As St Nic’s Athletes we are determined, we embrace challenge, and we lead by example.
At St Nicholas C of E Primary School, we believe that Physical Education plays a vital role in developing the whole child. Through high-quality PE, children build confidence, resilience, teamwork and leadership alongside the physical skills they need to lead active, healthy lives.
Our PE philosophy is to develop the whole child through essential learning skills, ensuring that every pupil reaches their full potential while fostering a lifelong commitment to health and wellbeing. We encourage all children to be determined in their learning, embrace challenge with confidence and lead by example both on and off the field.
Our PE curriculum is designed to develop a strong relationship between fundamental movement skills and specialised sporting skills. Children first master the essential building blocks of movement, such as running, jumping, throwing, catching, balancing and coordination, before applying and refining these skills across a wide range of sports and physical activities.
We place equal importance on developing positive learning behaviours and sporting values. Through PE, children learn to persevere, collaborate, communicate effectively, show respect and demonstrate leadership. These qualities support their personal, social, cognitive and creative development and help them succeed beyond the PE lesson.
Across their journey through St Nic’s, children take part in a carefully sequenced range of physical and fitness modules. Each year builds upon previously acquired knowledge and skills, enabling pupils to make sustained progress and grow in confidence as athletes.
What PE looks like at St Nics
Our children experience a broad and balanced PE curriculum that includes:
- Fundamental movement skills
- Games and team sports
- Gymnastics
- Dance
- Athletics
- Outdoor and adventurous activities
- Fitness and personal health
- Leadership and teamwork opportunities
- Competitive and non-competitive sporting experiences
Through these experiences, children learn how to improve their physical performance, work effectively with others and appreciate the benefits of regular physical activity.
Promoting active lifestyles:
We want every child to leave St Nic’s with the knowledge, skills and motivation to enjoy being active throughout their lives. Whether participating in competitive sport, enjoying recreational activities or simply making healthy choices, we aim to inspire pupils to develop positive habits that support both their physical and mental wellbeing.
Our commitment to physical activity extends beyond PE lessons through our OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) approach. OPAL provides children with daily opportunities to be active, take risks, solve problems, work collaboratively and apply the movement skills developed in PE in a purposeful and enjoyable environment. By combining high-quality PE with active play experiences, we help children develop confidence, independence and a lifelong enjoyment of movement.
By providing exciting opportunities to participate, achieve and succeed, we help our children to become confident, resilient and healthy individuals who embody our school vision to Aim High, Be Courageous and Show Love.
EYFS and Physical Development:
In Reception, physical development is a key area of learning within the EYFS Framework. Through PE lessons, outdoor learning and active play, children develop their coordination, balance, strength and confidence.
At St Nic’s, children learn to run, jump, climb, balance, throw and catch through a range of engaging activities. Our PE provision is enhanced through our OPAL approach, giving children daily opportunities to be active, explore, take risks and apply their movement skills through play.
By the end of Reception, we aim for children to achieve the EYFS Early Learning Goals by demonstrating strength, balance and coordination, moving confidently and energetically, and developing positive habits that support a healthy and active lifestyle.
As St Nic’s Athletes, our youngest learners are encouraged to be determined, embrace challenge and lead by example from the very start of their school journey.
The National Curriculum for Physical Education:
Key Stage 1:
Pupils should develop fundamental movement skills, become increasingly competent and confident and access a broad range of opportunities to extend their agility, balance and coordination, individually and with others. They should be able to engage in competitive (both against self and against others) and co-operative physical activities, in a range of increasingly challenging situations. Pupils should be 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.
Key Stage 2:
Pupils should continue to apply and develop a broader range of skills, learning how to use them in different ways and to link them to make actions and sequences of movement. They should enjoy communicating, collaborating and competing with each other. They should develop an understanding of how to improve in different physical activities and sports and learn how to evaluate and recognise their own success. Pupils should be 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
