“Intelligence and skill can only function at the peak of their capacity when the body is healthy and strong.”

John F. Kennedy

Intent

At Lordswood School, our PE Curriculum aims to inspire all our children towards a lifelong interest in physical exercise and healthy living, whether that be individually or as part of a team. Our fantastic indoor and outdoor environments allow the children to excel in a wide-ranging set of activities that promote and develop the physical, social, cognitive, health and wellbeing side of their education. Our cross-curricular curriculum allows subjects like PSHE, Science, Maths and English among others to teach the children how important this subject, their health, social skills and decision making can be now and later in life.

Our PE Curriculum focuses on developing the whole child. From Reception up to Year 6, the children of Lordswood School will engage in an exciting curriculum that focus on initial early development and fundamental motor skills before developing into skills-based learning, competition and leadership. Our children are consistently encouraged to work individually and as part of a team to develop their decision making, critical thinking and all-round capabilities. A forward thinking, positive attitude based on respecting peers, perseverance, honesty and teamwork are the key values that we look for within our children and our lessons. All values that are fundamentally important throughout life in and out of school.

Our intent is that all our teachers, through team-teaching are equipped to assist with the planning and delivery of our curriculum that ensures our subject is taught to the highest quality, providing lessons that are engaging, positive and inclusive for all. Teachers take pride in ensuring that they learn about each child’s interests and health-related experiences through conversation and assessment so that lessons can be structured and differentiated to allow everybody to have the opportunity to reach their full potential no matter what their background. These conversations, as well as CPD that takes place, informs our curriculum, through planning and delivery, and extra-curricular activities that continue to show the value of having a lifelong interest in healthy living and exercise. Through these activities, our keen interest in giving the children opportunities to watch live elite sporting events, local competitions, our annual proud tradition of the Griffin Sports Festival and Healthy Living Week, our children are able to broaden their wide horizons and reach their potential to earn high achievement whilst also engaging positively with local sports’ coaches and organisations. This promotes a sense of belonging and builds positive relationship within our community.

Our aim is for children in Key Stage Two to take part in swimming to ensure that they fully understand how to stay safe in the water, and are able to meet the National Curriculum guidelines of swimming a minimum of 25m by the time they leave Primary School.

Implementation

At Lordswood School, dedicated Sports Leads monitor our curriculum through delivery, assessment and pupil voice. Our leads take part in regular CPD locally and nationally through our partnerships with Kent Sport, Greenacre School Sport Partnership and our own Griffin Schools Trust colleagues, so that our staff are up to date with the best practices and developments within Physical Education.

Through our partnership with the Youth Sport Trust and Complete PE, a curriculum map is established from Year R to Year 6 that covers a wide breadth and depth of learning that widens the horizons of our children and offers tracking and assessment opportunities.

Our focus on PESSPA (Physical Education, School Sport and Physical Activity) ensures that our subject is focused on whole child development. Physical me, social me, cognitive me and healthy me are four founding principles to every lesson within our curriculum that enables our children to play, develop, learn and understand creatively and critically towards a lifelong interest in health and exercise. All children are encouraged to understand and be aware of each of these four aspects and can assess themselves before, during and after each lesson to ensure that they have been successful and are able to reflect through metacognition on what they have worked on to know where they have done well and what improvements they need to make in the future to continue to progress in their learning.

Lordswood School has an excellent extra-curricular programme that ensures children of all backgrounds, abilities and lifestyles are able to participate. Our inclusive programme promotes curiosity, competitive games and social development that allows every child the chance to fulfil potential known and unknown in a variety of experiences that widen the horizons of our children. The Griffin Sports Festival is one of many events that our children take part in against fellow Griffins. Influential guest speakers from Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth backgrounds enhance the exposure of high achievement and excitement. At Lordswood, we also hold special weeks such as Healthy living week, which encourages children to evaluate and change their lifestyles and participate in sporting activities that they are unlikely to experience outside of school such as Boxing. This creates positive links with local clubs as they support us in delivering these events. Opportunities of cross curricular activities is also evident as Science and PSHE lessons are included during this week through the topics of diet and healthy eating. We also invite and encourage parental support during these activities and Challenge 26 allows us to fundraise for worth while causes and engage the parents.

Through our Proud Traditions, High Achievement and Wide Horizons, we give all of our children the opportunity to be a Sports Leader during their time at Lordswood School. These leaders excel in planning and delivering breaktime and lunchtime activities for fellow Key Stage One and Two children to show that we are one big Lordswood family. Our Sports Ministry is also at the forefront when it comes to organising sporting events in school and promoting a healthy, active lifestyle for all members of our Lordswood community. These events have given our children the opportunity to have partnerships with a number of community clubs with Gillingham FC, Charlton Athletic FC, Kent County Cricket Club, Lordswood Leisure Centre, Saxons Orienteering, Olympia Boxing and Gillingham Gymnastics Club being just a few members of our always increasing pathway for our children to excel outside of the school environment.

Impact

The children of Lordswood School are proud to be a part of such a wide ranging, high quality provision that enhances and promotes a lifelong interest in a healthy, active lifestyle. Our key values of honesty, respect, perseverance and responsibility are values that our children take with them on their journey through Lordswood School and into their teenage years at secondary school, before embarking on adult life. Each and every child, leaves Lordswood School with a keen, positive mindset that Physical Education and a Healthy Lifestyle is a vitally important component to the life they are going to lead. This attitude and focus allow the children to enhance our school and outside community, whilst promoting and strengthening their own health and wellbeing.

Our inclusive curriculum enables ALL Lordswood School children to fulfil and maximise their potential, achieve their personal best and allow them to have the opportunity to demonstrate their excellence, passion and respect for PESSPA whilst building key leadership, communicative and personal skills to be used in any situation they will encounter within their lives. Our Sport and Health Ministry encourages pupil voice and enables the children the opportunity to share and raise ideas across all year groups and allows them to organise, lead and support key events such as House competitions and Sports day. Children leave school able to self-rescue and swim, an important life skill.

We are proud that 100% of our children have participated in an extra-curricular activity. Through our proud tradition of the Griffin Sports Festival, our children experience opportunities in traditional and non-traditional sports with a focus on Boccia, Curling, Orienteering, Archery and Sitting Volleyball just some of the wonderful activities we offer the children of Lordswood School. Our children represent Lordswood School with pride, resilience and respect against fellow GST schools and Medway schools achieving their personal best as an individual whilst succeeding as a team.

Lordswood receives many trophies and awards including “The Primary School Sports Award”, Youth Sports Trust Gold Award and consistently winning the Kent Orienteering Cup.