Sport and PE Policy

At John Wheeldon Primary Academy we recognise the importance of physical education to a child’s physical, cognitive, social and emotional development as well as the role it can play in a child’s spiritual, moral and cultural development. We aim to provide a broad and balanced P.E. curriculum to aid children’s increasing self-confidence in their ability to manage themselves and their bodies within a variety of movement situations. A balance of individual, team, co-operative and competitive activities aims to cater for individual pupil’s needs and abilities.

Our curriculum is based on progressive learning objectives which, combined with varied and flexible teaching styles, endeavour to provide appropriate, stimulating, challenging and enjoyable learning situation for all pupils. The curriculum aims to promote an understanding of the many benefits of exercise, through a balanced range of relevant activities.

John Wheeldon School leavers will:

  • Become skilful and intelligent performers
  • Acquire and develop skills, performing with increasing physical awareness
  • Learn how to select and apply skills, tactics and compositional ideas to suit activities that need different approaches and ways of thinking
  • Develop their ideas in different ways
  • Set targets for themselves and compete against others
  • Understand what it takes to persevere, succeed and acknowledge others’ success
  • Respond to a variety of challenges
  • Take the initiative, lead activity and focus on improving performances
  • Develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities
  • Lead healthy, active lives
  • Develop positive attitudes to participation in physical activity
  • Engage in competitive sports and activities
  • Embed values like fairness and respect

Daily Physical Activity

At John Wheeldon, provision is made for short bursts of Physical Activity during the school day in addition to PE lessons to reduce the amount of time in sedentary behaviour in line with the national Obesity Strategy. In Early Years and Foundation Stage Physical Development is included intheir continuous and outdoor provision. In Key Stage 1,lessons include elements that encourage a level of activity and movement, as well as daily PE sessions, following Leap into Life. In lower Key Stage 2 teachers are expected to break up the day with dance and fitness based activities that increase Physical Activity to raise their heart rates. Upper Key Stage 2 complete the Daily Mile challenge to meet the Government recommendations. Teachers across the school are expected to consider the increase of Physical Activity during lesson time through active learning strategies such as activities from Maths of The Day.

Physical development in the Foundation Stage is about improving the skills of coordination, control, manipulation and movement through moving and handling activities and special experiences. It also helps children to gain confidence in what they can do and enables them to feel the positive benefits of being active and healthy in accordance with the EYFS Statutory Framework

In Key Stage 1 children are encouraged to build upon and refine their fundamental movement skills, further developing their agility, balance and coordination. Through guidance and experimentation they are given opportunities to develop their natural enthusiasm for movement and to explore the world around them.

The Leap into Life programme is being following in Early Years and Key Stage 1. The programme consists offour strands: functional movement, aesthetic movement, manipulative skills, and movement concepts.Each strand is made up of six progressions, and there is sufficient material for the resource to be delivered daily throughout the academic year.The idea is that the resource is used for 30 minutes of activity every day for the year groups;the programme is sufficient to cover the National Curriculum requirements for this age group.The programme is alsodesigned to limit or remove the need for changing into PE kit, maximising physically active time.

In Key Stage 2, skills developed in previous years are embedded into games situations and include regular interschool competition. Games include invasion games, net and wall games, striking and fielding games. Athletics, gymnastics, dance and outdoor and adventure activities are also developed during the key stage. The requirements of the National Curriculum 2014 for PE are met using the long term plan for PE used in school.

Swimming in KS2

In accordance with the National Curriculum children have weekly swimming lessons at Stafford Leisure centre. There is a vast range within the children’s capabilities when starting these lessons at the beginning of the academic year. Some have had lessons and are confident in the water, others have never swum before. School staff that accompany the children to the pool each week keep records of individuals’ progress and achievements across the year.

Teaching and Learning

There should be 2 sessions of quality PE taught each week. PE should rarely be cancelled. The school values regular and frequent lessons to develop children’s skills and abilities. On no account should PE used as a sanction. All children should participate in PE sessions, even when injured or ill, as they can complete evaluative activities and support assessment for learning as a peer.

Direct teaching is used to ensure the careful use of space, the safe handling and use of apparatus and to help children improve their skills. PE lesson will be as active as possible aiming for the children to be demonstrating this for 95% of the lesson.

