hub

United Learning comprises: United Learning Ltd (Registered in England No: 00018582. Charity No. 313999) UCST (Registered in England No: 2780748. Charity No. 1016538) and ULT (Registered in England No. 4439859. An Exempt Charity). Companies limited by guarantee.
Registered address: United Learning, Worldwide House, Thorpe Wood, Peterborough, PE3 6SB.

Financial Accountability and Freedom of Information
Website Terms, Cookies and Privacy
Policies

United Learning