Physical Education

INTENT

At Holy Cross Catholic Primary Academy, it is our intention to provide all children with a high-quality physical education curriculum, which will inspire all children to succeed and excel in competitive sport and other physically-demanding activities. We will provide opportunities for our children to become physically confident in a way which supports their health and fitness. Opportunities to compete in sport and physical activities will build character and help to embed values such as fairness and respect. We strive to inspire our children through engaging PE lessons that are enjoyable, challenging and accessible to all.

Aims:

The National Curriculum for physical education aims to ensure that all children:

• develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities

• are physically active for sustained periods of time

• engage in competitive sports and activities

• lead healthy, active lives.

IMPLEMENTATION

Our Sports Premium funding supports us to improve and enhance the provision that we offer at Holy Cross as we believe that high quality PE is an integral part of the whole school curriculum.

Children at Holy Cross participate in at least 2 hours of high-quality PE and sporting activities. Our PE programme incorporates a variety of sports to ensure all children develop the confidence, tolerance and the appreciation of their own and others’ strengths and weaknesses. We ensure that our children are trained as sports leaders as we believe that peer mentoring has a positive impact on the provision that we offer.

Our sports leaders encourage children within their house teams to take pride in their sporting achievements and they assist in the organisation of sporting events including our annual sports day.

We provide opportunities for all children to engage in extra-curricular activities during and after school, in addition to competitive sporting events. We also offer our children the opportunity for outdoor adventure activities through our Year 5 and 6 annual residential trips. This is an inclusive approach, which endeavours to encourage not only physical development but also mental well-being.

IMPACT

At Holy Cross, we ensure that our PE curriculum is progressive and allows children to develop fundamental skills and apply them to a variety of sports and activities. All children are provided with the skills and given opportunities to demonstrate improvement to achieve their personal best.

Our children are physically active and this has positive implications on their learning in the classroom. Children understand how to lead a healthy lifestyle and understand the importance of exercise. We support children to enjoy PE and develop a love of sport, and physical activity, that they pursue outside of school and in future life outside of primary school. All children understand the values and importance of fair play and being a good sportsperson.

By the end of Year 6, children leave school having had the opportunity to develop skills to self-rescue in the water. They are encouraged to swim 25 metres with competence and confidence.  In our 2023/2024 cohort data 44% swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres, 44% use a range of strokes effectively, 40% perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations.

Our curriculum aims to improve the well-being and fitness of all children at Holy Cross, not only through the sporting skills taught, but through the underpinning values and disciplines PE promotes. Within our lessons, children are taught about self-discipline and that to be successful they need to take ownership and responsibility for their own health and fitness. Our impact is therefore to motivate children to utilise these underpinning skills in an independent and effective way and to live happy and healthy lives.

Regular assemblies celebrate success.

Assessment is undertaken to ensure delivery of skills covered and to show achievement and progression.

We display photos of achievement in our school hall, in our weekly newsletters and on the sporting section of our website.