P.E. Policy

Physical Education as part of the Creative and Expressive Area of Study makes an important contribution to the whole development of the child (physical, social, emotional, intellectual, ethical, aesthetic and creative) and has a considerable and worthwhile contribution to make in fulfilling the overall aims and ideals of the school.  More specifically however, P.E. is concerned with the following aims:

To provide a range of enjoyable experiences which will:-

·                 develop a range of psycho-motor skills.

·                 maintain and increase physical mobility and flexibility.

·                 develop strength and stamina.

·                 develop an appreciation of the importance of exercise in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

·                 promote and stimulate the process of enquiry, discovery and creativity through imaginative physical experiences.

WHY IS P.E. IMPORTANT?

There are many reasons why P.E. is important which can be summarised under three headings:-

·   The Value of Healthy Exercise

·   The Development of Physical Intelligence

·   The Growth of Self-Confidence

THE VALUE OF HEALTHY EXERCISE

One of the most important reasons for P.E. is that it provides children with exercise.  Reasons why exercise is important include:

GROWTH          

·      exercise is essential for physical growth, development and the healthy functioning of the various systems in the body.

STRENGTH                

·      regular exercise leads to greater physical and muscular strength.

SUPPLENESS             

·      varied experience of physical movements will increase suppleness, and the responsiveness of the body to physical challenge.

STAMINA          

·      exercise improves the heart and cardiovascular system, which will help develop stamina and functional capacity.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

Recent studies have revealed that many children do not experience vigorous exercise in school or in their out-of-school activities.  This probably contributes to the low levels of fitness characteristic of many older school children.  A priority for physical education is not only to ensure that children get exercise, but to help build up an awareness of health issues and the value of an active lifestyle.  The body is like a machine that stays healthy with use; it needs to be cared for; and the exercise habit is one we hope will stay with them throughout life.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF PHYSICAL INTELLIGENCE

Physical intelligence is made up of physical and mental skills (physical skills are more accurately called psycho-motor skills).  These physical and mental skills are closely linked.  Success in physical activity depends on intellectual skills such as concentration, judgement and close observation, as well as on creativity in thought and movement.  We need to encourage a thoughtful or ‘mindful’ approach to physical activity, including an awareness / appreciation of self and others - this is best achieved through a ‘think-first’ approach.

THE GROWTH OF SELF-CONFIDENCE

The body is not simply a machine.  It is a vehicle of a child’s sense of self-worth.  In making P.E. lessons enjoyable and satisfying, in providing opportunities for success and development of skills, we also help to build self-esteem and a sense of self-worth.  Through P.E. we can give children physical confidence.  We help to show them that they can do more than they think, and that they can do things well.  Studies have shown the value of building self-esteem and high expectations in the development of positive attitudes to life and learning.  A growing sense of confidence and physical control can help children to respond well to other forms of challenge, both in and out of school.

DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS OF PUPILS

The developmental needs of the pupils should be taken into account during the planning of the P.E. programme.  The content and teaching approach should be appropriate to the stage of development of the pupils.

There will consequently be a difference between the Key Stage 1 programme and Key Stage 2 programme with clear development and progression within and between each.  Teaching approaches should whenever possible allow all the children to develop at their own rate and thus achieve their maximum potential.

PERSONAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

In order to help pupils become independent learners, they should be encouraged to solve for themselves the problems they encounter in the course of physical activities.  In order to develop positive attitudes, pupils should be encouraged to observe the conventions of fair play, honest competition and good sporting behaviour, understanding and copy with a variety of outcomes including success and failure; and be aware of the effects and consequences of their actions and on the environment.

KEY STAGE 1

The early years are crucial in laying the foundations of physical competency and positive attitudes to physical activity.  Pupils at this key stage should experience a variety of activities which develop a wide range of skills.  A sense of fun, enjoyment and achievement should pervade all activities.

At the beginning of Key Stage 1, much activity will be exploratory play in which pupils, individually, with a partner, or in a small group, respond to suggestions of the teacher, or to the stimuli and challenges provided by music, space or apparatus.  With guidance, the play will become more structured and lead to the development of skills.