We aim to give all children the confidence to show and share their ideas without feeling inhibited. Opportunities for demonstration, observation and comment by pupils should be built into lessons. This can help children to improve the quality and variety of work. It should also help children to respect one another’s strengths and weaknesses. We try to focus on the positive contributions which children can make, but at the same time help children who are experiencing difficulties for working individually and with others, as partners, a team or class.

In EYFS and KS1 the curriculum focuses on fundamental movement skills to develop agility, balance and coordination through the LEAP into Life Scheme. Curriculum content includes ball skills and team games, gymnastic and dance activities. At KS2 pupils continue to apply and develop a range of skills and units of work include a range of invasion, net / wall, and fielding and striking games, gymnastics, dance, athletics and swimming. We also enrich children’s experiences through opportunities for outdoor and adventurous activities.

Assessment and Recording

All activities can provide opportunities for assessment. Staff have been advised to use the PEDPASS assessment sheets to aid assessment and planning. This information can be passed on to the child’s next teacher to ensure continuity and progression.

Pupils’ attainment will be recorded formally on an annual basis in the form of the end of year reports.

Curriculum Differentiation

The School Sports Partnership recommend using the principle of STEP for differentiating activities.

S = change the space available

T = change the time allowed

E = change the equipment, e.g. softer or larger balls, different sized bats, etc

P = change the people, e.g. size of the groups

Special Educational Needs

Every attempt will be made to fully integrate children with special educational needs and children with emotional, social and behavioural difficulties into participating on equal terms with other children. It is important to concentrate on pupils’ abilities and needs, not on their behaviours or disabilities. This emphasis aims to improve their skills and helps to change feelings of disaffection, under-achievement and low self-esteem. At times it may be appropriate to have the support of a T.A. or additional adult to help with the management of a particular child during P.E. If this is the case it is preferable to have the adult working with a group of children which includes the child that needs the support. Every effort should be made to avoid highlighting the differences of any particular child.

In some cases it may not be practicable to provide sufficient activities within the school for a child with severe disabilities and the SENCo should contact appropriate agencies for further adviceand also to arrange for the provision of specialist resources where necessary. We believe that all children, irrespective of physical ability, race, gender, creed or stage of achievement have the right to reach their full potential in P.E. and achieve enjoyment, satisfaction and success at their own level. Table 22 in Chapter 2 within the Safe Practice in Physical Education Book gives guidance on specific SEND relevant to PE in school.

Safe Practice

School health and safety policies in place override any suggestions made in this policy.

The general teaching requirement for health and safety applies to this subject. We encourage pupils to consider their own safety and the safety of others at all times. All staff have access to a copy of the afPE publication (currently located with Mrs Felicity Gardiner) which states safety guidelines ‘Safe Practice in physical education’ (2016) and we follow the safe teaching principles outlined in this book. Our main aims in providing safe sessions are to anticipate incidents arising through PREVENTION. INFORMING students about the hazards and risks that may be present in the activity and helping them recognise what might cause harm. Then EDUCATING students about being safe enables them to learn about what is safe and what is unsafe (PIE model – afPE, 2016). All accidents, no matter how slight should be reported in the school’s accident book, which is kept in the office.

When engaged in physical education children are expected to behave in a considerate, responsible manner showing respect for other people and equipment. During P.E. children will be encouraged to discuss safety implications concerning themselves and others.

Staff must be responsible for the collection and return of equipment and under no circumstances should children be collecting equipment or setting up apparatus without supervision. First aid equipment should be available, and all staff should know what to do and who to call for assistance in the event of an accident.

Regular checks should be made on all equipment and any faulty equipment should be reported to the co-ordinator and facilities. Any items constituting a danger should be taken out of use immediately. All large items of PE equipment are inspected annually by an independent safety officer under a contract.

Good class control and organisation is fundamental to safety.

Safeguarding

All adults working with children in school are to be checked for appropriate DBS clearance. This includes coaches working for a term at a time as well as staff working on a one off basis or with clubs. Boys and girls, in both Year 5 and 6, are not expected to change together.

Safety / Clothing Teachers:

All teachers will change into appropriate clothing for PE in order to set the right example to children.

