Highwoods Community Primary School

Policy for Physical Activity

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY POLICY

The Physical Activity (PA) policy aims to teach children how to develop and follow a fit and healthy lifestyle through stand alone lessons, cross curricular links with other subjects, outside school hours clubs and links with the community. Children will be taught life skills such as the importance of looking after their own body and team and leadership qualities. The PA policy ensures that every child is provided with a range of opportunities so that they can be physically active during curriculum time, break times and extra-curricular provision outside of school hours. Physical activities provide opportunities for work in other curriculum areas such as science, maths, literacy and PSHE. In PE lessons, children use problem solving skills to measure distances, times and weights and to explain the concept of turning through angles using directional language. Those pupils who have difficulty in oral or written communication, or where English is an additional language, experience enjoyment and achievement by expressing thoughts, ideas and emotions through movement. Language skills can also be reinforced and utilised in describing and evaluating their own and others performances. PE offers opportunities for children to: acquire and develop skills, performing with increasing physical competence and confidence in a range of physical activities and contexts learn how to select and apply skills, tactics and compositional ideas to suit activities that need different approaches and ways of thinking develop their ideas in a creative way become skilful and intelligent performers understand what it takes to persevere, succeed and acknowledge others success respond to a variety of challenges in a range of physical contexts and environments take the initiative, lead activity and focus on improving aspects of their own performance discover their own aptitudes and preferences for different activities make informed decisions about the importance of exercise in their lives gain knowledge of how to maintain a healthy lifestyle evaluate and improve their own and others performance set targets for themselves and compete against others, individually and as team members develop positive attitudes towards participation in physical activity develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development including a sense of fair play based on rules and conventions. OBJECTIVES The objectives of physical activity are: Gymnastic activities To perform confidently, with varying degrees of control, a simple range of actions, such as running, jumping, rolling, climbing, transferring weight, balancing, swinging and to link a series of movements with changes of direction, levels, speed, tension and rhythm. To be able to remember, select and repeat a sequence of movements, to practice through rehearsal and to adapt, practice and refine these actions. To share, lift, carry, place and move apparatus safely, from Year 2 upwards. 2

Dance To respond imaginatively to a variety of stimuli to show moods, feelings, ideas and create simple characters and narrative in movement. To create dances with clear beginning, middles and ends. To adapt and refine performances when working with others. Games To experience elements of games play which include chasing, dodging, avoiding and awareness of space and other players. To be helped to improve the ball skills of sending, receiving and travelling, to propel objects such as balls, quoits and hoops using the hands, the feet and bats/racquets etc. To make up, play and refine games and work within them. Swimming To develop confidence in water and explore different strokes. To show an understanding of water safety and codes of hygiene and courtesy for using swimming pools. To swim a minimum of 25 metres distance by the end of Key Stage 2. Athletic Activities To practice and develop basic actions in running, throwing and jumping, concentrating on accuracy, speed, height, length and distance. Outdoor and Adventurous Activities To explore the potential for physical activities within the immediate environment. Undertake simple orientation activities. Apply physical skills out of doors on suitable equipment and develop an awareness of basic safety practices. To have the opportunity to go on an Outdoor and Adventurous Activities residential trip in upper Key Stage 2. CONTINUITY AND PROGRESSION OF PROGRAMME In order to achieve the aims and objectives there must be continuity and progression in the PE programme. The schemes of work and Curriculum Map ensure continuity and progression through all strands of the physical education curriculum. Themes and skills taught in each year group are organised to avoid repetition and ensure continuity and progression through the whole of the key stage(s). PLANNING FOR DIFFERENTIATION Differentiation is achieved by setting tasks which are suitable and appropriate for all the pupils starting level and which allow the more able pupils to be challenged. The use of the acronym STEP can be used to meet the needs of different levels of ability: use of space, task, equipment and people: 1. 2. 3. 4. Space restricting or enlarging the area for the activity or partner/group; Task different group tasks or rules, different pupil roles and responsibilities, different allocations of times and variations of pace within the lesson; Equipment - differing equipment for different levels; size, weight, shape, colour; People - pupil groupings, e.g. by ability or mixed ability groups; or group, paired or individual activities, even or uneven sides. 3

Other opportunities e.g. extra-curricular activities, club links, Gifted and Talented activities allow children to access a wider variety of sporting activities. Refer to the Gifted and Talented Policy for further information. ASSESSMENT Assessment of how well pupils achieve and succeed is a continuous process through: Teacher observation with immediate formative assessment with the pupils. Teacher assessment of pupils progress at the end of each key stage against the National Curriculum attainment levels. Self and peer assessment - pupils are made aware of the learning object, success criteria and skills acquisition at the start of a lesson so they can assess their own and others achievement in terms. Pupils are assessed on: Acquiring and developing skills; Selecting and applying of skills in a technical performance; The ability to work with others or take the lead; Ability to devise own games or sequences; Knowledge and understanding of health and fitness; To evaluate their performance and that of others using key vocabulary. INCLUSION , EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS These are all statutory requirements of the National Curriculum to enable all children to participate and gain confidence in physical activity. Please refer to the separate policies. HEALTH AND SAFETY All children must participate in Physical Education unless a note is received from home. No verbal excuses will be accepted from children. All teachers are responsible for safety in lessons. In particular: Facilities, apparatus and equipment should be observed at all times. Facilities, apparatus and equipment should be checked at the start of the lesson e.g. that wall bars are secured properly, no mats overlapping, etc. Children should be taught to set out and use apparatus safely. Teachers should be aware of any disability/ medical condition that could affect the childs performance. Some asthmatic pupils may need to keep their inhaler at hand during a PE lesson and they should be taught to take responsibility for this themselves. Refer to the Health and Safety policy for further information. DRESS Pupils should be informed of the importance of changing clothes for PE and should do so quickly and quietly. In order to save time, this changing should take place in their classroom. Teachers should also change for PE into suitable footwear and clothing, to show that appropriate clothing is needed for these activities. For pupils, the dress code is as follows: blue shorts and white T-shirt; black plimsolls (KS1) or trainers (KS2) for outdoor PE; navy blue or dark tracksuit for outdoor use in cooler weather; 4

 swimming costume or trunks, named swimming cap, goggles with parental consent. long hair must be tied back at all times; jewellery must be removed before the lesson; Earring studs maybe worn for the first 6 weeks but must be covered with micropore tape (this should be provided and applied by the pupil); Eye glasses should be removed as long as this does not severely inhibit childrens eye sight. Alternatively, sports glasses maybe worn over eye glasses. If a pupil persistently forgets their kit, their parents should be contacted and clean, spare kit offered if available. EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES There are clubs after school and lunchtime activities at different times of year which provide a range of activities. Playground leaders (PALS), with an adult supervisor, encourage active lunchtimes with a variety of organised games. Whole school health weeks and sporting activities linked to the thematic curriculum allow children access to a range of extra-curricular activities. RESOURCES The coordinator is responsible for the condition and availability of P.E. equipment. Apparatus and equipment should be stored in a safe and proper manner. If children put equipment away, teachers are responsible for checking this has been done safely and correctly so that the next class has safe and immediate access to the equipment at the beginning of each lesson. Teachers should report any defects to the coordinator so equipment can be taken out of use until repaired. An inventory of all equipment is kept by the coordinator to allow for replacement of equipment. Kate Djurovich Review date Summer 2010