Pupils should be allowed time to develop confidence, both as individuals and members of a group.  They should learn to listen and respond to guidance from the teacher, and to talk about their experiences in the physical education lesson.

Although presented in discrete activity areas, the programme of study in the early years should be taught frequently as integrated lessons, using various movement themes in different contexts.  As pupils develop skills in the areas of physical education, lessons should focus on developing skills in these specific areas.

KEY STAGE 2

Building on the experiences gained during Key Stage 1, pupils should be given opportunities to develop their skills and apply them in more complex personal challenges.  They should be given sufficient guidance to cope with these challenges.  They should continue to experience success in order to reinforce a positive attitude to physical activity.

The exploratory approach should be continued but interspersed, more frequently, with guidance in order to achieve good quality performance in each of the areas of the programme of study.  Pupils should be encouraged to discuss the physical education activities and to develop an understanding of them and their relationship to health and exercise in everyday life.

RANGE OF EQUIPMENT TO BUILD UP IN SCHOOL

It is hoped to colour code our small apparatus to facilitate easier and quicker access and consequent layout for P.E. class.

INVENTORY - to build up over 3 years.

Colour Coded Boxes (red, blue, green, yellow) each containing:-

6 bean bags

6 soft balls

6 gamester balls

6 ropes

6 quoits

6 small balls

6 bats

team bands

10 space markers

Quoits

Skipping ropes (long / short)

Hoops (small, medium, large)

Bean bags

Light bats

Black heavy bats

Small orange bats

Balls with holes (various sizes)

Yellow sponge balls (large / small)

Small balls

Medium balls

Netballs

Footballs

Multi markers

Plastic marker cones

Activity skittles

Coloured cones

Bands (various colours)

Wooden posts

Hockey balls (indoor / outdoor)

Hockey sticks / Unihoc sec

Hockey vests

Hockey pads and helmet

Netball bibs

Tennis racquets

Rounders bats

Cricket bats

Gymnastic rolling equipment

Benches

Individual mats

Large mats

Relay batons

Cassette Players for dance tapes

Ball pump

Foam javelins

Plastic rods

RESOURCES

Human  At Belvoir Park we aim to maximise the use of all our resources.  A number of individuals contribute to the experiences of the children, including teachers, classroom assistants, playground supervisors, parents and specialist coaches.

Materials  Tapes, books, musical instruments, posters, CD’s, teaching packs.

Funds earmarked  Money is available and we are seeking expert advice as to what equipment we need.  It will take 3 years to finance the policy.

Playground  The playground will be marked out every year.

Specific Needs  As a staff, we feel that we need continued support in this area, especially in gymnastics and athletics.

Gender  All boys and girls have an equal opportunity to participate in all aspects of P.E..

DIFFERENTIATION

Planning for physical education means seeking to cater for a range of different abilities and needs.  This will mean making provision for groups of children with similar needs, and for those with individual or special needs.  For example:  children with hearing difficulties, eyesight problems, health problems, poor co-ordination, emotional problems.

It is our aim, through a child centred approach, that every child has achievable and realistic goals which they can work towards.  Teachers are encouraged to evaluate their own teaching and continually re-assess their programme adjusting it accordingly to meet the need of all the children.

This is a demanding task, best achieved by:

·   building on the past achievements of individual pupils;

·   planning to develop specific skills, knowledge and understanding;

·   encouraging participation of those with physical impairment or special needs; making provision for children with special medical conditions that may affect them during the lesson (e.g. asthma);

·   providing opportunities for each child to be appropriately challenged and to experience.

Strategies towards a differentiated approach will include:-

differentiation by task

·   when individuals or groups within the class will work on different tasks designed to their level of ability.  These may be focused on a similar theme but lie at different points on the continuum of progression for that activity i.e. children working through a series of activities with increasing levels of difficulty e.g. catching with two hands / one hand / left hand / right hand;

differentiation by outcome

·   children engaged on a common task which allowed for different levels of response, e.g. creating a dance to the same piece of music.  Following this approach the teacher may progress with differentiated tasks as above.

differentiation by time

·   children or groups receive specific teacher attention and consequently time to progress them beyond a particular plateau of skill or area of difficulty thus enabling them to achieve success and move forward to make further progress.

