Physical Education
At Blenheim Primary School, we aim to develop positive attitudes towards physical activity through a balanced programme of games, dance, gymnastics, athletics, swimming and outdoor activities.
Regular physical activity is one of the most important ways to maintain and improve physical health, mental health and overall wellbeing. We aim to provide children with the knowledge, skills and confidence to be physically active, fit and healthy for a lifetime; if children are given opportunities to regularly participate in a range of enjoyable physical activities at an early age, they are more likely to continue being physically active throughout the rest of their lives.
Participating and engaging in a range of sporting activities gives children the opportunity to be creative, competitive and co-operative. They learn many valuable skills like learning how to plan, make decisions, select and apply skills, and evaluate and refine their performance to improve their ability as individuals and in groups and teams.
We believe that through the variety of opportunities that P.E. offers, children can develop a sense of personal achievement, fair play, teamwork and an understanding of the ways in which sport can transcend social and cultural boundaries.
Purposes and Aims
- Recognise how their bodies react during exercise and understand the benefits that can be gained from regular exercise, including the positive impact it has on mental health and wellbeing
- Develop an enjoyment of physical activity
- Improve their performance by developing the ability to remember, repeat and refine actions and perform them with increasing control, co-ordination and fluency
- Learn how to select and apply skills and tactics to different activities and to follow given rules
- Develop ideas creatively and imaginatively
- Set targets to improve their own performance and compete against others, both individually and as a team
- Improve their ability to be a team player, working collaboratively and developing social skills in group situations
- Develop their ability to evaluate their own and their team’s performance in order to improve and succeed
- Respond to a variety of challenges, developing resilience to overcome any problems and develop a sense of fair play and sportsmanship - win or lose.
- Develop and understanding of safe practice and take responsibility towards their own and others’ safety and well-being.
Long Term Plan for PE at Blenheim Primary School
Early Years and Foundation Stage
EYFS will work towards the following National Curriculum requirements;
Moving and handling: children show good control and co-ordination in large and small movements. They move confidently in a range of ways, safely negotiating space. They handle equipment and tools effectively.
Health and self-care: children know the importance for good health of physical exercise, and a healthy diet, and talk about ways to keep healthy and safe in different surroundings. They manage their own basic hygiene and personal needs successfully, including dressing and going to the toilet independently.
Swimming 2022-23
In accordance with the National Curriculum, children are provided with compulsory swimming lessons, which they undertake in year 4. Children attend weekly swimming lessons and every effort is made to ensure that they are water confident and are able to swim 25 metres where possible. Additional swimming lessons were put in place for our Y6 children in 2022-23 in order to catch up on missed lessons as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic.
What is the current position?
- Currently 62% of children can confidently and proficiently swim at least 25 metres.
- 52% of children can use a range of strokes effectively.
- 100% of children are able to perform safe self-rescue in different water based situations.
What further action is needed to improve these figures?
- From Sept 23, we will be extending our swimming programme to allow more time for children to develop their skills and confidence in the water, in order to improve on the data shown. Each cohort will attend weekly swimming lessons for two years, in Year 3 and 4.