PE Policy at Thames View Primary School

Rationale

Physical Education (PE) contributes to the overall education of all children by helping them to lead full and valuable lives through engaging in purposeful and high-quality activity. It promotes active and healthy lifestyles, physical skills, physical development and knowledge of the body in action. PE enables children to learn confidence, perseverance, team spirit, positive competitiveness and organisation. Children must engage in a programme of PE that encourages fitness and improves their strength. PE is an integral part of school practices allowing all children in the school to gain a sense of achievement and develop positive attitudes towards themselves and others.

Our Aim

Thames View Primary School seeks to provide a full, varied and interesting Physical Education curriculum which challenges, engages and excited pupils. We see Physical Education as a vital part of children’s education experience. Our values are embedded within the delivery of PE lessons and in being physically active as a way of life; the opportunities for our pupils at Thames View promote a positive attitude towards healthy and active lifestyles.

At Thames View we aim to provide each pupil access to a broad and balanced programme of activities which are accessible and challenging. In order to do this, we aim to:

• Stimulate and maintain pupil interest and enjoyment in PE and physical activity and to promote health and fitness for current and future lifestyles. 
• Enable pupils to be familiar with a body of knowledge, principles and vocabulary to relate to PE.
• Enable pupils to see PE as:

• A major feature in our lives, related to employment, leisure and culture.
• Part of a wider body of knowledge and skills, e.g. interpersonal and problem-solving skills.

· Enable pupils to:

• Understand and use safe practice and to appreciate its importance in PE.
• Understand the short- & long-term effects of exercise on the body. 3
• Understand the role of exercise in a fit and healthy lifestyle.

· Enable pupils to develop a range of desirable personal qualities such as safety, awareness,   politeness, perseverance, concern for others, initiative and independence.

Health and Safety

We would like to clarify our school policy on the wearing of earrings during PE and School Sport. Earrings present a hazard to both the wearer and other children taking part in sports activities. From September 2020 the School policy is as follows:

• Children are not permitted to wear any jewellery, including pierced earrings and religious artefacts during PE lessons.

• Children are responsible for removal and replacement of their own jewellery. Teachers are not able to take out or replace children’s earrings if they are unable to do so themselves. It would therefore be helpful if earrings could be taken out and left at home on PE days.

• If a child has recently had their ears pierced and they are unable to remove their earrings they will not be able to actively participate in physical education for their own and others safety. In this circumstance a pupil will be asked to support the teacher in the lesson by peer coaching and will be encouraged to take part in activities which do not require the removal of jewellery e.g. - The Daily Mile. We therefore strongly recommend that children have their ears pierced at the beginning of the summer holidays.

• • The use of taping is not a sufficient measure to prevent the stud post penetrating the bone behind the ear should an unintentional blow be received (e.g. from someone or from equipment such as a ball) and therefore taping will not be accepted.
  • Long hair will need to be tied back in all PE lessons.

PE Kit

Children will attend school dressed in their full PE kits, dependent on the day their year group has PE. Our PE days include both indoor and outdoor activities and therefore children will need to be dressed appropriately for the weather.

Our PE kit at Thames View includes:

• Short sleeved t-shirt (house colours available)
• Shorts
• Plimsolls or suitable trainers
• Tracksuit top
• Tracksuit bottoms

Equal Opportunities

In the teaching and learning of PE, every child has the right to equal opportunities regardless of their gender, ethnicity or physical/academic ability. We ensure the individual is educated in an environment where he/she feels respected and valued ensuring equal access to equipment, delivering a curriculum free from stereotyped ideas; not using exist or racist language and having equally high expectations of children regardless of their gender, ethnicity or ability.