Physical Education Curriculum Statement 2025
Intent
Physical Education is an essential part to education in schools. It helps develop motor skills as well as enhance reflexes. Hand-eye coordination is improved, as well as good body movements, which helps in the development of a healthy body posture. Physical Education teaches students the importance of physical health (Gov.uk).
We endorse the aims of the Secondary School Curriculum for PE
- Develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities
- Are physically active for a sustained period of time
- Engage in competitive sports and activities
- Lead healthy, actives lives
The broad objectives of the PE curriculum have been considered.
Additional aims that relate to the context of Brookfield School:
- Encouragement engagement in PE for all pupils
- Allow success to be exhibited for all pupils to encourage inclusion
At Brookfield we seek to assist the children in our school in achieving their potential through the opportunities they receive, to physically educate themselves through the Physical Education curriculum, and to promote physical activity throughout the school.
Evidence shows that physical activity during the school day increases a pupil’s concentration during academic lessons. Taylor et al, (2019) states that the evidence indicates that exercise significantly benefits pupils with ADHD. Therefore, this can especially benefit pupils at Brookfield as it states that Physical Education (PE) lessons for the whole class could be especially beneficial for children with ADHD.
Implementation
The Physical Education curriculum is an integral part of the curriculum at Brookfield.
Key Stage 3
Physical Education in Brookfield is an inclusive environment in which each pupil is given the maximum opportunity to succeed within sport. Physical Education looks to progress pupils on in a variety of areas, such as socially, emotionally and physically. Pupils have improved their self-confidence and belief in PE since joining Brookfield, due to a nurturing environment with high expectations within lessons. This enable pupils to drive on and succeed despite their own individual ability.
Pupils have started to take ownership of the Young Leaders Award in which they are able to plan and deliver sessions to their peers and eventually to younger pupils outside of school. Many pupils have already stated the enjoyment they get from taking part and being able to help influence a pupil’s ability. The students are able to show their creativity when planning games as they can plan whatever they wish. Thus, allowing the pupils to take further ownership of the subject.
Pupils throughout the year will undertake.
- Rugby – This aim of this is to focus on respect for each other despite the type of game.
- Football – This is to develop foot-eye co-ordination and allow the aspect of teamwork to carry over from rugby.
- Table Tennis – An individual sport that requires good hand eye coordination. The pupils enjoy the chance to show their ability on an individual basis, whilst becoming familiar with the techniques required to play the game.
- Basketball – This focuses on the throwing and catching aspect of the national curriculum as well as shooting the basketball.
- Cricket – Pupils then begin to engage in a team sport with a great degree of individualism meaning that the respect and teamwork gained from earlier in the year can carry through to this topic.
- Athletics – Pupils are able to undertake all areas of athletics with no inhibition around PE. Thus (as an individual sport) they don’t feel as if they are pressured or being watched like what potentially could have happened earlier in the year.
Pupils throughout KS3 also look at skills acquisition and mastery. Focuses on teaching points in the beginning to allow greater fluency as they progress on through KS3.
Initially, pupils will undergo a baseline assessment to allow the teacher to know where the starting point for the topic needs to be. This also allows a subject specific baseline instead of the gradings being based off non-subject specific SATS results.
For example, differentiation in terms of passing and shooting in football will be necessary. Therefore, the baseline allows us as staff to implement the correct differentiation at the correct time. Thus, removing unnecessary learning time where pupils are already capable of a specific skill.
Pupils take part in activities from a static position to exhibit the skill in isolation and as they become more adept, they will progress onto more fluid movements. This can then be exhibited more in game play. This allows the pupils to show their individual talent and mastery of the skill acquired. Pupils build basic skills during KS3 to prepare them for KS4. As with KS4 they are expected to complete the activities at a faster pace. Following on from KS3, pupils are expected to use a variety of advanced skills and techniques competently in novel situations.
Key Stage 4
Building on the progress made from KS3. Pupils in KS4 undertake OCR Cambridge National in Sport Studies/ Pearson BTEC Level 1. This focusses on areas of sport such as the impact of fans during a football game and what it takes in order to plan an event such as the Olympics. Pupils enjoy and excel in this area of Physical Education as the pupils can understand what each of the sections are about and can have an opinion. This means that pupils feel comfortable enough now to engage in extra-curricular revision sessions in preparation for their exams. This gives the pupils confidence and self-esteem in other areas due to the success from theoretical PE.
Progressing on from KS3 practical, where the focus is around technical ability and improving this. By the end of KS3 pupils will focus on using a variety of skills in novel situations. Only at KS4 does this then improve and increase to showing an advanced variety of skills and techniques. When completing ‘Developing sports skills’ topic, pupils engage in physical activities in which they are expected to show technical capability that they have gained from KS3. This will allow the pupils to have a solid baseline to push onto the next section of game play and understand the tactical aspects once technical mastery has been achieved.
At KS4 level pupils also focus on tactical aspects of game play and how to outwit opponents. The curriculum is delivered like this because studies such as Balyi and Hamilton (2004) suggest that tactics are better instilled when the technical ability is already present. This then allows us to focus on analysis of performance for both oneself and others.
Impact
- Promotes success in KS3 whilst focusing on inclusion for less able and mastery for more able.
- Pupils develop teamwork and creativity during lessons.
- Pupils develop respect during topics that benefit the wider school.
- Pupils benefit from physical activity.
- Allows increased energy to be exerted in a constructive manner.
- The acquisition of multiple qualifications throughout the curriculum thus benefiting pupils when they leave school.
- KS4 focus on mastery allows pupils to gain the best results possible.
Legal Requirements
Physical education (PE) is a compulsory part of the curriculum for all pupils at every Key Stage, from age four to 16. It is up to schools to determine how much time is devoted to PE in the curriculum, but departmental guidance recommends that they should provide pupils with a minimum of two hours curricular PE per week.
The minimum content for Key Stage 3 and 4 is as follows:
- Key Stage 3 – athletics and games
- Key Stage 4 – pupils must have the opportunity to plan and participate in a regular, frequent and balanced programme of PE that, among other things, contributes to, and helps to sustain, a healthy and active lifestyle.
Safe practice in Physical Education
See the 2024 edition of safety guidance published by the Association for Physical Education.