Introduction

• This document is a statement of the aims, principles and strategies for teaching and learning of Physical Education at Woodside Primary School.
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• This policy will be reviewed in the Autumn of 1997.
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What is Physical Education (PE)?

• Physical Education is the aspect of the curriculum concerned with the development of physical skills, knowledge and understanding in games, gymnastics, dance, athletics, outdoor activities and swimming. 
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Aims

Our aims in teaching PE are that all children will

• be physically active and find enjoyment in physical activity
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• find a lasting sense of purpose, achievement and fulfilment in physical activity
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• develop physical skills, habits and interests that will promote healthy lifestyle and good posture
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• develop positive attitudes to physical endeavour including perseverance, fair play and sporting behaviour, and the ability to cope with success and failure
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• learn how physical exercise affects the body
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• understand the need for safe practice in physical activities and know how to achieve this.
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Principles of the Teaching and Learning of Physical Education

PE is important because

• physical endeavour is a pleasurable activity which can provide challenge and fulfilment throughout life
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• habits of exercise contribute to a healthy lifestyle
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• knowledge and understanding about all areas of physical activity heightens spectators' appreciation and enjoyment of such activities and contributes to cultural understanding.
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PE is a foundation subject in the National Curriculum.  The fundamental skills knowledge and concepts of the subject are set out in "Physical Education in the National Curriculum" where they are categorised into 6 areas of activity

• games
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• gymnastic activities
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• dance
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• athletic activities (not at Key Stage 1)
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• outdoor and adventurous activities (not at Key Stage 1)
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• swimming (not at Key Stage 1).
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Strategies for the Teaching of Physical Education

The PE curriculum is organised on a subject basis outside the main topic  framework of the curriculum (although gymnastic and dance activities may be related to topic work).  PE is the most firmly timetabled element of the curriculum because of the need to use hall or outdoor space.  PE is taught throughout the school year but not all areas of activity are covered each term.  Within this framework, each class

• spends approximately 1.5 hours per week on Physical Education covering games, gymnastics, dance and (at key Stage 2) athletics
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• has a weekly swimming lesson for one term each year
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• (at Key Stage 2) studies outdoor and adventurous activities in the school grounds during the summer term, including orienteering and the use of adventure playground/trim-trail apparatus. This area is still to be developed.
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The predominant mode of working in PE is co-operative group work although individual work and class teaching are used where appropriate.  Within this structure

• groups are usually of mixed ability and mixed sex.
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• relevant discussion is encouraged.
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There is no specialist teaching in PE, it is taught by class teachers.

Classroom Helpers (including voluntary parent helpers) are used in PE to assist

• in the Reception year to help children with changing
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• in accompanying children to the swimming pool.
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Commercially available schemes of work are not used in PE.

Pupils with special needs are able to develop confidence and express their feelings in PE, as it is a subject in which success does not depend on academic ability.  They include

• pupils with learning difficulties who may find opportunities to excel
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• pupils with special physical needs who may need specialised resources and close monitoring
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• pupils with particular ability and flair for PE who work more quickly through the levels of the National Curriculum and are extended through the use of more advanced techniques. Football, netball, rounders and short tennis clubs are offered as extra curricular activities which extend these pupils.
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Homework is not normally used to support PE although pupils in sports teams and clubs may be asked to practice techniques or strength building exercises.

The emphasis in our teaching of PE is on allowing all children to achieve enjoyment, satisfaction and success at their own level and to develop

• control, co-ordination and mobility
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• skill and confidence in a range of physical activities
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• an awareness of the physical capabilities of the body
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• co-operative skills.
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Excellence in PE is celebrated in display and performance including

• displays of dance and gymnastics in assemblies and on other public occasions
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• participation in sporting competitions notably in athletics, netball, football and rounders
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• an annual Sports Day event involving all pupils.
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Strategies for Ensuring Progress and Continuity

Planning in PE is a process in which all teachers are involved, wherein

• the foundation for curricular planning is the Whole School Curriculum Plan, developed through a process of collaboration between staff, and approved by governors
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• schemes of work for Physical Education will be developed by the co-ordinator (in collaboration with the whole staff) during 1996/97
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• work plans (including detailed lesson plans) are drawn up by individual teachers for each month and monitored by the headteacher.
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The role of the PE co-ordinator is to

• take the lead in policy development and the production of schemes of work designed to ensure progression and continuity in Physical Education throughout the school
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• support colleagues in their development of detailed work plans and implementation of the scheme of work and in assessment and record keeping activities
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• monitor progress in Physical Education and advise the headteacher on action needed
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• take responsibility for the purchase and organisation of central resources for Physical Education
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• keep up-to-date with developments in Physical Education and disseminate information to colleagues as appropriate.
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Feedback to pupils about their own progress in Physical Education is achieved through discussion between child and teacher in the context of the PE lesson.

Formative assessment is used to guide the progress of individual pupils in Physical Education.  It involves identifying each child's progress in each aspect of the subject, determining what each child has learned and what therefore should be the next stage in his/her learning.  Formative assessment is mostly carried out informally by teachers in the course of their teaching.  Suitable tasks for assessment include

• practical tasks directly observed by the teacher
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• small group discussions related to a practical task
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• specific assignments for individual pupils
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• individual discussions in which children are encouraged to appraise their own work and progress.
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Strategies for Recording and Reporting

Teachers keep records of children's progress in all areas of the curriculum including PE

Reporting to parents is done on a termly basis through interviews and annually through a written report.  Reporting in Physical Education will focus on each child's

• control, co-ordination and mobility
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• skill and confidence in a range of physical activities
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• awareness of the physical capabilities of the body
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• co-operative skills.
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Formal summative assessment is carried out at the end of each National Curriculum Key Stage (i.e. in Years 2 and 6) through the use of teacher assessment.

Strategies for the  Use of Resources

There are no classroom resources for PE - all are held centrally.

Central resources for PE are the responsibility of the Physical Education co-ordinator who has a small budget available.  They include

• gymnastic apparatus and equipment
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• sports, games and athletics equipment
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• indoor and outdoor space
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• two adventure playground areas
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Time is a resource that we value.  To maximise its use in Physical Education

• pupils are encouraged to change swiftly and with a minimum of fuss
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• lessons are conducted in a disciplined manner
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• pupils work in silence in gymnastic lessons
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Information technology is not used in Physical Education.

The library is used in Physical Education for

• reference - a range of books is available on sports, games etc.
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Links with other agencies enrich the PE curriculum. These include:

• participation in local sports leagues with other primary schools
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• visits from, and liaison with, professional dancers and sports players
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• liaison with LEA PE advisors
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• visits to, and liaison with, outdoor education centres and agencies.
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Health and Safety issues in PE include the following guidelines to teachers:

• Check that equipment is safe on the particular day you use it and suitable for the activities on the day
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• Ensure there is adequate supervision and that discipline is good.
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• Pupils should be taught to understand the need for safe practice in physical activities and how to achieve this
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• Pupils should be set only work that they are sufficiently competent to cope with.
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• Clothing - suitable, so presents no hazard, bare feet indoors (unless games are being played which might injure bare feet) nothing to get caught, hair tied back.
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• Jewellery - must be removed - earrings covered by a plaster, if not removed
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In planning work in PE teachers need to consider:

• age of child and appropriateness of activities
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• pupils previous experience
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• sufficient preparation
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• pupils and teachers awareness of risks
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• children taking responsibility for their own safety
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• was common good practice in operation
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• was there a foreseeable risk
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Other issues which need consideration: