Intent

At South Ascot Village Primary School, Physical Education (PE) plays a vital role in every child’s physical, social and emotional development. Our vision is to inspire a lifelong love of physical activity by providing a broad, inclusive and engaging PE curriculum. We aim for every child to feel successful in PE, developing confidence, competence and enjoyment in sport, while strengthening teamwork, leadership skills and understanding the importance of leading a healthy, active lifestyle.

Pupils are taught to recognise the importance of health and fitness and how regular physical activity contributes to both physical and mental wellbeing. We intend for all pupils to develop a clear understanding of how and why we warm up in preparation for physical activity, as well as the effects of exercise on their bodies, including changes in heart rate and breathing.

Through carefully sequenced learning, children gain knowledge and experience across a wide range of activities, including invasion games, net and wall games, gymnastics, dance, athletics, swimming and outdoor adventurous activities (OAA). We intend to teach focused skills early in Key Stage 1 and then develop these progressively throughout a pupil’s PE journey from Year 1 to Year 6, with a gradual build-up of skills and competencies, culminating in strategic gameplay, understanding of rules and being able to officiate and coach.

Implementation

At South Ascot Village Primary School, our PE curriculum is implemented through a structured, consistent, and progressive programme of study that ensures every child receives high-quality physical education each week. All pupils take part in two one-hour lessons: one delivered by their class teacher and one taught by a specialist PE teacher, providing continuity, expertise, and depth across the whole school. This model ensures that all pupils experience a varied, challenging, and inclusive curriculum from Reception class through to Year 6. A suitable balance is achieved between indoor and outdoor activities, as well as between individual and team activities.

The curriculum is organised into half-termly units, with every year group studying the same sport or activity each term. This whole-school approach allows us to deliver clear progression in skills, from fundamental movement in Key Stage 1 to more complex techniques, tactics, and strategic gameplay in Upper Key Stage 2. PE lessons are planned using the same progression framework, ensuring alignment, consistency, and increasingly demanding expectations as pupils move through the school.

PE lessons focus on the development of physical skills, confidence, teamwork, problem-solving, and resilience. In Key Stage 1, children build foundations in PE by improving their agility, balance and coordination.   Development in basic ball-handling, and simple movement patterns in all games (invasion, net and striking), dance, gymnastics, swimming and athletics, supported by fun, engaging activities that nurture enjoyment and success. In Key Stage 2, pupils refine technical skills and begin to apply tactical knowledge in a range of sports, including football, netball, tag rugby, badminton, hockey, gymnastics, dance, athletics, swimming, and outdoor and adventurous activities (OAA).  By Year 6 pupils will be playing recognised competitive versions of the sports, be able to understand tactics, officiate and coach.   Weekly access to Forest School sessions for all pupils strengthens the OAA strand through climbing, exploring, putting up shelters, navigation, teamwork, and problem-solving in our spectacular woodland environment.

Swimming is delivered twice a week to every pupil in the school during the summer term. All pupils have access to our very own open-air pool, where they are taught by an experienced, qualified swimming teacher. This expertise helps our pupils gain essential water-confidence skills and swim competently using a range of strokes.

In addition, our pupils have opportunities to attend fixtures, festivals, and masterclasses throughout the year, showcasing their talents and competing against local schools. We plan our PE curriculum to align with these events and participate in as many as possible to enrich the curriculum, giving pupils multiple opportunities to apply their knowledge in different and sometimes professional settings.

All pupils can apply their athletic skills in our fully inclusive Sports Day. This well-known, annual event, held on our extensive playing field, tests pupils’ reaction time, speed, agility, coordination, teamwork, and sense of togetherness.

Inclusion is at the centre of our implementation. Pupils from The Canopy participate fully in mainstream PE lessons with their peers, supported with appropriate adaptations and modelling so that they develop confidence, skills, and enjoyment. All lessons incorporate opportunities for self-assessment, peer feedback, and reflection, encouraging pupils to take ownership of their learning and recognise their progress.

Impact

At South Ascot Village Primary School, our Physical Education curriculum has a lasting impact on our pupils’ physical, social, and emotional development. Through a carefully planned, progressive programme, every child gains confidence, resilience, and essential skills that extend beyond the classroom.

By participating in a wide range of sports, games, and activities, our pupils develop agility, coordination, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities. They experience success in both individual and team challenges, fostering a sense of achievement and a lifelong love of physical activity. Our specialist PE provision, combined with high-quality teaching in every class, ensures that children refine their techniques, understand tactics, and learn to apply their skills in real-life situations, from competitive, extra-curricular fixtures to Sports Day.

Outdoor Adventurous Activities within our Forest School sessions, provide opportunities to explore, take risks safely, and develop independence, while our swimming programme equips every pupil with essential water confidence and competence. Inclusion is central to our approach, enabling all children, including those from The Canopy, to participate fully and achieve their personal best in all areas of our PE curriculum.

The impact of our PE curriculum is evident in the excitement, enjoyment, determination, and teamwork shown by pupils across the school. They leave South Ascot Village Primary School not only physically capable but also confident, resilient, and ready to embrace challenges, building the foundations for healthy, active lifestyles now and in the future.