P.E
Curriculum Intent for PE
At Halifax Primary School, we strive to inspire every child to develop a lifelong love for physical activity, sports, and healthy living. Our goal is to offer an inclusive, engaging, and diverse PE curriculum that enhances physical competence, promotes well-being, and lays a strong foundation for lifelong fitness. We are dedicated to fostering a positive attitude towards physical activity, encouraging children to challenge themselves and find joy in participating in a variety of sports and activities.
Our carefully structured curriculum, supported by ‘PE Planning,’ helps children acquire new skills that can be applied across various sports and physical activities. We educate our pupils on the significance of physical activity for maintaining a healthy lifestyle and mental well-being. Our lessons, along with our broader sports and PE offerings, are designed to develop personal and social skills, promoting teamwork, cooperation, fair play, and respect through collaborative sports and activities.
Children at Halifax participate in two PE lessons each week, including swimming from Year 2 onwards. Additionally, we offer a variety of lunchtime and after-school sports clubs to further enhance pupils’ skills, teamwork, and enjoyment of physical activity. Our Reception and Key Stage One children also benefit from weekly Forest Schools lessons, where they engage in child-initiated activities to develop fine motor and gross motor skills.
In line with our whole school values, our Sport and PE provision aims to:
Nurture – Inclusivity and Diversity - Our curriculum offers a wide range of sports and physical activities, catering to different interests and abilities, ensuring every child can find something they enjoy and succeed in. Lessons, clubs, and external competitive activities are tailored to accommodate children of all abilities, ensuring meaningful participation for everyone. Our curriculum promotes respect and appreciation for diversity, helping children understand and celebrate different backgrounds.
Aspiration – Possibilities - Through careful assessment, individual and team achievements are celebrated, fostering a sense of accomplishment that motivates pupils to strive for excellence. The curriculum is designed to progressively develop pupils’ physical skills, boosting their confidence, and supporting them to engage with sport within the wider curriculum and community. Role models are promoted to inspire pupils, reinforced by texts studied in shared reading, and individuals studied in our PSHE lessons.
Curiosity – Community - The sports and extracurricular clubs that our children are invited to participate in are directly supported by our progressive core curriculum. Children involved in clubs are regularly invited to represent the school in local fixtures, including football, dodgeball, and swimming competitions. Local clubs provide some of our after-school activities, such as archery and dance, with additional support from Ipswich Town Football Club, enriching our wider provision.
Collaboration – Oracy- Our emphasis on team-based activities teaches children the value of teamwork, communication, and cooperation—essential skills for both sports and life. At the end of each unit, children participate in inter-year fixtures representing their house teams, providing opportunities to apply their developing skills. Our lessons are built on peer support, requiring pupils to work together and support each other, fostering a collaborative environment where children learn to value each other’s strengths and work towards common goals. Our older pupils develop leadership skills through being Play Leaders, learning to collaborate effectively within a group.
Curriculum Map
Impact – What our pupils say about PE at Halifax:
In all subjects at Halifax, we have Quality of Education reviews where our pupils share their learning and experiences in different subjects. Below is what our different year groups have enjoyed about PE this year:
Year 6 – We have enjoyed competitions and mini matches. We can apply all skills learnt and put these into matches.
Year 5 – We have enjoyed football, particularly playing mini matches. We have enjoyed learning basketball and feel we have got better at shooting.
Year 4 – We loved basketball and tennis. In basketball we have been practising chest and bounce passes and we can now pass the ball with more power. In tennis we have got better at serving.
Year 3- We like PE because it keeps you fit and healthy and you get to play with or against your friends. We learn new skills we haven’t done before and get the chance to play a mix of sports.
Year 2 – We enjoyed balancing on the beams and benches in gymnastics.
Year 1- We enjoyed the bars and apparatus in gymnastics.
EYFS – We like all of it! We like running fast, using the balls, climbing, jumping and playing ‘The pirate game’. It helps us take turns.