Kevin Holland, Head of Child Journey at Premier Education, believes that PE provides opportunities that far outweigh the boundaries of traditional sports. Here, he shares his tips for maximising the PE provision within your school:-

There is no better time to inspire a life-long love of movement in our children.

The pandemic threatens to render an entire generation physically unmotivated with currently less than 1 in 5 children meeting the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity per day (as recommended by Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Chris Whitty).

Schools have a key part to play in inspiring children to be active and healthy. This not only improves their physical and mental health but creates an opportunity for them to develop positive habits and a desire to lead an active life.

Thanks to the PE National Curriculum, there are a number of opportunities to enhance children’s understanding across sports, physical fitness and teamwork, all of which can underpin improved mental health and a sense of wellness.

But aside from this, how else can schools deliver the most impactful, engaging and enjoyable PE experience for its pupils?

1. Evaluate

Too often sports are replicated year after year with limited impact to children’s learning. After ensuring that the PE National Curriculum has been covered it’s vital to make sure there is a clear sequencing of skill development through the year groups and key stages. Consider what a child develops at each stage within PE (there’s much more than just skill development and competition!) Redesign the curriculum map to add breath and experience to the children’s journey.

2. Pupil voice

It’s well known within education that engaging with stakeholders is vital. Yet sometimes the KEY stakeholder is left out – the pupils. Give children the opportunity to share their thoughts on the Physical Education curriculum you offer. What do they enjoy taking part in or learning about? What would be their ‘even better ifs’? This is a great way to sharpen the offering.

3. Whole school improvement

The range of learning that comes from physical activity is broad and can positively impact many aspects of the school. The PE curriculum offer is so much more than just sport, activity and competition, so what else could be impacted?

• Behaviour, attendance and engagement strategies
• Co-curricular opportunities within themes, projects or sequences of learning
• Targeted groups of children that benefit from active learning
• Language for learning being embedded so that learning in PE doesn’t stop when pupils leave the field or sports hall

4. Branch out

There is no doubt that a wide range of experiences is key to a successful PE offering. Why not extend opportunities out into the community and partner with a local sports club, national organisation or invite guest speakers to assemblies? These create diversity and guarantee a memorable learning activity for your students.

5. WHY?

All pupils should have an understanding of why their PE offering is important. Some schools want children to experience a feeling of success or accomplishment. Others encourage the independence that goes with children challenging themselves and developing an understanding of how they learn. It might be that creativity is key – do you encourage children to explore, try and feel safe in the process? Or is it all about generating excitement for your pupils? Whatever your standpoint, communicate the passion and motivation behind your own approach and you can’t help but inspire the children to fulfil their own potential.

We understand that there are only so many hours in a day, and that building high-quality PE provision can be a challenging process. We’ve helped thousands of schools overcome this challenge and enhance their curriculum. Find out more about our curricular offer and see how your school can inspire life-long love of movement.