At Hethersett VC Primary School, we believe in a curriculum that is broad, balanced and valued across all subjects. Our Physical Education curriculum inspires children to lead active, healthy and fulfilling lives. We want every child to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to enjoy physical activity, participate successfully in sport and understand the importance of health and wellbeing.

We value Physical Education because it promotes not only physical development but also confidence, resilience, teamwork, leadership and self-belief. Through high-quality teaching and a wide range of sporting experiences, we aim to foster a lifelong love of physical activity and healthy living. 

Our curriculum is designed to:

• Recognise prior learning, provide first-hand experiences and build resilience
• Develop teamwork, leadership and communication skills
• Promote purposeful learning, enjoyable experiences and coherent progression
• Encourage healthy lifestyles and a lifelong engagement with physical activity

We use the Primary PE Planning (PPP) curriculum to deliver engaging, progressive and inclusive lessons. The curriculum provides a carefully sequenced learning journey from Early Years through to Key Stage 2, ensuring all pupils develop the fundamental movement skills, physical literacy and sporting knowledge needed to succeed. 

Every child is seen as unique, valued and celebrated within our school community. We believe that PE and sport are for everyone and strive to ensure that all children can experience success, challenge themselves and achieve their personal best. 

Our Christian values of wisdom, responsibility, compassion, truthfulness and friendship support children in becoming respectful competitors, supportive teammates and responsible members of the school community.

Our Curriculum Approach

PE is taught as a discrete subject through the PPP curriculum, ensuring children develop secure physical skills, knowledge and understanding. Where appropriate, teachers draw attention to meaningful links with the wider curriculum theme, helping pupils make connections across their learning whilst maintaining the integrity of the subject.

Intent

At Hethersett VC Primary School, our aim is to inspire every child to be passionate about Physical Education and Sport. We believe that PE and sport are for everyone, and we aim to give all children a love of physical activity and healthy lifestyles that continues throughout their lives. 

Through our PE curriculum, pupils:

• Develop competence and confidence in a wide range of physical activities
• Build physical literacy and fundamental movement skills
• Improve strength, coordination, balance and agility
• Learn the value of teamwork, leadership and sportsmanship
• Develop resilience, perseverance and determination
• Understand the importance of physical activity for physical and mental wellbeing
• Learn to evaluate and improve their own performance

Our curriculum is built around the principles of:

Inspire. Develop. Challenge. We want children to enjoy success, embrace challenge and develop the confidence to participate in physical activity both inside and outside school.

Implementation

Physical Education is taught through the structured and progressive PPP curriculum, which provides clear progression in skills, knowledge and understanding from Early Years to Year 6. The curriculum is designed to ensure consistency, inclusion and high-quality delivery across the school.

Lessons provide:

• Clear learning intentions and success criteria
• Structured progression of skills
• Opportunities for challenge and mastery
• Adaptations to support all learners
• Self-assessment and peer-assessment opportunities
• Development of decision-making and performance analysis skills 

To further enhance the quality and breadth of provision, pupils receive one hour of PE teaching each week from specialist coaches through Premier Education. These sessions complement the school's PE curriculum, providing expert instruction, high-quality modelling and additional opportunities for pupils to develop physical competence, confidence and enjoyment in a wide range of activities.

Pupils participate in a broad and balanced range of activities, including:

• Games and sports
• Gymnastics
• Dance
• Athletics
• Outdoor and adventurous activities
• Fitness activities

The curriculum places strong emphasis on inclusion and provides visual support resources and adaptations to ensure all children can participate successfully. Additional resources support pupils with SEND, including sensory activities, sensory circuits and autism-friendly approaches to PE. 

Leadership is an important aspect of our curriculum. Pupils are encouraged to develop leadership skills through opportunities such as acting as mini-coaches and sports leaders, helping them build confidence, responsibility and communication skills. 

We also provide:

• Swimming lessons from Year 3, helping pupils develop water confidence, water safety knowledge and the skills required to meet the National Curriculum expectation of swimming at least 25 metres by the end of Year 6.
• Cross-curricular links with PSHE and Science, enabling children to understand the importance of healthy lifestyles, nutrition, physical wellbeing and the positive impact of exercise on both physical and mental health.
• Extra-curricular clubs and sporting opportunities, encouraging participation, enjoyment and the development of skills beyond the taught curriculum.
• Opportunities to participate in competitions, festivals and sporting events.
• Active play and leadership opportunities throughout the school day.

Physical Education also supports learning across the wider curriculum through links with mathematics, science, geography, history and personal development. 

Impact

The impact of our PE curriculum is seen in pupils who are active, enthusiastic and confident participants in physical activity.

Assessment is embedded throughout lessons through observation, teacher feedback and self-assessment opportunities. PPP's assessment framework enables children and teachers to evaluate progress against clear success criteria and identify next steps for improvement. 

By the time they leave Hethersett VC Primary School, pupils will:

• Have developed secure fundamental movement skills and physical literacy
• Participate confidently in a wide range of sports and physical activities
• Understand the importance of leading an active and healthy lifestyle
• Demonstrate resilience, determination and a positive attitude towards challenge
• Show respect, teamwork and sportsmanship when working with others
• Evaluate and improve their own performance
• Take on leadership responsibilities with confidence
• Swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres
• Be equipped with the skills and motivation to remain physically active throughout their lives

Throughout their time at Hethersett, children experience high-quality PE, competitive sport, swimming, leadership opportunities and enriching physical activities that help them develop confidence, character and a lifelong love of being active. Through curriculum lessons, specialist coaching from Premier Education, swimming provision, sporting competitions and extra-curricular activities, pupils are encouraged to challenge themselves, work collaboratively and develop positive attitudes towards sport, health and wellbeing.

Our aim is that every child leaves Hethersett inspired, developed and challenged through Physical Education, equipped with the knowledge, skills and motivation to lead active, healthy and successful lives.