TEACHING APPROACHES

As part of our aim to provide a stimulating and challenging learning environment in physical education we recognise that teachers will adopt a range of teaching approaches and classroom management techniques.  These will include command style where the emphasis is teacher led, a reciprocal style with a focus on question and answer, or task and response, individual work, group work and whole class work, guided discovery and discovery etc.  We realise that at any time there may be a combination of these approaches operating with a particular emphasis on one or more as appropriate to the activity and ability of the class.

CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Children with special needs have an entitlement to a broad balanced P.E. programme relevant to those needs.  The best results are achieved by matching tasks and resources to the needs of the pupils.  If the task is too difficult the pupil will fail.  If it is too easy the pupil with succeed with little satisfaction or skills development.  Strategies that help in meeting special needs include:

·   breaking down an activity into small achievable steps;

·   adapting and simplifying tasks so that success can be achieved,

·   presenting an activity slowly and clearly;

·   demonstrating or modelling an activity;

·   encouraging work with a sympathetic partner.

An effective programme will involve planning for differentiation by providing:

·   a variety of resources for different levels of ability;

·   a variety of grouping - individual, pairs, groups (sometimes according to ability);

·   a variety of tasks, using different allocations of time, different roles and expectations.

One possible co-ordinated approach - Thematic.

Implications for management - re planning for curriculum development.

·   shape

·   spatial awareness

·   dimensions

·   statistics

·   fitness - measurement

CROSS-CURRICULAR ASPECTS OF P.E.

Physical education offers valuable contributions to other curricular areas - e.g.

1)  Language

·   discuss shapes in gymnastics

·   discuss rules in games

·   following instructions

2)  Maths / Science

·   measuring time / distance

·   comparing time / distance

·   areas of playing grids / fields

·   counting, using different units of measurement

·   sequencing

·   effects of exercise

3)  Geography

·   map skills (orienteering

·   use of compass

·   study of national and international events e.g. World Cup / Olympic Games

4)  History

·   Historical events and games

5)  Art

·   design posters for sports events

·   design of sports clothes

6)  Music

·   interpreting music for dance / gymnastics

CROSS-CURRICULAR THEMES

Health Education

·   diet

·   hygiene

·   exercise

·   lifestyle

Education for Mutual Understanding

·   co-operation

·   awareness of others

·   group work - collective responsibility

·   responsibility as a player

·   acceptance of rules

·   role of referee

Cultural Heritage

·   awareness of history and development of various activities or sports placed in a social context

·   their history or evolution

CROSS-CURRICULAR THEMES

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS;

KEY STAGE 1

·                  Partners

·                  Rules - own games

·                  Sharing - co-operation, fair play

·                  Competition - small games

·                  Street games

WHAT IS P.E.?

The content of a programme of P.E. has been established by the NI Curriculum.

Four areas of experience have been identified at KS1 and five at KS2.

AT KEY STAGE 1

Teachers would only be required to have four schemes of work, one for each of the activities of:-

·                 Games

·                 Dance

·                 Gymnastics

·                 Athletics

AT KEY STAGE 2

·                 Games

·                 Dance

·                 Gymnastics

·                 Athletics

·                 Swimming

TIME ALLOCATION

P1 pupils will have four 20 minute sessions per week.

P2/P3 pupils will have two 30 minute sessions per week.

P4/5 pupils will have one 30 minute session and one 45 minute session per week.

P6/7 pupils will have 2 hours per week and swimming 2 hours (including travel time) - ½ hour pool for 3 terms x 6 weeks.

All pupils will have extra P.E. during the summer term.

THE P.E. YEAR

The activity planner overleaf shows what each class is doing in P.E. throughout the year.  This ensures continuity and progression in P.E. throughout the year.

SAFETY

We in Belvoir Park Primary School consider that safety at all times must be the priority of the teacher.  For activities taken in the multipurpose hall, before a lesson begins the teacher should ensure that:-

1)                 The floor should be clean and dry.

1)               As far as possible, the floor area should be clear of all pieces of furniture.