PHYSICAL EDUCATION

At Villa Real School, Physical Education and School Sport provides the opportunity for pupils and students to experience, enjoy, succeed and excel in a varied and balanced yet ambitious curriculum of physical activity from EYFS to KS5. It provides the opportunity for pupils to develop their physical ability, alongside their mental well-being, and raise the awareness of how exercise can contribute to their health. It develops their knowledge to physically select and apply a range of basic movement components, building on these, to apply in response to changing stimuli and environments, revisiting, revising and remembering throughout their education. Our journey towards becoming a ‘Thinking School’, will develop our pupil's independent thought, problem solving, teamwork and communication skills.

CONTENT

Pupils are taught in 30-minute sessions and receive 1 hour a week of physical Education and 30 minutes of daily physical activity. Some classes also access soft-play and hydrotherapy. Conductive education classes follow a daily motor-learning programme. Many pupils also complete daily Occupational Therapy (physical) programmes.

In the EYFS provision, pupils follow a programme of daily outdoor learning, providing opportunities for movement activity and basic fundamental movement skills. Pupils have a bespoke curriculum set out in their individualised MTPs that plan objectives in all learning strands that builds upon their unique starting points, and follows the sequential developmental pathways set out in Development Matters (the non-statutory curriculum guidance for EYFS).
In the primary provision, pupils cover a variety of units of work that start to transfer the fundamental movement skills, into simple invasion, net and target games. They also transfer some of these components as they are introduced to gymnastics, dance, swimming, SAQ (speed, agility, quickness) skills and athletics movement patterns
In the secondary and post 16 provision, students have the opportunity to develop and refine their components studied in the primary provision, in addition to a specific health related fitness unit of work
All pupils/students have opportunities for Outdoor and Adventurous Activity within classes and have the opportunity to attend a residential during their time in school.

Across the curriculum we also aim to:

Improve pupil’s/student’s observational opportunities through peer and self-assessment across the curriculum
Promote good personal hygiene habits and awareness of safety during physical activity
Learn to Lead opportunities for some pupils to train to be activity leaders. These pupils promote ‘active-play’ on lunchtimes.
Liaise with county wide sports clubs to promote activities out of school.
Participate in the County Projectability competitions, the County School Games programmes of competition and enter County and Derwentside festivals and visit local schools to participate in inter-school fixtures and friendly sports events.
Opportunities for literacy are frequently taught and embedded, using speaking, listening and recognition of symbols, which are reinforced and revised regularly.
Numeracy is taught, reinforced and embedded using opportunities to quantify repetitions of actions.

The curriculum has been reviewed post-covid and as a school, PE priority for the first two terms, will be ‘Health Based Physical Education’. This allows increased opportunities for pupils to regain movement opportunities and increase their health and fitness. This will be reviewed again towards the summer term.

PEDAGOGY

Physical Education is a practical based subject, delivered in open spaces, indoors and outdoors, allowing pupils to explore their spatial awareness. They work at their own pace, at a level suitable to each pupil. Main methods of delivery are kinaesthetic with visual and auditory prompts, to support learning and progression in a safe and controlled environment.

Physical Education also encourages pupils to work together cohesively, appreciating the differences of success in their own performances and that of their peers.

The curriculum is sequentially mapped to develop knowledge, components and understanding, however in rare cases some complex pupils including those with degenerative conditions, may have planning which aims to sustain.

ASSESSMENT

Assessment at Villa Real School is continuous and of the whole REAL curriculum. Assessment is during and after learning and to ensure and assure progress for all. Assessment starts at each child’s unique starting point. Our assessment schedule focuses on moving our pupils/students onto the next stage of their learning and moving between key stages and pathways; and for an active life beyond school.

Progress is captured through impact reports, Earwig documentation, lesson observations and development of physical Occupational Therapy plans. From September 2020 the Engagement Model's introduction became statutory for all students / pupils working below the Pre-Key Stage Standards.

EVALUATION

Villa Real ensures that Physical Education is reviewed and evaluated regularly.