P.E. in St Mary's
Mission Statement
At St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, we are committed to delivering a Physical Education (PE) programme that is fully inclusive, supportive, and focused on the holistic development of every child.
Our guiding principle is that physical activity is vital for all-round development, enabling pupils to lead happy, healthy, and active lives.
We believe that every child matters and we ensure that all pupils—regardless of ability— have equitable opportunities to participate, develop confidence, and achieve personal success.
By fostering perseverance, teamwork, and resilience, we help children build positive associations with physical activity that they will carry into later life. These core values underpin all aspects of our PE provision and are referenced throughout our curriculum.
Activities are differentiated to ensure that pupils can participate, improve their skills, and experience success, fostering confidence and enjoyment in a supportive environment.
We emphasise gradual skill progression and acquisition, ensuring that all children feel comfortable to try new activities, take appropriate risks, and celebrate their achievements.
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P.E. Progression of Learning | [pdf 313KB] |
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The National Curriculum
The National Curriculum for Physical Education (PE) in England sets out the statutory requirements for PE across all key stages, ensuring that children have access to a broad and balanced programme of physical activity.
In the Early Years and Key Stage 1, the curriculum focuses on developing fundamental movement skills, including running, jumping, throwing, and catching, as well as agility, balance, and coordination. Children are encouraged to participate in team games and develop simple tactics for attacking and defending, which complements the Early Learning Goals by promoting physical competence, teamwork, and resilience.
As pupils progress through primary school, the national curriculum emphasises the importance of sustained physical activity, swimming proficiency, and opportunities to engage in a variety of sports and activities. This structured approach supports children in leading active, healthy lifestyles and builds the foundation for lifelong participation in sport and exercise. The curriculum also aims to instil values such as fairness, respect, and perseverance, aligning closely with the principles recognised by initiatives such as the School Games Mark and the wider objectives of the Early Years Foundation Stage.
Fundamental Motor Skills / Gross Motor Skills
Fundamental movement skills are the basic building blocks of physical development in young children. These include essential actions such as running, jumping, hopping, skipping, throwing, catching, and balancing.
Mastery of these skills lays the groundwork for more complex movements and enables children to participate confidently in a wide range of physical activities as they grow.
Developing fundamental movement skills not only supports physical health but also contributes to cognitive and social development. Through engaging in varied movement experiences, children improve their coordination, spatial awareness, and self-esteem, as well as learning to cooperate with others and persevere through challenges. Ensuring strong foundations in these skills is a key aim of our physical education approach at St Mary’s Catholic Primary School.
Gross motor skills are fundamental abilities that involve the use of large muscle groups to perform everyday activities such as walking, running, jumping, and climbing. These skills are essential for children’s overall physical development, enabling them to explore their environment, participate in active play, and engage fully in sporting and recreational activities. Developing gross motor skills not only enhances physical strength and coordination, but also supports social interaction, confidence, and emotional wellbeing.
At St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, we offer a variety of opportunities for children to practice and improve their gross motor skills through structured physical education lessons, outdoor play, and inclusive games. Our approach encourages children to move confidently, negotiate space safely, and work collaboratively with peers, laying a strong foundation for lifelong health and active living.
The “ABCs” and the multi-skill approach
Agility
Agility is the ability to move quickly and easily, changing direction with speed and control. It plays a crucial role in many physical activities, helping children to dodge, weave, and adapt their movements during games and sports.
We teach agility through tag games, dodgeball games and relay challenges, enabling children to develop swift reactions and flexible movement patterns. By enhancing agility, children not only improve their physical performance but also build confidence in their ability to respond to challenges dynamically and safely.
Balance
Balance is the ability to maintain control of the body’s position, whether still or moving, and is fundamental to virtually all physical activities. It helps children stay steady when standing, walking, hopping, or changing direction, and underpins movements such as climbing, skipping, and even sitting upright at a table.
We encourage the development of balance through a range of activities including balancing on beams, standing on one leg, and movement games that require shifting weight and adjusting posture.
By improving balance, children enhance their confidence, coordination, and readiness to participate safely and successfully in more complex physical challenges as they grow.
Coordination
Coordination involves the smooth and efficient movement of different parts of the body at the same time, allowing children to perform everyday tasks and participate in physical activities with confidence.
It requires the brain and muscles to work together, supporting actions such as catching a ball, skipping, or riding a bicycle.
We nurture coordination through a variety of games and exercises that challenge children to use their arms, legs, and eyes together, helping to build confidence and control in their movements.
Developing coordination not only enhances physical skills, but also supports learning in other areas, as children improve their focus, timing, and ability to follow instructions.
Speed
Speed refers to the ability to move quickly across the ground or to move limbs rapidly to accomplish a task. It is an important component of physical development, enabling children to react swiftly during games, races, or everyday movements.
We incorporate activities that encourage children to develop their speed, such as sprinting games, reaction & timed challenges, and rapid movement exercises.
Building speed not only enhances overall athletic performance but also supports confidence and enjoyment in taking part in a wide range of physical pursuits.
Core Strength
Core strength refers to the development of the muscles in the trunk and abdomen, which are essential for maintaining good posture, balance, and overall stability.
