PE

PE Coordinator: Miss Lancaster

“Intelligence and skill can only function at the peak of their capacity when the body is healthy and strong.” - John F. Kennedy.

The Strands of the Physical Education National Curriculum:

Develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities
Are physically active for sustained periods of time
Engage in competitive sports and activities
Lead healthy, active lives.

Our Vision for PE…

At Eaves, our vision for Physical Education is to develop confident, physically literate and motivated children who understand the importance of leading a healthy, active lifestyle. We want every child to experience success in PE, develop a positive relationship with physical activity and acquire the knowledge, skills, confidence and resilience needed to remain active throughout their lives.

Our approach reflects The Eaves Way. Physical activity provides authentic opportunities for children to demonstrate Exploration, Authenticity, Vision, Encouragement and Synergy, while developing responsibility, resilience, respect and readiness. Through PE, sport and competition, children learn that improvement comes through practice, perseverance, teamwork and a willingness to challenge themselves.

Our PE Curriculum Offer

Our PE curriculum provides children with a broad, progressive and carefully sequenced range of physical experiences. In the early years and Key Stage 1, there is a strong emphasis on developing the fundamental movement skills that provide the foundations for future participation, including running, jumping, throwing, catching, balance, agility and coordination. As children progress through Key Stage 2, these foundations are developed into increasingly sport-specific skills, tactics and techniques, before being applied with greater independence and sophistication.

Children experience a varied curriculum including games, gymnastics, dance, athletics, outdoor and adventurous activities and competitive sport. Skills and knowledge are deliberately revisited so that children can consolidate previous learning before progressing further. Alongside physical competence, children develop an understanding of fitness, healthy lifestyles and mental wellbeing, helping them recognise why physical activity matters beyond the PE lesson.

Sport, Competition & Representing Eaves

Our sporting offer extends well beyond curriculum PE. Throughout the year, children have opportunities to represent Eaves and compete against other local schools, including through the St Helens 1st network, School Games competitions and the Sutton Community Football Shield. Within school, children also experience intra-school competition and our annual Sports Days.

Competition provides an important opportunity to put learning into practice. Children experience teamwork, leadership, determination, fairness, respect and resilience, learning both how to succeed and how to respond positively when things do not go their way. We want representing Eaves to be something children are proud of, demonstrating The Eaves Way through both their performance and their conduct.

Our wider provision also includes a range of breakfast and after-school sporting clubs, links with local sports clubs and external providers, and leadership opportunities such as older pupils organising activities for younger children. These experiences help children discover new interests and recognise that sport and physical activity can continue beyond school.

Swimming & Water Safety

Swimming and water safety are an essential part of our PE provision. The National Curriculum requires primary schools to provide swimming instruction during Key Stage 1 or Key Stage 2. At Eaves, children from Year 4 upwards access swimming lessons, supporting them to develop confidence, competence and essential water-safety skills.

By the end of primary school, the statutory expectation is that pupils are taught to swim competently, confidently and proficiently for at least 25 metres, use a range of strokes effectively and perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations. These are not simply curriculum outcomes: they are important skills for life.

Oracy Through PE

Oracy plays an important role in PE at Eaves. Children learn to talk like athletes, coaches and team members, using increasingly precise sporting vocabulary to describe techniques, explain tactics, evaluate performance and identify how they can improve. Through team games and collaborative activities, children learn to listen carefully, communicate clearly, encourage others and make decisions together.

Children also develop confidence in giving and receiving constructive feedback, explaining strategies and reflecting on their own performance. In this way, PE develops not only physical competence but also confident communicators, effective collaborators and thoughtful leaders.

PE Beyond the Classroom – Enrichment, Experiences & Cultural Capital

We believe every child should have opportunities to experience sport and physical activity beyond their regular PE lessons. Clubs, competitions, sporting events, visitors, links with community clubs and opportunities to represent the school broaden children's experiences and contribute to their cultural capital and Personal Development. Eaves' wider curriculum specifically identifies sport and sporting opportunities as part of creating strong local 'Roots' and opening future 'Doors' for children.

We want children to encounter sports and activities that they may not otherwise experience, recognise different pathways into sport and develop the confidence to become involved in physical activity within their own community. By providing a rich range of experiences, we hope children discover activities they enjoy and can continue long after they leave Eaves.

Ultimately, our ambition is for every Eaves child to leave primary school seeing themselves as someone who can be active. Whether competing for a team, swimming, dancing, running, attending a local sports club or simply choosing to be physically active with friends and family, we want children to possess the confidence, competence and motivation to make physical activity part of their future.

Move. Explore. Practise. Challenge. Compete. Collaborate. Thrive. – PE The Eaves Way.