Physical Education

Subject Leader: Leanne Stawniczy

Vision

Our vision is to inspire every child to be passionate about Physical Education by providing high quality PE lessons and personal challenge through trying a range of sports skills that will lead to a life-long participation in physical activity. At Hartwell we aim to:

  • Enable every child to progress with confidence and competence in PE and sport - throughout their school journey and beyond.
  • Embed key sporting values that can be applied positively in everyday life.
  • Inspire children to live a healthy and active lifestyle into adulthood, using PE and sports to facilitate this.
  • Develop the physical and mental wellbeing of every child and ensure it is central to their physical education journey.

 

Intent

At Hartwell Primary School our key aim is to inspire every child to be passionate about Physical Education and Sport. We intend to:

  • Provide a high-quality, broad and balanced PE education that engages children in physical education through a wide range of physical activity which will enhance life-long fitness and life choices.
  • Provide all pupils with the opportunity to become physically confident in a way which supports their health and fitness, promoting a healthy lifestyle.
  • Ensure children attain optimal physical, social and emotional development.
  • Develop positive attitudes and perseverance to physical challenge.
  • Provide opportunities for all children to take part in competitive sport and activities, embedding our school values.

Implementation

PE at Hartwell Primary School provides challenging and enjoyable learning through a range of sporting activities including; fundamental ball skills, invasion games, strike and field games, gymnastics, dance and swimming (Year 5). Children are also invited to attend inter-schools competitive sporting events throughout the school year. This is an inclusive approach which endeavours to encourage not only physical development but also mental well-being. These events also develop teamwork and leadership skills. Our teaching focusses on developing pupils' technical skills, increasing their range of sports tactics and rules, as well as enhancing their physical fitness and personal skills.

Assessment and Feedback

We employ a range of assessment strategies to monitor pupil progress in PE. This includes:

  • Ongoing formative assessment during lessons, peer assessment and teacher observation. Pupils receive regular constructive feedback to improve their skills. They are also taught how to give constructive feedback to their peers using their Voice 21 skills.
  • The long-term plan sets out the PE units which are to be taught throughout the year, using the PE Hub Scheme of Work.
  • We use progressive learning sequences to ensure continuity and progression across different activities and year groups.
  • Pupils participate in two high quality PE lessons per week, covering two sporting disciplines every half term. One indoors (Hall) and one outdoors (Field/Playground).
  • Each lesson plan has progressive activities that are designed to inspire and engage pupils, allowing them to explore and develop skills and embed knowledge.
  • Adaptations are provided during activities with simple changes to appropriately challenge all pupils.
  • In EYFS, we encourage children to develop confidence and control of the way they move, and the way they handle tools and equipment. We give all children the opportunity to undertake activities that offer appropriate physical challenge, both indoors and outdoors.
  • Swimming is taught in Year 5 with attainment tracked and monitored to ensure that children, by the end of KS2, can swim 25m and have basic water skills.
  • Summative judgements are recorded in end of year reports for all KS1 and KS2 (EYFS profile assessment – ELG Physical Development).
  • Cross curricular outcomes in PE are specifically planned for, with strong links between the PE curriculum and science and PSHE lessons. For example, in PE children are taught ways to stay healthy through nutrition and exercise and in KS2 learn about muscles and bones, and why these are important to us. They also learn about ways to support their mental health and wellbeing.
  • Lunch time sports activities are available during the week, run by the Year 6 Sports Leaders and Freestyle Sports Coaches.
  • Children can attend before/after school sports clubs run by Freestyle Sports Coaches.

Impact

We help motivate children to participate in a variety of sports through quality teaching that is engaging and fun. We link our physical health and our mental health and use this to encourage growth mind sets and well-being.

At Hartwell Primary School, the children will:

  • Be observed and informally assessed during lessons. This will be against specific objectives set out in PE Hub Scheme of Work.
  • The feedback from Pupil Voice is implemented and highlighted with the children.
  • Develop their fundamental knowledge, understanding, skills and techniques and apply these to a wide variety of different sports and activities.
  • Develop positive attitudes towards PE, understanding how it impacts their health and wellbeing, reinforcing an expectation of all children being capable of achieving high standards.
  • Become confident within the different strands of PE and show resilience when tackling new skills.
  • Have access to the full curriculum offer in PE. All pupils will be able to access PE.

 

Subject Leader Role

As the Physical Education subject leader at Hartwell, I believe that PE, experienced in a safe and supportive environment, is essential to ensuring children attain optimum physical and emotional development. Through our PE lessons, my aim is to develop our pupils’ key fundamental movement skills, ensuring they are motor competent in Physical Education.

I believe that children of all abilities should have access to High Quality PE, in order to achieve their full potential and that our lessons should be inclusive for all. Guided by our school values, I support staff with planning and resourcing, monitor teaching and learning and celebrate the Sporting achievements our children make. My aim is to help every child develop a love of movement and to understand the important role it plays in their mental well-being.

Please click here to see Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) Development in PE.

Curriculum

Please click here to see our School Development Plan 2025-26

At Hartwell, we use the PE Hub scheme of work to deliver a broad and balanced curriculum. This scheme provides teaching staff with plans that build on the progression of fundamental skills. All year groups routinely complete the Daily Mile, helping with fitness, well-being and perseverance.

Please click here to see our Gold Mark Certificate.

Key Stage 1

Pupils should develop fundamental movement skills, become increasingly competent and confident and access a broad range of opportunities to extend their agility, balance and coordination, individually and with others. They should be able to engage in competitive (both against self and against others) and co-operative physical activities, in a range of increasingly challenging situations.

Pupils should be taught to:

  • master basic movements including running, jumping, throwing and catching, as well as developing balance, agility and co-ordination, and begin to apply these in a range of activities 
  • participate in team games, developing simple tactics for attacking and defending 
  • perform dances using simple movement patterns. 

Key Stage 2

Pupils should continue to apply and develop a broader range of skills, learning how to use them in different ways and to link them to make actions and sequences of movement. They should enjoy communicating, collaborating and competing with each other. They should develop an understanding of how to improve in different physical activities and sports and learn how to evaluate and recognise their own success.

Pupils should be taught to:

  • use running, jumping, throwing and catching in isolation and in combination 
  • play competitive games, modified where appropriate [for example, badminton, basketball, cricket, football, hockey, netball, rounders and tennis], and apply basic principles suitable for attacking and defending 
  • develop flexibility, strength, technique, control and balance [for example, through athletics and gymnastics] 
  • perform dances using a range of movement patterns 
  • take part in outdoor and adventurous activity challenges both individually and within a team 
  • compare their performances with previous ones and demonstrate improvement to achieve their personal best. 

Swimming and water safety

All schools must provide swimming instruction either in key stage 1 or key stage 2.

In particular, pupils should be taught to:

  • swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres 
  • use a range of strokes effectively [for example, front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke] 
  • perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations. 

Please click here to see our PE Curriculum Overview

Please click here to see our Skills Progression.

Please click here to see our Vocabulary Progression.