Physical Education
P.E. and physical activity is prioritised and highly valued within our school curriculum because we know that many children start our school with diverse experiences of physical activities. We understand the importance of building core strength, increasing stamina, developing the children’s skills and using a variety of equipment. We aim to promote a highly positive attitude to physical activity and sport so that it is seen as an intrinsic and enjoyable part of their healthy lifestyle and wellbeing now and in the future years to come.
Language development
Our P.E. scheme of work (Get Set 4P.E.) helps to highlight key vocabulary for each lesson and topic. Children are encouraged to use this vocabulary in full sentences to describe and evaluate their movements, and those of their peers. We develop language and communication skills through teaching in P.E.
Our P.E scheme includes a unit on social and emotional learning and opportunities to discuss the importance of exercise and the changes that happen to their bodies. Therefore, the children have many opportunities to share their ideas and opinions within P.E. lessons.
Previous studies have shown that there is increased brain activity after and during exercise, leading to improved word recall.
We understand that for our many children who have English as an additional language, P.E provides them with a practical and visual way of learning vocabulary.
learning behaviours
Our P.E. scheme of work (Get Set 4P.E.) includes a unit on social and emotional learning that compliments and promotes our school learning behaviours. We teach our children through P.E lessons to be collaborative, independent, resilient inventive and reflective. The children are also encouraged to take calculated risks.
Our teaching of P.E. offers opportunities to support the social development of our children. Children often work together in pairs or groups. Collaborative work enables the children to develop a respect for other children’s levels of ability and encourages them to co-operate across a range of activities and experiences. Children thereby develop a better understanding of themselves as well as of each other.
physical activity
We aim for our children to have a minimum of two sessions a week of high quality physical activity and school sport to help improve attainment, behaviour, attitudes to learning, healthy lifestyles, inclusion, citizenship and leadership.
The children have movement breaks throughout their school day. These regular breaks help the children to increase their focus and concentration
We have a variety of equipment in our playground that encourage the children take part in physical activity, such as our trim trail, climbing frame, bikes, scooters, building crates, tyres to roll and games equipment.
During lunch playtimes the children have an opportunity to take part in different, fun physical activities supported by a sports coach. In the Spring and Summer term the Year 2 children have an opportunity to be play leaders, supporting the Year 1 children in activities. This helps to promote physical activity in the playground, enhance inclusive provision, improve health and wellbeing and develop the year 2 children’s leadership skills.cultural capital
It has been part of our school culture for many years to enrich our P.E. curriculum with a variety of different activities and experiences within school and our local community. We have a membership to the Barnet Sports Partnership which helps us to be part of many inter and intra events. We take part in events such as the Barnet Dance Festival, Teddy Bear’s picnic, Christmas Festival and mixed football festivals. We also take part in virtual challenges with local schools and these allow the children to set personal goals, to set personal bests and challenge themselves to improve. They also give them an introduction to intra school competition. Our children also have the opportunity to take part in inclusive events such as the All Bar One event.
We try to make links with local clubs in the community such as Mercury Tennis club. Previously, all our children had an opportunity to visit the venue and take part in professional lessons. We also actively encourage visitors to our school that can teach specific skills such as Bollywood dancing, Street dancing and Cricket.creative curriculum design and progression
The Get Set 4 PE scheme of work supports us on providing progressive, fun and engaging learning activities that develop the children’s knowledge and skills from Reception through to the end of Year Two. The scheme includes comprehensive lesson plans with clear learning objectives that build on previous learning. They also highlight the language, knowledge and skills to be taught during each lesson Progressions ladders for skills and knowledge and assessments ensure continuity of development through the children’s time at our school. Learning objectives are based on the National Curriculum programme of study and the Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory framework. In Reception, we now deliver 6 ares of physical activity including an introduction to PE, Fundamentals, Games(Ball skills), , dance and gymnastics. In key stage 1 we now deliver 7 areas physical activity including Fundamentals, Fitness, Yoga, Dance, Athletics, Gymnastics and Games (invasion, sending and retrieving, striking and fielding, and ball skills). Social, emotional and thinking skills are taught explicitly alongside these areas.
Each lesson has strategies to adapt teaching to ensure all children can access the learning. There are also resources to support children with SEND.
At the beginning of each lesson, we revisit previous learning by asking the children to recap the learning objectives and skills previously taught. We then discuss the new learning objective, skills and key vocabulary to be taught in the current lesson. These should be displayed on the whiteboard for the children to see and be reminded of throughout the lesson. If the teachers feel that they will be unable to deliver the whole lesson due to time restrictions, they should choose the game/activity from the main part of the lesson that they feel will reinforce the learning objective most effectively. The warm up and plenary activities should be fitted into each lesson. It is important to keep a good pace during the lesson to ensure the children keep active and their interest and enjoyment remains. We understand the importance of positive, descriptive praise throughout the lessons to reinforce the learning and good behaviour. Opportunities for children to demonstrate throughout the lesson helps to reinforce the learning objective and skills.
If you were to walk into a PE lesson at Garden Suburb Infant School, you would see:
- All children highly active for at least eighty percent of the lesson, engaged and confident to have a go.
- Children exploring physical skills with increasing control and co-ordination.
- Children considering their own safety and that of others at all times.
- Children moving and using equipment safely.
- Children show an enjoyment of physical activity through creativity and imagination.
- Children working and playing with others in a range of group situations and appraising the work of others.
- Children responding to peer and adult feedback in order to develop their own movements
- Children who can apply rules and skills in a variety of different activities.
- Children able to recognise and describe how their bodies fell during exercise.
- Children using subject specific vocabulary, appropriate to their age and stage of development, with understanding and confidence, to talk about different aspects of their work
- Teachers demonstrating secure subject knowledge, teaching lessons which are explicitly adapted to be both ambitious and to meet the needs of pupils with SEND and those experiencing difficulty with using appropriate learning behaviours/objectives being taught.
- Children listening to and using a wide variety of relevant vocabulary.
- Teachers and support staff helping children embed and use knowledge and skills taught within the lesson, building on previous learning.
- Learning objectives and key vocabulary on display.
- Teachers drawing attention to good examples of individual performances in order to provide models for others.
Click on the document at the bottom of the page, to see how our Curriculum Intent in PE relates to our whole school Curriculum Intent.
To help promote physical activity click here for a list of some clubs that have been recommended to us by parents!
Click on the link below to find out how we spend our annual "School Sports Funding":
PE events and activities
Events and Competitions
We have has a really fun and busy year keeping fit and healthy! Here are just some of the events we have taken part in...
Barnet Dance Festival
BPSS Change4Life Teddy Bears Picnic 
BPSS/Mercury Tennis Festival Supported by Henrietta Barnet Girls
Year 2 Play leaders
Our year 2 children are fantastic role models. They have been supporting children in the Reception and Year 1 classes in a variety of different activities during lunch playtime. They also helped to run the PE Challenge day for the Reception children.
Reception PE Challenge day
All the reception children took part in a variety of physical activities. This event was supported by Year 2 leaders who helped the children to complete the activities and gave them encouragement throughout the morning.
