Curriculum Intent

We aim for every child to develop a love for and to succeed in sport. Through our supplementary use of the Real P.E scheme, we provide opportunities for pupils to become physically literate through embedding the fundamental movement skills in a way which nurtures children to become resilient and push for their personal best. We provide our children with opportunities to compete in sports to build character and help to embed core values such as fairness, respect and team work. We strive to ensure that every child exceeds their potential and leaves Greswold with the physical knowledge they need to pursue sporting challenges and lead healthy active lifestyles during their years at Secondary and beyond. 

We work hard to ensure children understand exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle and use initiatives such as The Daily Mile or Dash to promote this. As well as having expert sports’ coaches delivering lessons, we offer a range of extra-curricular sports clubs throughout the day lead by the same experts to increase children’s enjoyment.  Our curriculum is also purposeful and is designed to provide context for participation in annual inter-school competitions, especially in KS2.

Click here to view the National Curriculum for Physical Education.

Early Years 

Children in Reception have a weekly session of PE where they participate in a range of indoor and outdoor activities. They learn how to move in different ways, balance, work in partners and as a team. Pupils have open access to the outside area daily and can develop gross motor skills through their chosen activities using the bikes / scooters, climbing up steps to the slide, running and jumping in a large space, stepping over tyres and balancing on logs. They have opportunities to dig and rake, lift heavy pans and pots, pour, stir and mix. Small groups of children develop core skills through following the BEAM programme. Fine motor skills are advanced through the use of Dough Disco and Squiggle While You Wiggle. The environment is resourced with activities to develop these skills further, for example threading, tweezers, pegs and a range of mark making tools. Children are taught how to use both large and small equipment in a safe and controlled manner, such as scissors and large construction toys. Children are encouraged and supported in independently selecting and dressing in appropriate attire for a given activity, for example wellies, salopettes, coats, painting aprons and PE kit. Children have access to toilets and washing facilities where they are encouraged to be independent in managing their own hygiene. We talk about keeping healthy through foods, sleep and exercise so in Reception the children choose their lunch option independently. 

Year 1

The children are given the opportunity to participate in a range of indoor and outdoor activities. Through dance, gymnastics and yoga, the children develop their balance, agility and co-ordination using a range of stimuli and apparatus. The children will have the opportunity to be taught skills such as throwing, catching, running and jumping by an external specialist coach. Throughout the summer months, pupils focus on athletic and teamwork skills to prepare the children for sports day where parents are invited to come along and cheer for their children’s house. They have the opportunity to compete in both intra and inter-school competitions and are encouraged to aim high and strive for personal bests. We link our PE sessions to our half termly topics such as animal gymnastics and space themed dance sequences. The children have access to multiple after-school sports provision including multi-skills, tennis, dance, gymnastics and cheerleading. 

Year 2

Through two sessions of PE a week, children improve their physical literacy by practising a range of running, rolling, throwing, striking, kicking, catching and gathering skills. The children are then encouraged to apply these skills in a range of activities and competitive situations, learning tactics suited to different circumstances. It is important that they understand the importance of working both individually and cooperatively when playing team games. Children develop their agility, balance and coordination through gymnastics, yoga and athletics activities which they are able to apply in both intra and inter-school competitions. Stories that are shared in English lessons provide inspiration for creating dance sequences, developing skills of coordination and spatial awareness. Also, linking to the geography topic of Africa, the children create sequences based on traditional African dance moves. Overall, pupils foster a love of physical activity and understand that exercise is a vital component of a leading a healthy, active lifestyle.

Year 3

The children will improve their physical capabilities by practising a range of running, rolling, throwing, striking, kicking and catching skills looking for increasing levels of accuracy and control. The children apply these skills in a range of activities and competitive situations, independently choosing tactics to match different circumstances in a competitive game. Children develop their agility, balance and coordination through gymnastics, dance, yoga and athletics activities. They have the opportunity to compete in both intra and inter-school competitions and they use the Sports Hall Athletics equipment to set their own personal targets and strive to improve in all areas. The children participate in The Daily Mile, developing stamina and again setting their own targets. They also have the opportunity to take part in Tri-Golf lessons leading up to a festival with other schools. 

Year 4

Children receive swimming instruction from specialist teachers for two terms, with the aim of achieving the National expected standard of being able to swim a minimum of 25m. Within these lessons the children learn a variety of strokes and about basic water safety. During gymnastics lessons the children develop their balances, rolling and linking movements to perform a short sequence. In dance, the children will use their knowledge of their electricity topic to inspire a variety of movements that they perform as a group, accompanied by a piece of music. The children take part in sports hall athletics, to develop their throwing accuracy, jumping, control and balance skills. In outdoor athletics lessons, the children further develop their skills, culminating in the Year 4 house competition where the rest of KS2 are invited to spectate. A residential visit to Standon Bowers Outdoor Activity Centre, gives an opportunity for children to participate in a variety of outdoor and adventurous activities such as caving and bouldering. 

Year 5

Children receive 2 hours of P.E a week consisting of an indoor and outdoor session which enables a wide variety of skills to be covered. Each half term starts with a cross-country session where children are encouraged to enhance their endurance, stamina and physical resilience. During Outdoor Games sessions, the children apply their learning from previous years in a range of sports such as hockey, tennis, netball, cricket and rounders. These sports allow them to advance their attacking and defending skills and enables the children to work both individually and in teams, understanding the importance of cooperation. In indoor P.E, the children are given the opportunities to further improve their flexibility, strength, control and balance through gymnastics, dance and indoor athletics. Throughout all of these different sporting activities, the children work on Life Ready skills such as aiming high, teamwork and staying positive, and strive to achieve new personal bests that have been set in previous years. The children are also given the opportunity to compete in both inter and intra sports competitions including dodgeball, a biathlon, indoor athletics and Borough Sports.

Year 6

Children will receive a rich and varied curriculum through two hourly sessions per week, both indoor and outdoor. We encourage our pupils to be prepared with the correct kit so that they may partake in lessons, irrespective of weather conditions. To commence each half term, all pupils take part in a cross-country run around the school grounds, where they are encouraged to support each other in developing their stamina in order to improve on their previous time. To develop expertise in outdoor games, children will receive external coaching. Through these sessions, pupils will not only gain knowledge and skills of different sports, (including basketball, netball, hockey, outdoor athletics, rounders and cricket) but will also improve their life-ready skills of teamwork, discipline, aiming high and staying positive in competitive situations. Children develop core stamina and balance through circuits and indoor athletics, giving children the opportunity to improve on their own scores, eventually culminating in partaking in the Sportshall Athletics Competition in Spring and the Borough Sports Athletics Competition in Summer. Pupils will learn rules and skills of playing volleyball (both indoor and outdoor), linking with the residential visit to France where pupils have daily access to a volleyball court so that they may lead their own games and competitions.