“You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get.”

– Michael Phelps, American swimmer and Olympian gold medalist

Intent

Our intent at New Milton Infant School is to ensure all children have an enjoyable and positive experience of Physical Education and Sport, promoting a long-term healthy lifestyle. We strive to create a culture which aims to inspire an active generation to enjoy PE, encourage each other and achieve. We provide a safe and supportive environment for children to flourish in a range of different physical activities which is essential in supporting their physical, emotional, spiritual, social and moral development. 

We offer a dynamic, varied and stimulating program of activity to ensure that all children progress to be physically competent through an inspirational and fully inclusive PE curriculum. We teach fundamental movement skills to our children in order for them to progress and play team games as they move into Key Stage 2 and beyond. We encourage all children to develop their understanding of the way in which they can use their body, equipment and apparatus safely yet imaginatively to achieve their personal goals. All children are given the opportunity to enjoy being physically active, maintain a healthy lifestyle and use the medium of sport to increase their self-esteem. We aspire for children to adopt a positive mind-set and believe that anything can be achieved with determination, embedding our School Aspirations of ‘I am kind’, ‘I am responsible’, ‘I am respectful’, ‘I am courageous’ and ‘I try my best’.

Our PE Curriculum, along with PSHE and Science, teaches children about the importance of healthy living and learning about the need for good nutrition. We also provide opportunities for all children to learn how to stay safe and become confident in water by starting swimming lessons in Key Stage 1. 

Aims / Objectives 

The aim of Physical Education is to promote physical activity and healthy lifestyles, as well as physical competence. Children are taught to observe and produce the conventions of fair play, honest competition and good sporting behaviour as individual participants, team members and spectators. We aim for children to develop the necessary knowledge and skills which will have a positive impact on their future by becoming physically active citizens to benefit their long-term health and well-being. 

We aim to: 

• Encourage all children to develop positive attitudes to physical activity and sport, promoting lifelong participation. 
• Engage families to help children lead active, healthy lives and improve fitness and well-being. 
• Provide a high-quality physical education curriculum that caters for all abilities. 

• Inspire all children to succeed and fulfil their potential. 
• Develop multi-ability skills through PE, enabling children to use and develop cognitive, personal, social, creative and physical skills through physical activity. 
• Develop children’s Fundamental Movement Skills, to enable them to participate in activities across all areas of the curriculum. 

• Support children to become competent, confident and healthy movers. 
• Develop communication, collaboration and competitive skills. 
• Provide opportunities for children to participate in sporting events to develop their skills, enthusiasm, resilience, confidence and team spirit. 

Implementation

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

In EYFS, Physical Development (Prime Area of Learning) and Expressive Arts and Design (Specific Area of Learning) are areas which underpin learning and development in all other areas of the curriculum. Children develop their gross and fine motor skills both indoors and outdoors through our enabling environment, continuous provision, forest school and directed teaching activities. Carefully chosen high-quality open-ended resources allow children to practise fundamental physical skills including balancing, climbing, jumping, throwing, catching, rolling, kicking and moving in a range of ways. Children in EYFS are also introduced to the word ‘healthy’ and what this means. They are given opportunities to observe and discuss the physical effects that being active has on their bodies. Adults provide opportunities for children to talk about how they can be healthy and to explore healthy foods. 

Physical activity is vital in children’s all-round development, enabling them to pursue happy, healthy and active lives. By creating games and providing opportunities for play both indoors and outdoors, adults can support children to develop their core strength, stability, balance, spatial awareness, co-ordination and agility. Children also access our Forest School weekly, where they have the chance to climb, swing, hang, push, pull and mix. Gross motor skills provide the foundation for developing healthy bodies and social and emotional well-being. Fine motor control and precision helps with hand-eye co-ordination, which is later linked to early literacy. Repeated and varied opportunities to explore and play with small world activities, puzzles, arts and crafts and the practice of using small tools, with feedback and support from adults, allow children to develop proficiency, control and confidence. 

