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Knowledge, skills & mastery
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We offer a varied, engaging and well sequenced spiral PE curriculum. Pupils have the opportunity to develop their knowledge, understanding and skill mastery in a plethora of sports and activities, ranging from netball, rugby and handball, to gymnastics, dance and OAA in line with the National Curriculum of PE strands (competence, physically active, engage in competition, lead healthy active lifestyles). Through teaching a range of sports & physical activities, pupils will be encouraged to practice decision-making and risk management for themselves and their respective ‘groups’ and /or ‘teams’.
The curriculum is structured to allow sports/activities to be revisited throughout Key Stage 3. Our pupils are taught in mixed ability gender groups and by the end of key stage 3 the major ‘activity areas’ from the NC have been covered in depth and build on the key foci concepts leading to skill & knowledge mastery for future learning. Pupils will recognise ‘when’, ‘why’ and ‘how’ these techniques should be applied, thus building schema and making links between sports/physical activities from year 7 through to year 9. In short, the focus for y7 is skill mastery, y8 focuses on skills and techniques becoming more consistent in application and understanding through making connections with prior learning and y9 focuses on tactical knowledge and learning some advanced skills.
The curriculum for core PE in Key Stage 4 focuses on lessons being highly active and engaging. We focus on developing pupil’s tactical knowledge at Key Stage 4, which is typically established through gameplay. Pupils are expected to use their knowledge of the core skills, major rules and tactical interpretation studied in KS3 to develop their competitive spirit. It is also focused on ensuring pupils leave with a love of physical activity, with some classes looking at the benefits of recreational activity as a balance to competitive sport, recognising the role Physical Education plays in keeping pupils both physically, socially and mentally healthy.
Currently pupils can opt to study GCSE PE and BTEC Sport at KS4 (CNAT Sport Studies from Sept 2022) The offer of these two courses allow PE staff to accurately sign post pupils to the course that best matches both their academic and physical ability to achieve their potential. Both courses give learners an excellent knowledge base if they choose to go on and study Physical Education at post 16. Examination PE is a popular options choice.
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Literacy & Numeracy
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Across the academic year we have developed a range of reading opportunities through the whole school approach to topic texts. Our topic texts are from a range of genres from match reports, biographies to rules & regulations of certain sports. This allows pupils to read about sports/physical activities in a number of ways and use their reading to recall information and broaden their knowledge. We share our key words visually and talk about them -discussing the meaning.
Extended written responses are a critical skill needed in examination PE regardless of the course followed. As a department we are using sentence starters and structure strips to help our pupils develop their writing styles and exposing individuals to higher levels of independence when writing quality responses and therefore access to higher marks.
Numeracy is a key aspect of learning in certain physical activities. For example, in fitness pupils need to be able to calculate heart rates and training zones and this is carried on in examination PE whereby pupils will need to interpret data from graphs and tables. In examination PE pupils are required to develop knowledge & understanding of data analysis in relation to key areas of physical activities & sport, for example, demonstrate an understanding of how data are collected – both qualitative and quantitative, present data, including graphs and tables.
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Entitlement & Engagement
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Self confidence and developing esteem in individuals are key to a successful education. In PE we actively seek to promote this through the curriculum we offer and by ensuring lessons are challenging, fun, safe and with a range of activities & learning opportunities. We carefully plan lessons/tasks that provide opportunities that boost confidence and develops social skills as well as recognising that PE can bring its challenges. E.G., groupings, competition, adapting equipment and above all ensuring no barriers exist. Pupils who tend to enjoy PE make progress and feel confident in front of others when participating/performing. We actively encourage pupils to be adventurous in their learning by attempting challenging tasks, challenging themselves and others, employing advanced skills and through their thinking.
In Year 7 we are able to have a bespoke curriculum for our less able pupils in PE. This bespoke developmental entitlement allows us to offer an inclusive environment for all. Our SEND and disadvantaged learners are incorporated into our groupings to maximise learning and allow individuals to strive to turn ‘potential into performance’.
We offer a variety of trips both locally (sporting events such as Bath Netball/Gloucester RFU) as well as further afield (London Wembley stadium) (ski trip) which all pupils are entitled to attend. These are of high value to developing high aspirations in our pupils and a sprit of adventure of which is a whole school aim.
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Aspiration & Wellbeing
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We aim to provide a programme that engages & inspires our pupils to lead active and healthy lifestyles, builds physical literacy confidence and competence and challenges thinking in a fun, secure learning environment. As a department we teach our pupils how having a positive attitude coupled with working hard in PE /physical activities can benefit to help become successful in life. We have created an environment which allows pupils to interact in a setting outside of a traditional classroom that encourages relationships to grow through cooperation, teamwork and leadership. Pupils are responsible for leading warm up activities. Our broad and balanced curriculum helps provide new experiences that aim to spark an interest and motivate pupils to be more physically active and enjoy associated health, mental and social benefits this can bring. Our vocational offer at KS4 encourages our pupils to develop broad transferable skills and experiences. For example, creating presentations, report writing, using analytical & research skills; providing our pupils with vital employability skills.
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Community, respect & enrichment
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Pupils are taught the skills and knowledge required to be successful in the adult world. Within the curriculum pupils consider the fundamental British Values of democracy, the rule of law through officiating games, individual liberty and mutual respect through working with others and tolerance of those with different views and opinions, particularly when choreographing aesthetic activities in dance and gymnastics. Furthermore, all pupils in y7 learn basic first aid and promoting a healthy lifestyle through PE and PSHCE.
Pupils learn the fundamental skills that will allow them to be able to contribute fully to not only the school but the wider community now and for the future. Pupils learn about fair play, how to be disciplined in times of challenge, gracious in times of defeat and to honour sportsmanship regardless of how others treat us. Pupils develop a sense of belonging; how they can contribute to a team, the need for organisation, for punctuality, for reliability and ultimately, all pupils know that actions have consequences.
We embrace the promotion of positive attitudes to learning, to be ambitious on the sports field when in a competitive setting in school and when representing the school and to have self belief. Being respectful of each other as communicated through the school’s ethos of APS PROUD.
Our extra-curricular programme is open to all our pupils to attend on a competitive and social basis, which is run throughout the academic year and for those wishing to play competitively have further opportunities to represent the school locally, regionally and nationally in various sporting activities. All pupils have the opportunity to compete in intra school (house/tutor) competitions during the school year. We have links with Swindon Town FC who run a football club after school and well as a trip offer throughout the academic year including the Duke of Edinburgh Programme in Year 9 and 11.
Abbey Park School hosts a number of primary events for our trust schools and other local primary schools. We use our Sports Academy and Leadership pupils to help organise and officiate events from, football, gymnastics, athletics and boccia festivals.
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