Physical Education 
Our Vision for Physical Education
Our Vision for PE at St Matthew’s is to enable all children, from Reception to Year 6, to develop their physical literacy by giving them the tools and understanding required to make a positive impact on their own physical health and well-being, through the enjoyment of a broad range of sports and physical activities.
Our PE Curriculum
At St Matthew’s C of E we are very proud of our provision of the PE curriculum and continue to strive daily to ensure that all teachers are equipped with the secure subject knowledge required to deliver modern, high-quality teaching and learning opportunities for all areas of the PE National Curriculum. All lessons are planned alongside subject-specific progression maps to ensure that children are given the opportunity to practise existing skills, and also build on these to develop new or more advanced skills.
We have organised specialised coaching in many sports such as hockey, tennis, cricket, swimming and DD-Mix. We are fortunate to have an incredible outdoor area, which includes a large playing field, MUGA and multiple outdoor playgrounds as well as a large hall where different PE lessons can take place at different times. St Matthew’s is an accredited OPAL play School, which encourages children to be active, giving them opportunities and equipment to increase their physical and mental development(during their playtimes.
EYFS
In Early years, PE is broken down into two strands:
- Gross Motor Skills
Children at the expected level of development will:
-negotiate space and obstacles safely, with consideration for themselves and others
-demonstrate strength, balance and coordination when playing
-move energetically, such as running, jumping, dancing, hopping, skipping and climbing
- Fine Motor Skills
Children at the expected level of development will:
-hold a pencil effectively in preparation for fluent writing – using the tripod grip in almost all cases
-use a range if small tools, including scissors, paint brushes and cutlery
-begin to show accuracy and care when drawing
KS1
Pupils 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 are able to engage in competitive (both against self and against others) and co-operative physical activities, in a range of increasingly challenging situations.
Through the sports of cricket, games (outdoor, invasion and team), gymnastics, football and athletics pupils at St Matthew’s are 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.
KS2
Pupils 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 enjoy communicating, collaborating and competing with each other. They develop an understanding of how to improve in different physical activities and sports and learn how to evaluate and recognise their own success.
At St Matthew’s, the pupils are fortunate to enjoy the following sports: hockey, cricket, netball, tennis, athletics, tag rugby, squash, rounders, basketball, gymnastics, dance, many of which are delivered by professional coaches.
Pupils are taught to:
- use running, jumping, throwing and catching in isolation and in combination
- play competitive games, modified where appropriate and apply basic principles suitable for attacking and defending
- develop flexibility, strength, technique, control and balance
- 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.
In years 4 and 5, the pupils at St Matthew’s take part in swimming lessons where they are taught to:
- swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres
- use a range of strokes effectively [for example, front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke]
- perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations
