Physical Education
PE is delivered once a week for all year groups at Thornhill Primary. Please take a look at our long term overview to get a better idea of what your child will be doing in their lessons.
Physical Education at Thornhill Primary School
Intent
Our school aims to broaden the sports offered to children while enhancing the subject knowledge
and skills of staff to deliver high-quality PE lessons. We seek to upskill staff and boost their
confidence in teaching PE. This requires offering planning and subject knowledge support, as well as
modelled lessons and practices. By achieving this, children will receive quality teaching in various
sports, enjoy a progressive curriculum with opportunities to practice skills in different sports or
activities, and understand various roles such as participation, coaching, leadership, and officiating.
Our goal is to encourage children to enjoy being active, participate in varied activities, and adopt a
healthy, active lifestyle. By offering diverse sports, we aim to broaden children’s opportunities and
support those with lower self-esteem in the subject. Some topics are linked to subject books or class
topics to enhance exposure, but the progression of skill and knowledge remains the key focus.
Implementation
To implement these ideas, staff and pupils shared their views and thoughts on the subject. Feedback
indicated a need for a more supportive curriculum overview, complemented by planning resources
to support staff knowledge and confidence. We introduced PPP PE planning, which offers supportive
resources such as knowledge organisers, skill demonstration videos, specific lesson resources, and
assessment wheels. Staff training sessions were conducted to facilitate the uptake of these planning
resources. Additionally, our collaboration with Future Games has been instrumental. Future Games
staff provide model practices, regular service review meetings, and support for monitoring and
assessing their role within our school and curriculum. They work from our PPP PE planning,
collaborating with teachers and TAs to enhance lesson inputs and teaching quality. Our current
apprentice has provided support across various classes, enhancing teaching and learning for both
teachers and students. TA training sessions have also been conducted to support the development
of an active playground during lunchtime.
Impact
The impact of the PPP PE planning has been significant. Teachers are now more confident in
delivering PE lessons, and there is a clear progression of skills mapped out for all children. The
resources provided offer guidance on adapting and extending lessons, leading to a broader
curriculum coverage. Pupil Voice Surveys, staff questionnaires, and training sessions evidence the
success of PPP PE planning within the school. Working with Future Games and our PE Apprentice has
further enhanced opportunities for an active playground at lunchtimes and facilitated competitions
based on children’s preferences. Teachers have gained additional support within lessons, benefiting
from examples of good practice and activity adaptations provided by our confident apprentice. This
positive impact on staff is corroborated by staff questionnaires and feedback notes from teachers
who have worked with the apprentice.