Physical Education at Hillside
Vision:
Physical Education at Hillside Primary inspires learners to realise their potential and develop a lifelong interest in participating in physical activity and sport, whatever their ability in P.E.
Subject Leader
I am Mr Bell, P.E subject leader here at Hillside Primary School. I have the important role of monitoring and developing the teaching and learning of P.E. in order for the pupils at our school to make the best possible progress. I am also responsible for auditing resources and CPD requirements to ensure that our resources and training are as up to date as possible.
As part of my role as P.E subject leader, I recognise the importance of promoting and developing a healthy lifestyle and therefore aim to provide a high-quality,
broad, rich and engaging curriculum through offering a variety of activities to enhance all skills.
I strive to inspire children to challenge themselves personally and academically through a cross-curricular delivery of physical education. Alongside lessons, we provide frequent opportunities for children across the school to participate in competitions and events, building their resilience and actively embedding our Core Values. There are also a variety of after school sports clubs run by both staff and external coaches for the children to attend.
To keep abreast of current updates and initiatives, I attend regular network meetings with local School P.E. leaders. These meetings enable me to access resources, CPD, specific coaches and also to coordinate Level 2 and Level 3 games opportunities for our pupils. We have a very successful track record in achieving the Gold Level School Games Award in recognition of our achievements in P.E. and Sports.
To ensure that these standards are kept consistently high, I monitor the teaching and Learning on a termly basis, giving feedback where necessary. I complete pupil interviews and monitor the termly assessments that are uploaded onto our school’s assessment system. 
Curriculum
The children in the EYFS are taught using the EYFS Curriculum. This covers a range of skills including dance, ball skills, climbing over, under and through equipment, jumping and moving confidently in a range of large and small movements. The children in the EYFS are also taught to understand how to live a fit and healthy life.
Key Stage 1 and 2 follow the National Curriculum whose aims are to ensure that all pupils:
- develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities
- are physically active for sustained periods of time
- engage in competitive sports and activities
- lead healthy, active lives.
Pupils in Key Stage 1 are taught to
- master basic movements including running, jumping, throwing and catching, as well as developing balance, agility and co-ordination, and begin to apply these in a range of activities
- participate in team games, developing simple tactics for attacking and defending
- perform dances using simple movement patterns.
Pupils in Key Stage 2 are taught to 
- use running, jumping, throwing and catching in isolation and in combination
- play competitive games, modified where appropriate [for example, badminton, basketball, cricket, football, hockey, netball, rounders and tennis], and apply basic principles suitable for attacking and defending
- develop flexibility, strength, technique, control and balance [for example, through athletics and gymnastics]
- perform dances using a range of movement patterns
- take part in outdoor and adventurous activity challenges both individually and within a team
- compare their performances with previous ones and demonstrate improvement to achieve their personal best. E.g. indoor rowing.
At Hillside Y2-Y5 attend swimming lessons throughout the year where they are taught to
- swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres
- use a range of strokes effectively [for example, front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke]
- perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations.
Hillside Primary School Y6 Swimming Data 2023-2024
- Number of children in cohort 32
- Number of children who can swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of 25 metres (31) 97%
- Number of children who can use a range of strokes effectively (30) 95 %
- Number of children who can perform safe self-rescue in different water based situations (30) 95%
Curriculum Design
Our P.E. curriculum is inclusive and ensures that pupils of all abilities access the range of activities that we offer and that they are physically active for sustained periods of time in order to encourage them to lead healthy, active lives. In the EYFS and Key Stage 1, Children develop the fundamental movement skills (agility, balance and coordination) and take part in increasingly competitive situations, against themselves and others. They are taught a range of skills that include the Fundamentals, gymnastics and dance. In Key stage 2, pupils are taught to refine and build on previous taught skills through a range of games, dance, athletics and gymnastics.
In addition to this, specialist coaches enhance the teaching and learning of P.E. within the curriculum and provide extra-curricular activities.
At Hillside, we believe that regular participation in sport and physical activity helps to reduce the risk of heart failure, improve core physical fitness, help with weight management, promote good health, instil self-discipline, improve self-confidence, reduce stress and develop lifelong learning skills.
The contribution of Physical Education to teaching in other curriculum areas
English
At Hillside, everyone who takes part in sport at whatever level will use their literacy skills. Literacy in the curriculum is comprised of four aspects: Listening, Writing, Reading and Speaking. The most widely used skills in P.E. are listening and speaking. They are both crucial to teamwork and communication and therefore success in a sporting context. Reading and writing may be seen as not as important in Physical Education and sport. However, all four of these components can be covered in a team talk alone and for the pupils to be able to understand and correctly interpret the information been given can be the difference between success and failure. One example of when listening and writing skills could be used in a lesson is for the teacher to ask the pupils about the positions involved in that given sport (providing the sport has positions), this is done after the teacher has provided this information. The writing side of this task can be done on a whiteboard. Another example could be as small as communicating effectively with the pupils to making them write down and compare their athletics scores, as this combines both numeracy and literacy in one section of the lesson.
Mathematics
Mathematics and Physical Education have clear fundamental links that underpin these two areas of learning. Physical education at Hillside provides a range of opportunities for mathematical learning. One such example is when the children assist in the timetabling of sporting events, scoring of activities and comparisons of team results through the use of league tables (how many goals scored for and against; what is the total number of points scored?) as well as identifying trends and patterns in any of the data that has been collected. More complex examples would include using larger sporting events as a theme for statistical enquiry (such as intra/inter school competitions or experiencing complex problem solving in off-site activities and residential experiences. A physical education lesson focusing on children learning how to vary their throwing technique in order to hit different targets from varying distances. would help to develop the children’s understanding of space, angle, direction, length and measurement. Another way of introducing physical education into lessons would be by focusing on exploring the dynamics of balance. The children investigate using different bases of support to see what provides them with more balance or less stability.
Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE)
PSHE is an integral part of everything that we do in order to ensure our children understand themselves physically, emotionally and socially. By providing an environment supportive to emotional health and well-being, Hillside aims to support our pupils to be motivated and equipped to be effective and successful learners, make and sustain friendships, deal with and resolve conflict effectively and fairly and solve problems with others or by themselves. They will also manage strong feelings such as frustration, anger and anxiety, be able to promote calm and optimistic states that promote the achievement of goals. They will be able to recover from setbacks and persist in the face of difficulties, work and play cooperatively, compete fairly and win and lose with dignity and respect for competitors.
SMSC
Spiritual education at Hillside involves pupils developing a variety of skills, e.g. performing a sequence in gymnastics, which allows the pupils to express their feelings and emotions as well as be amazed by what their bodies can achieve. Moral education in PE concerns pupils having the opportunity to understand how PE can influence their healthy living and lifestyle. PE highlights the advantages of health and lifestyle through team sports and health related fitness. Pupils are also able to understand the rules of activities and the reasons why they need to abide by them and understand what fair play is.
Social education involves pupils having the opportunity to work as a team, as well as reflect on feelings of determination and enjoyment. Pupils are given the role of a coach or leader to develop their social skills in co-operation, communication, commitment, loyalty and team work.
Cultural education in PE means pupils are given the opportunity to learn games and dances from different traditions, including their own as well being able to appreciate the differences between male and female roles within sport.
Computing 
Computing can be used to enhance the learning experiences of students. In particular, video analysis of performance has always been a recognised part of ICT use in PE. This technique allows pupils to see themselves performing and in this way, they can identify the key components and areas for improvement. Computing can also be used as a teaching tool, demonstrating particular skills in a lesson.
Geography
Geography is an area that links well with Physical Education and key geographical skills can be developed through the use of Physical activities. Many P.E lessons begin with warm-ups that involve the use of directional language and this can be further enhanced with map-reading games leading up to a more structured orienteering session outside in the school grounds. Key Geographical language can be reinforced and linked to ongoing Geography lessons.
Art and D.T.
Art and physical education are usually thought of as separate subjects, but integrating them can be of much benefit to children. Designing and then making an obstacle course is an excellent way of combining the two areas. The pupils will then have the opportunity to try out the course and adapt their designs where necessary. Another example of combining the two subjects would to show the children a piece of artwork and encourage them to replicate it using their bodies. This could then be developed into a set of movements leading up to a dance.
Growth Mindset
At Hillside Primary School, we know that pupils who have a positive attitude towards their learning will make good progress and be successful. Consequently, instilling all our pupils with 'Growth Mindsets' is a key priority for the school and is embedded in our teaching and learning in PE as well as across the other subjects.
We want all our pupils to relish challenges, embrace their mistakes as part of the learning process, value the importance of effort, respond carefully to feedback and take inspiration from others. This will help them to achieve, not only with us, but also in their future lives as adults. 
Careers
There are many career opportunities that follow the Physical Education pathway and at Hillside we aim to provide the children with as many experiences to enable them to pursue these interests. Career options include fitness trainers, sports coaches, recreation workers, physical education instructors, physical therapists, sports medicine, human kinetics, sports nutritionists, and even sport psychologists.
P.E Enrichment
We place great importance at Hillside on competition and sporting experiences in P.E. These experiences help the children to develop their skills and knowledge in different sporting areas, as well as enhancing their competitive spirit. Throughout the year pupils have the opportunity to take part in a variety of activities such as Multi-skills festivals, Netball, Rowing and Tri Golf competitions, a Football League, a Paralympic event, Orienteering and an annual Athletics event.
Leadership
Each year, there is the opportunity to take on leadership roles as a Playground or Sports leader. The children take great pride in these roles and contribute greatly to the positive ethos at Hillside, where the pupils build character and embed values such as fairness, teamwork and respect.
Pupil Voice
At Hillside, we place great emphasis on the views of our pupils, not only to ensure the understanding and progression but also to review the curriculum and make adaptations where necessary. 
Here is a selection of Pupil voice collected in the Summer Term.
Reception child – ‘We’ve been doing gymnastics. I can balance and then jump off.’
Year 2 child – ‘I really like PE. We learn all about keeping fit and I’ve been practising my throwing skills.
Year 4 child – ‘This term we’ve been learning how to pay Tri-Golf. I’ve never done it before but it was really good. We went to another school for a competition.’
Year 6 child – ‘This term, we have been doing rowing. We did it in year 5 as well but I think my rowing skills have really improved this year.’
After School Clubs
Our school offers a range of after school clubs, accessed by children from the EYFS, Key Stages 1 and 2. Each year we provide clubs for Football, Taekwondo, Street Dance, Multi-skills, Multi-sports, Indoor Rowing and Change4Life. Specialist coaches are used to prepare children for tournaments and performances, offering specific training to support ‘Team Hillside’. 
Assessment for learning
Children demonstrate their ability in Physical Education in a variety of different ways and the staff at hillside are experienced in using a number of methods to assess a child’s ability. The units in P.E. are generally taught on a half-term basis. Staff carry out initial assessments at the beginning and end of each unit as well as using ongoing observations, in order to track the children’s progress.