A strong core enables children to sit, stand, and move with control, supporting effective participation in all physical activities.
We integrate activities that build core strength into our PE curriculum, such as balancing exercises, climbing, and movement games, recognising that a solid core underpins both gross and fine motor development.
Developing core strength gives children greater control over their bodies and plays a crucial role in enabling children to safely explore their environment and to progress towards more complex movements with ease and assurance.
Spatial Awareness
Spatial awareness is the ability to understand where one’s body is in relation to objects and people around them. This key skill enables children to move confidently and safely within different environments, whether they are navigating busy playgrounds, participating in group games, or simply moving around the classroom.
We promote the development of spatial awareness through activities that encourage children to judge distances, change direction, and negotiate space effectively.
By building spatial awareness, children not only enhance their physical coordination and agility, but also develop important social skills such as respecting others’ personal space and working considerately as part of a group.
These abilities lay the groundwork for successful participation in a wide range of sports and physical activities, supporting children’s overall growth and readiness for new challenges.
Sending and Receiving Skills
Sending and receiving skills form a fundamental part of physical education at St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, underpinning a wide range of sports and activities. These skills involve the ability to accurately send an object, such as a ball or beanbag towards a target or another person, as well as effectively receive or control the object when it is returned.
Mastering these skills is essential for children’s participation in games like netball, football, tennis, cricket, and rounders.
Through structured activities and purposeful play, children develop crucial aspects such as hand-eye coordination, timing, and spatial awareness. They practise different methods of sending, including throwing, rolling, striking, and kicking, and learn how to catch, trap, or stop objects safely and successfully.
As children become more proficient, they are encouraged to apply these skills in increasingly complex game situations, fostering their teamwork, communication, and tactical thinking.
These foundational abilities not only support skill progression in PE but also contribute to children’s confidence and enjoyment in physical activity both inside and outside school.
Attacking and Defending Skills
Attacking and defending skills are essential components of many games and sports within the physical education curriculum.
These skills enable children to make strategic decisions, whether they are trying to outmanoeuvre an opponent to score (attacking) or prevent the other team from gaining an advantage (defending).
In activities such as football, netball, hockey, and even tag games, pupils learn how to move into space, maintain possession, and create scoring opportunities when attacking.
Conversely, when defending, they practise marking opponents, intercepting passes, and positioning themselves to block or delay attackers.
Through structured practice and small-sided games, children develop their awareness of tactics, teamwork, and communication. Lessons are designed to be inclusive and progressive, allowing all pupils to experience success and develop confidence in both attacking and defending roles.
These skills not only enhance performance in a range of sports but also help children to understand the importance of fair play, cooperation, and respect for opponents.
PE in the Early Years
The Early Learning Goals (ELGs) outline the key milestones that children are expected to achieve by the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). In relation to physical development, the ELGs emphasise the importance of children demonstrating good control and coordination in both large and small movements, moving confidently and safely in a variety of ways, and handling equipment effectively.
They also highlight the need for children to understand the importance of exercise and healthy eating, as well as managing their own basic hygiene and personal needs independently.
Beyond physical skills, the ELGs also focus on personal, social, and emotional development. This includes forming positive relationships, cooperating with others, showing sensitivity to others' feelings, and being confident in trying new activities.
Children are encouraged to listen attentively, follow multi-step instructions, and ask and answer questions about their experiences. The goals further support children in understanding rules, managing their behaviour, and adapting to different situations and routines.
These goals collectively ensure that children develop the foundational skills, attitudes, and knowledge needed for successful learning and healthy living as they move on to the next stage of their education.
Early Learning Goal (Relationships)
Children play co-operatively, taking turns with others. They take account of one another’s ideas about how to organise their activity. They show sensitivity to others’ needs and feelings, and form positive relationships with adults and other children
Early Learning Goal (Confidence & awareness)
Children are confident to try new activities and say why they like some activities more than others. They are confident to speak in a familiar group, will talk about their ideas, and will choose the resources they need for their chosen activities. They say when they do or don’t need help.
Early Learning Goal (Behaviour)
Children talk about how they and others show feelings, talk about their own and others’ behaviour, and its consequences, and know that some behaviour is unacceptable. They work as part of a group or class and understand and follow the rules. They adjust their behaviour to different situations, and take changes of routine in their stride
Early Learning Goal (Listening)
Children listen attentively in a range of situations. They listen to stories, accurately anticipating key events and respond to what they hear with relevant comments, questions or actions. They give their attention to what others say and respond appropriately, while engaged in another activity
Early Learning Goal (Understanding)
Children follow instructions involving several ideas or actions. They answer ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions about their experiences and in response to stories or events.
Early Learning Goal (Physical Development – Moving & Handling)
Children show good control and co-ordination in large and small movements. They move confidently in a range of ways, safely negotiating space. They handle equipment and tools effectively.
Early Learning Goal (Physical Development – Health & Self Care)
Children know the importance for good health of physical exercise, and a healthy diet, and talk about ways to keep healthy and safe. They manage their own basic hygiene and personal needs successfully, including dressing and going to the toilet independently