Why is PE important?

Why do children need a quality programme of physical education?

• Children learn to appreciate the significance of exercising for a lifetime.
• Consistent, physical activity is the best way for us to eradicate obesity and sustain a suitable body weight.  It also offers a positive alternative to watching television or playing on computers and mobile phones.
• Children learn the fundamental motor skills that will allow them to develop the physical capability that in turn will produce confidence and leads to safe and successful involvement in a wide range of sports.
• Children are encouraged to increase their fitness levels during PE including muscular and cardiovascular endurance, strength and flexibility.
• Youngsters can learn valuable lessons about accepting responsibility for their individual development leading to greater self-discipline.
• PE gives chances for children to be creative, cooperative and competitive and to face up to diverse challenges both as individuals and in groups.
• A ‘good workout’ helps ease anxiety, tension and stress and will result in improved attention in class.
• Movement can be used to strengthen the understanding of several subjects taught in the classroom e.g. mathematics.  Movement has also been shown to heighten the function of our brain.
• Many activities taught in PE require children to work in groups to solve problems.  These opportunities are outstanding for learning both leadership and teamwork.
• Sports activities are a superb way to meet and make new friends.  Being confident in your own physical capabilities inspires youngsters, and later adults, to be more social.
• PE is particularly vital to children who have yet to progress their verbal communication abilities.
• Children learn to develop the concept of fair play, honest competition, good sportsmanship and how to handle both success and defeat.

Physical Education at Angel Road Junior School

Every class from Year 3 to Year 6 receives two hours of curriculum PE per week, comprising of one indoor and one outdoor lesson.

Within our PE lessons we aim to:

• Follow a progressive, evolving curriculum that, with time, builds on past understandings and combines new practices.  Classes are not just randomly selected with no clear links to past and future lessons or just as a way to keep children “busy, happy or good” for 60 minutes.
• Physical education is a moving experience.  We aim to find ways to actively engage all children in moderate to vigorous physical activity for the majority of every lesson, a minimum of 75%.
• In addition to being actively engaged, children also need plenty of chances to practice the ability or idea being taught that day.  Our quality curriculum will offer many practice opportunities, sometimes alone, sometimes with a partner and sometimes during small sided games in groups.
• As well as numerous practice periods, we aim to design lessons so that youngsters of all capabilities have great rates of success.  When children, above all unskilled pupils, experience victory, they are more likely to carry on practising and working to improve than when they fail repetitively.
• We try to endorse positive learning experiences in a warm atmosphere in which children are encouraged to exercise new skills and expand their fitness levels without feeling self-conscious.
• We aim to make sure all our classes are as enjoyable as they can be, so that children appreciate and look forward to PE, both at primary and secondary school.