PE at St James'

Our Vision

Oracy, Initiative, Futures, Keeping Safe and Well, Opening doors to the Wider World

Intent

At St James C of E Junior School, we understand the vital role that PE plays in the physical, social, emotional and intellectual development of children. We aim to provide children with the chance to take part in a wide variety of opportunities and experiences, regardless of their ability, background or experience.  

We strive to provide children with skills and knowledge to keep themselves active and healthy throughout their lives. We hope that through the array of sporting opportunities we provide, children will develop a passion and love for physical activity and continue this into their later lives. In addition, through high quality PE lessons, as well as access to clubs, festivals and competitions, children will develop resilience, confidence, teamwork and sportsmanship.  

We aim to provide the children with at least 2 hours of fun, exciting and active PE lessons every week and to keep the children healthy and active with at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day.  

Our children need the skills and experiences in order to access the same opportunities and experiences as their peers in the future.  

We aim for all pupils to:  

• Develop confidence to excel in a broad range of physical activities 

• Be physically active for sustained periods of time 

• Engage in competitive sports and activities 

• Lead healthy, active lives 

Implementation 

In order to provide this, we have identified the following curriculum drivers:  

Oracy

Children at St James often join the school with English as an additional language and/or poor language acquisition. Children will be encouraged to communicate and discuss their ideas. They will be asked to explain their thinking in the context of PE and they will be taught activity-specific vocabulary. PE requires communication and collaboration and is an excellent opportunity for children to develop their oracy skills.  

Initiative

All children are encouraged to set personal challenges and strive to be the best they can. We encourage children to think about how they have done and what they can do to improve, always striving to do their best.  

Futures

PE can open many doors for children. For many of our children at SJJS, PE and sport is an area where they can feel success. By providing them with the foundations of an active and healthy lifestyle, we can ensure they carry this forward with them throughout their lives. In addition, the positive traits learnt through PE and sport will allow children to grow into considerate, hard-working, respectful, responsible and resilient citizens, preparing them for their future lives.  

Opening Doors to the Wider World

Because of the demographic of our children, we strive to provide opportunities for PE and sport that they may not otherwise get. Many of our children do not take part in sporting opportunities outside of school, so by exposing them to a wide variety of sports and physical activities, we can show them that there truly is something out there for everyone. We take part in many festivals, competitions and other events throughout the year, giving all children the chance to be a part of the SJJS team.  

In addition, our links to local clubs and community organisations give children a chance to make connections and build a sense of community within the local area. We want our children to aspire to be anything they want and so in providing these  

Wellbeing

Wellbeing is at the core of the PE curriculum. Physical and mental health are intrinsically linked and at SJJS we recognise that our children face unique challenges in this area. We understand that issues with poor wellbeing can stand in the way of children achieving their full potential at school. With this in mind, we can engage and inspire children through PE and sporting opportunities, understanding the links between mental and physical health.  

“The Youth Sport Trust know that good health supports successful learning and can impact on attendance, attitude and behaviour for learning and specifically, how inactivity affects more than just a child’s physical health but undermines their mental and emotional wellbeing. PE, school sport and physical activity are proven to enhance physical health, boost mental wellbeing, build resilience, lift academic achievement and create active habits for life.” (Youth Sport Trust, https://www.youthsporttrust.org/mental-wellbeing) 

Curriculum Impact: 

At St James Junior School, we ensure that our PE curriculum is progressive and allows children to develop fundamental skills and apply them to a variety of sports and activities. All children are provided with the skills  and given opportunities  to demonstrate improvement to achieve their personal best. Our pupils are physically active and this has positive implications on their learning in the classroom. Children understand how to lead a healthy lifestyle and understand the importance of exercise.  We hope children enjoy PE and develop a love of sport, and physical activity, that they pursue outside of school and in future life outside of primary school. All pupils understand the values and importance of fair play and being a good sportsperson. Our aim is for Year 6 pupils to leave school with the skills to swim 25 metres competently.