OL - PE

At St. Margaret Clitherow School we aim to inspire healthy young people who can follow the rules of a game, develop good sportsmanship and set themselves personal challenges.

It is our belief that physical activity, PE and school sport should be placed at the heart of school life with our children learning about the benefits of an active lifestyle and what this means for their own physical and mental wellbeing. We hope that the values and lessons they take from their experiences will develop into lifelong skills such as teamwork, resilience, determination, self-belief, passion, overcoming setbacks and respect.
‍

How is our curriculum delivered?

Our aim is for each child to participate in two hours of physical activity each week. Specialist coaches from Rising Stars deliver both curriculum and extra-curricular activities. Areas covered include games, gymnastics, dance, swimming, athletics and outdoor adventurous activity.

Our PE curriculum is taught following four key learning objectives:

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

We cover these four objectives by teaching the children a wide variety of progressive skills which are built upon and embedded throughout the school.

At the beginning of their school journey in EYFS and KeyStage 1 we aim to provide our children with the foundation to develop their physical literacy in a way that allows them to explore, problem solve and have fun whilst learning. The development of these core skills will provide the framework for lower Key Stage 2 where children are encouraged to transfer their existing skills and knowledge into a variety of specific sports to develop their understanding. In upper Key Stage 2 these skills are refined in are as such as tactical awareness and understanding, officiating and leadership. This will ensure our children are fully prepared as they embark on the next step of their learning journey at secondary school.

We endeavour to ensure our children are aware of the many ways in which they can be active. Each class is provided with a wide range of playtime equipment to encourage active playtimes and co-operation with peers. We also have our active trim-trails and climbing equipment which are used throughout playtimes. OurYear 6 Sports Leaders enjoy their role in delivering fun and active games for the KS1 children at break times each Thursday.

Children are encouraged to try new sports, skills and activities both through the curriculum delivery and a variety of extra-curricular clubs. They have influence over the sports coaching provided and are able to make suggestions. The aim is to introduce the children to something new, help them develop their skills, prepare them for representing the school or open a pathway to a new found enjoyment of sport outside of school.

With the collaborative partnership between our school and the Stevenage Sporting Futures Team, we are able to offer the children a fully inclusive variety of sporting experiences, festivals and competitions. Sporting Futures also deliver whole class opportunities such as the Mental Health Champions in Year 4 and the 'Fit Kidz Go' sessions for Year 3.
‍