Physical Education

Intent

We recognise that many of our children have limited access to outdoor spaces and may not get enough physical activity due to high screen time. They may also need support in developing important life skills like resilience, fair play, and sportsmanship. At Bonner, we believe that Physical Education (PE) is crucial for children’s physical and emotional development, as well as their overall health and fitness, when experienced in a safe and supportive environment. Our aim is to provide high-quality PE lessons that inspire all children to succeed, helping them develop essential life skills.

Our PE curriculum goes beyond teaching sports techniques; it also nurtures psychological and social skills that children can apply in everyday life. We teach essential skills like swimming for safety, along with teamwork, cooperation, and fair play, which help instil lifelong values. At Bonner, our PE curriculum is designed not only to enhance children's sporting abilities but also to promote values such as confidence, a love of learning, and respect, preparing them for a healthy and active future.

We also consider the local context, recognising the higher obesity figures in Tower Hamlets. This makes it even more important for us to promote a healthy, active lifestyle. Our PE curriculum is one part of this effort, alongside PSHE, D&T, and Science, which together help reinforce the importance of physical and mental well-being.

By the time our children leave in Year 6, they will have:

Developed the skills to excel in a wide variety of physical activities.
Demonstrated the ability to stay physically active for extended periods.
Participated in competitive sports and activities.
Learned to lead healthy, active lifestyles.

How We Achieve This

Our curriculum is designed to teach children to:

Master basic movements such as running, jumping, throwing, and catching, while developing balance, agility, and coordination, and applying these in various activities.
Participate in team games, learning simple strategies for both attacking and defending.
Perform dances using easy-to-follow movement patterns.
Use running, jumping, throwing, and catching both individually and in combination.
Play competitive games like badminton, basketball, cricket, football, hockey, netball, rounders, and tennis, applying basic attacking and defending techniques.
Develop flexibility, strength, technique, control, and balance through athletics and gymnastics.
Engage in outdoor and adventurous activities, both individually and as part of a team.
Track their own progress, comparing performances and working to improve and achieve personal bests.
Swim confidently over a distance of at least 25 metres.
Use a variety of swimming strokes, such as front crawl, backstroke, and breaststroke.
Perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations.

Implementation

At our school, the PE curriculum helps children build and improve their fundamental skills throughout their time with us, ensuring they are ready to enjoy a range of sports both during school and in the future. These skills are practised through various activities, including invasion games, striking and field games, net and wall games, gymnastics, dance, swimming, and outdoor adventures. Children have access to excellent facilities, such as our indoor hall, playground, and all-weather pitch, to support their learning.

We use the PE Hub scheme, which we have adapted to make it our own, ensuring it meets the needs of our children and school context. Through team games like football, hockey, basketball, and tag rugby, children learn valuable tactics for attacking and defending while developing their teamwork and problem-solving skills. They also take part in dances connected to their class topics and progressive gymnastics sessions that build on their previous learning, enhancing their physical movements and coordination.

We also incorporate British Values and SMSC into the PE curriculum. For example, through our partnership with the Leyton Orient Project and other visitors, children are introduced to positive role models and learn about values such as respect, fairness, and tolerance through sports. These initiatives are essential for promoting physical and mental well-being in a holistic way.

Our after-school clubs provide additional opportunities for children to explore and focus on specific areas of physical activity. Children are encouraged to represent the school at local sporting events. These events are inclusive and focus on personal growth, considering each child’s physical, social, and emotional wellbeing rather than solely aiming to win.

We also hold an annual sports day, where children are motivated to achieve their personal best, contributing points for their house teams. In Year 5, children receive swimming lessons with the goal of ensuring they can swim at least 25 metres confidently and perform self-rescue techniques. This is a valuable life skill that promotes safety and enhances the long-term benefits of physical education.

Impact

At Bonner Primary, we provide a progressive PE curriculum that helps children build essential skills applicable across various sports and activities. Through our high-quality PE and sports programme, children develop the confidence to discuss their skills and knowledge of different sports. Our inclusive approach ensures every child can participate, with activities tailored to suit all abilities.

The curriculum’s impact extends beyond the sports field. Children learn to lead healthy lifestyles, which is further supported by other subjects such as PSHE, D&T, and Science. These subjects help children understand the importance of nutrition, fitness, and mental well-being, ensuring they can make informed decisions about their health.

We encourage a love for sport and physical activity that we hope will extend beyond their time at Bonner. Our children are eager to represent the school at local sporting events, and we prepare them for this with enthusiasm. Additionally, we aim for all our pupils to leave school with the ability to swim at least 25 metres and know essential water safety skills, which are vital for life. Sports Day

Progression of Skills

progression of skills physical education.pdf

Swimming at Bonner

Our swimming lessons take place at York Hall swimming baths (Bethnal Green) and Mile End Leisure Centre (Mile End), taught by specialist swimming teachers.

At Bethnal Green, children in Years 5 and 6 have swimming lessons in the spring and summer terms.

At Mile End, children in Years 5 have swimming lessons in the spring and summer terms.

After School Sports Clubs

At Bonner, we think it is really important that children develop their skills as part of smaller, sporting enrichment activities.

To promote a healthy lifestyle, we offer an After School Sports Club for children in Years 3 to 6. The activities consist of a multi-sports approach (including badminton, handball, volleyball and cricket) across both school sites. The club is led by a qualified coach.

These activities are taught by a very enthusiastic and passionate coach (Wesley Driskel) from NotJustSport.

Our aim is for children to gain a positive and engaging experience which will hopefully encourage them to take part in more sporting activities outside of school and in the future.

Sports Day

Our Sports Day usually takes place in July, where the whole school takes part in fun and competition. Bethnal Green currently use Victoria Park and Mile End use Mile End Stadium.

The events usually consist of: javelin throw, long jump, sprint race, relay race, long-distance race, sack race, obstacle race and of course the traditional egg-and-spoon race!

All children are able to participate in the events and enjoy being involved. Children, parents and staff really enjoy the day and look forward to it every year. The staff and parent races are often a highlight!

Special Events

This year, children at Bonner entered the Tower Hamlets Schools Swimming Gala and the Tower Hamlets Athletics competition as well as played in friendly fixtures against local schools.

Providing children with opportunities to take part in competitive sport is very important to us at Bonner. We hope to increase the number of competitive fixtures and competitions for the children each year.

We also host an annual Soccer Aid Playground Challenge for UNICEF.

Useful Links

Bonner Primary School's Sports Funding 2021

The Association for Physical Education (afPE) - The only representative PE subject association in the UK.

Change4Life - A public health programme in England and Wales to inspire everyone to play a part in improving the nation’s physical fitness and well-being.

Sport England - Sport England is a non-departmental public body focused on helping people and communities across the country to get active.