Safety / Clothing Children:

Children are expected to change into PE shorts and T-shirt for indoor PE sessions and work barefoot. For outdoor PE appropriate training shoes, plain dark jogging bottoms and hoody is recommended during the cooler months. Hair is recommended to be tied up and hair clips / accessories removed if necessary. Ear rings will be removed. Watches are to be removed for all PE lessons.

Swimming: Boys- trunks or close fitting shorts above the knee. Girls- one-piece costume, no bikini’s. All jewellery to be removed. Swimming kit should be brought to school on the day when swimming lessons take place and taken home afterwards. Goggles should be discouraged unless on medical advice. Children should wear swimming hats.

The following principles should be applied: - all personal effects should be removed - if they cannot be removed, the adult in charge should take action to make the situation safe (e.g. adjust the activity for the individual pupil or group) - if the situation cannot be made safe, the individual pupil may not actively participate. (Safe Practice in Physical Education and School Sport, 2016.) Children should only miss PE lessons on health grounds, if this is requested by their parents, either by direct contact with the school or in a note to the teacher. Non participants should be included in the lessons and complete the non-participant forms or they can take the role of an evaluator, for example.

Children who persistently forget PE kit should be reminded of the importance of PE and, if necessary, a letter should be sent to their parents asking for their co-operation.

Gymnastics

Gymnastics is a high risk activity. Staff teaching this activity must ensure that they are familiar with the Gymnastics Risk Assessment which located in year group planning folders.

Qualifications and Competence

Staff with QTS or others who have received adequate P.E. CPD may lead P.E. sessions. An annual audit of staff competence and confidence is completed to ensure quality P.E. sessions are delivered.

The school is responsible for recruiting adequately qualified coaches leading extra curriculum activities. Please refer to Chapter 2 Section 2 in the Safe Practice in Physical Education document.

Extra-curricular activities

The school provides a range of PE-related activities for children in all Key Stages during the school day, both at lunchtimes and after school. These encourage children to develop further their skills in a range of the activity areas. The school sends details of the current club activities to parents and carers at the beginning of each new club. Some clubs require an additional payment to be made by parents; however, the majority of clubs, which are staff lead, are at no additional charge.

Competition

Level 1: As part of our curriculum children experience a range of competitive situations including a full game experience at leastonce a term against other members of their year group is provided to our children. Children could compete in house teams and scores can be kept over the year to build towards our School Games Day in July, previously known as sports day.

Level 2: The school also plays regular fixtures against other local schools as part of our District membership and the School Games. This adds a further competitive element to team games, and allows the children to put into practice the skills that they have developed in their lessons. We aim to create a balance between self-selecting teams and teacher selected teams to provide all children with the opportunity to experience competition at varying levels. We value the sense of team spirit and cooperation amongst our children that this develops.

Performance Opportunities

Children have the opportunity to perform dance and gymnastics routines to their peers and to parents during their time at our school. This is valued by the school as it enables children to show their talents in a range of activities, not just competitive sport.

Sports Pupil Premium Funding

The government has provided additional funding to improve the provision of physical education (PE) and sport in primary schools. The funding – provided jointly by the Departments for Education, Health and Culture, Media and Sport – is allocated to primary school headteachers and committed until at least 2020. This funding is ring-fenced and therefore can only be spent on provision of PE and sport in schools. The allocation of the funds is decided by the headteacher and the Sport and PE Lead at the beginning of the year. See the PE Action Plan for the year for full details of how our school has spent the Sports Premium funding.

The role of the subject leader

It is the responsibility of the subject leader to:

  • Ensure all staff have up to date relevant planning documents and information.
  • Arrange opportunities and Professional CPD to enable staff to increase confidence, expertise and quality of delivery.
  • Judge standards in PE
  • Monitor the quality of teaching and learning in PE, through learning walks, lesson observations and planning scrutinites
  • Lead sustainable improvements in the subject
  • Oversee the effective spend of the Primary Sports Funding and evaluate the impact of this
  • Ensure resources and equipment is audited, maintained, repaired or replaced.
  • Order New equipment after consultation with staff and auditing
  • To ensure that Sports Day is organised and that a variety of OSHL is provided.

Updated May 2017 By Mrs F Gardiner