Physical Education 

At New Milton Infant School, Key Stage 1 children participate in high-quality structured PE lessons every week. We are proud to be working alongside specialist advisors from HIAS PE. In doing so, we aim to further develop children’s enjoyment, core skills and confidence in PE, enabling children’s greater access to the PE curriculum and sport specific pursuits.

Our teachers encourage a broad, balanced and child-centred approach to PE and sport, that is fully aligned with the aims and outcomes of the National Curriculum and EYFS Framework, and focuses on the development of fundamental movement skills, agility, balance and coordination. Children also engage in healthy competition and cooperative learning through physical activities, games, skill application and challenges. Positive praise is based on positive behaviours and progress in skill and application. 

Central to our teaching and learning in PE is the belief that every child can enjoy and be successful in physical activity and movement and that their effort, work and progress will be recognised and celebrated. There is a clear focus for learning, which every child feels is achievable and relevant; every child can access all parts of the lesson. The language of ‘I try my best’ is used so that all children can achieve in a lesson no matter what level of physical skills that they have. 

Progression is aligned to personal readiness and open activities mean nobody fails; we can proactively celebrate differences whilst being inclusive. Our PE lessons are carefully planned to engage and excite all our learners and to ensure a full range of skills alongside the development of multi-abilities which enable children to be successful in the classroom and in later life. The children get the opportunity to work on broader abilities including making decisions, problem solving, exploring, adapting, adjusting, and learning from and with others.  

Physical Activity and School Sport 

In addition to PE in curriculum time, we also strive to provide opportunities for children to participate in extra-curricular physical activity through sporting and active clubs. Each year, we host a sports day that every child can participate in. All levels of ability are celebrated and opportunity is given for parents and carers to join in too. 

In Key Stage 1, children develop their swimming and water safety skills through swimming lessons at New Milton Health and Leisure Centre. These lessons are planned and taught by qualified swimming instructors who enable children to gain water experience, confidence in the water and develop basic strokes.

 We provide a range of sporting after school clubs which are open to all children throughout the year. These provide opportunities for the children to participate in a range of activities and develop their skills further. Pupil Premium children may access one club every half term without any cost implications. 

Impact

All children at New Milton Infant School receive a broad and balanced PE curriculum which is progressive and allows all children ample opportunity to acquire and develop fundamental skills and apply these in a wide range of sports and activities. Every child is able to access the PE curriculum we offer because the environment is inclusive and makes every child feel valued. Children are equipped with the skills, knowledge, behaviours and attitudes to enable them to choose to be active and lead a healthy lifestyle. Children understand the importance of regular exercise and the benefits on their physical health and mental well-being. Children develop pride for our school and positive attitudes which we hope enables them to continue to compete in sport in their future life. Through PE, children develop lifelong skills such as teamwork, sportsmanship, self-motivation, resilience and independence. 

Spiritual, Moral, Social & Cultural (SMSC) Development in PE

SPIRITUAL – Children are encouraged to reflect and evaluate their own performance in all areas of PE. Time is allocated in each session for children to observe others and evaluate their performance. They are then invited to provide feedback to their peers on what they have achieved well and advice on any improvements that can be made. Planning enables children to be inspired by events happening all over the world and special events centred around charity work such as Sports relief are planned for children to participate in.

MORAL – PE provides a perfect platform in which children can explore and adhere to rules, etiquette and sportsmanship. Through taking part in sporting activity, children have the chance to practise their leadership skills and develop a respect for others in their team.

SOCIAL – PE is a social subject. Children are encouraged to work together as part of a team in all areas of PE. This may be in pairs or small groups when devising sequences of movements in dance and gym or in a larger team when competing in a range of sports. Children at New Milton know that those that work well as part of a team are more likely to succeed. Representing their school in sport can be rewarded by a sense of pride. Participating as a team against others from neighbouring schools also ensures opportunity for meeting and participating with new friends.

CULTURAL – The PE planning at New Milton  allows children to explore dances and sports from different cultures and traditions from around the world. Children will also experience music to move to from a range of cultures. Planning also ensures that children can watch inspirational athletes from around the world to help inspire their own performance