Our PE Curriculum
Intent
Many of the children at Kaizen have limited access to outside spaces, have low activity levels because they are exposed to high levels of screen time and lack soft skills such as resilience, the concept of fair play and sportsmanship. It is our intent at Kaizen to deliver high-quality teaching and learning opportunities that inspire all children to succeed in physical activities. Not only will we teach children specific sports knowledge, they will develop how to cooperate and collaborate with others as part of a team, understanding fairness and equity of play to embed life-long values.
Physical Education (PE) at Kaizen aims to develop the knowledge, skills and attributes necessary for mental, emotional, social and wellbeing in our children now and for their future. Physical fitness and participation in sports is an important part of leading a healthier lifestyle. It teaches self-discipline and that to be successful you must work hard, show resilience and have the determination and self belief to succeed. We aim to show the significance of physical education through showing the career opportunities available as part of our ‘Future Me’ initiative.
The PE curriculum ensures that by the time the children leave in Year 6 they will have.
- developed competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities
- shown they are physically active for sustained periods of time
- engaged in competitive sports and activities
- lead healthy, active lives
This is achieved through a curriculum that teaches the children 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
- 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.
- 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
Vocabulary development is a key aspect of our whole school curriculum as a result of the high proportion of children who start Kaizen Primary School with lower levels of vocabulary than is typical for their age. When the children are learning about dance, in EYFS, they are taught words including moving and timing. In Key Stage 1, this is developed further with vocabulary including control, emotion and sequence. In Key Stage 2, in the dance lessons, children will use all the previous vocabulary and will be taught to use creativity, stimulation and stimuli.
The PE curriculum starts when the children begin their learning journey in the Early Years. Therefore, we allow children to explore movement through the ‘Physical Development’’ strand of the EYFS curriculum. Children are taught how to play games with spatial awareness. They are taught to catch and throw and balance. They also build confidence in using a range of apparatus..
Implementation
Pupils at Kaizen participate in high-quality PE every week, plus other sporting activities delivered by PE specialist teachers and coaches. Topics are repeated and revisited each year to ensure that previous skills are built upon to ensure progress, as well as the development of understanding for specific sports. Our PE programme incorporates a variety of sports to ensure all children develop the confidence, tolerance and appreciation of their own and others’ strengths and weaknesses. We provide opportunities for all children to engage in extra-curricular activities before, during and after school, in addition to competitive sporting events through the Tapscott Trust. This is an inclusive approach which endeavours to encourage not only physical development but also well-being.
We understand that children have missed opportunities of learning because of the COVID outbreak and the resulting distance and blended learning models that were used in the previous school years. Our current teaching model ensures that any missed opportunities are addressed before teaching new concepts and topics. This pre-teaching approach ensures that children are able to access the new learning and build upon their skills and knowledge.
At Kaizen, we believe that all learners should primarily access the first quality teaching and be immersed in class lessons. Therefore, SEND learners access the same learning as all other children but will be given further support, adapted outcomes and a tailored approach to suit each individual’s needs. Strategies used to support our SEND learners include:
- A pre-teach of topic-specific vocabulary
- Adaptations during lessons
- Opportunities to practise the skills during break and lunchtimes
- Instructions are broken down into manageable chunks, and more time is given to process the information
Children with high levels of need have a broad curriculum offer, linking into National Curriculum themes, but with scaffolded learning which meets their needs, ensuring they are also making good progress from their initial starting points. The themes are planned to ensure that PE skills are developed
Impact
Due to a high-quality PE and sports program delivered by skilled staff, our impact in PE will be evident in children who can perform skillfully in a range of sports and can talk confidently about their knowledge of a given sport. Children will show resilience across the school in subjects other than PE because they have the skills to cope when learning is difficult. Children will be able to represent the school at competition level, and the school will continue to be successful at these competitions.
The impact of our PE curriculum at Kaizen ensures that children are equipped with physical skills and knowledge that will enable them to be ready to continue their learning journey in KS3 and for life as an adult in the wider world. Children will be clear about the careers available to them as part of our ‘Future Me’ aspect of the curriculum and continue to explore opportunities available to them.