PE & Sport
Engaging in physical activity, competitive sport and learning how to live healthy, active lives.
Vision for PE
At Oatlands Junior School we recognise the important role that physical activity plays in achieving health, fitness and well-being among pupils, staff, parents/carers and the wider community. We aim to provide the knowledge, skills and motivation necessary for a healthy lifestyle and a lifelong participation in physical activity and sport.
We believe PE & Sport plays an important role in making our vision statement a reality for every pupil, with the potential to change young people’s lives for the better.
Long Term Plan
Key Vocabulary
P.E. Subject Leader - Francesca Bakes
How PE is taught and what it looks like at OJS
In PE we explicitly teach, develop and assess the fundamental movement skills (e.g. throwing, running, jumping, catching, balancing, etc) that are key to successful physical activity. Alongside these, we teach a range of multi-abilities that develop children’s personal, social and cognitive skills. A variety of sport specific skills are also taught, which reference fundamental movement skills and multi-abilities. There is clear skill progression through the lower and upper school year groups. An emphasis is placed on pupils enjoying being physically active through personal challenge and achievement. Competition is provided through personal bests, as well as competition with peers. We strive to create new ambition for every child. Our holistic approach also encompasses enrichment activities, close links with clubs and their specialist coaches, as well as home challenges. PE is taught twice each week, with further opportunities for short bursts of physical activity during curriculum time on non-PE days - sometimes taken in the form of the Daily Mile.
To further the broad range of activities we offer in our PE curriculum, we work closely with specialist coaches and local clubs. The specialist coaches work alongside class teachers to deliver PE lessons and/or run extra-curricular clubs. Local clubs are used to foster strong club links, so our children feel inspired and confident to attend the clubs we work with. This helps children remain physically active outside of school hours. We work closely with Harrogate Racquets Club, who deliver badminton lessons to Year 4 children and tennis lessons to all Year 3, 4 and 5 classes. Other clubs and governing bodies we work with include Harrogate Town, the Yorkshire Cricket Board, Harrogate Squash and Fitness Club, Harrogate Rugby Club and Harrogate Hockey Club. Every year, we work with more clubs to offer new and exciting opportunities for our children.
In Year 5, all classes have one swimming lesson once a week for a full term. We also run Bikeability for our Year 5 children, which is the government's national cycle training programme. This ensures our children have the skills and confidence to cycle safely on today's roads, which removes barriers for active travel and physical activity.
We run two residentials a year, so our children experience Outdoor Adventurous Activity and Outdoor Education. Year 6 go on a 5-day residential to Castlehead and Year 4 go on a 3-day residential to Kingswood. The Year 6 outdoor adventurous activities offer more challenge and progression, which allows our children to build on their skills learned in Year 4. Over the course of these residentials, we focus on improving key skills such as teamwork, leadership, problem solving, and communication.
What your child will leave OJS knowing, understanding and appreciating in PE
Physical Activity
All children will understand the value of physical activity in their lives and be used to spending part of each day being active. They will have experienced a broad range of activity options, including competitive and non-competitive sports. By the end of their four years with OJS, they will have experienced specialist coaching in four different sports in local club environments, during curriculum time. They will have had the opportunity to attend before or after school clubs in a range of active pursuits.
Skills
All children will understand that PE is primarily about developing the fundamental movement skills which allow them to participate successfully in any physically active pursuit. It is also about learning the personal skills of determination, self belief, teamwork and respect which will bring both enjoyment and a sense of achievement for all.
Pupil Leadership
Each year, six children per year (two per class) will be given the opportunity to be part of our Sports Crew, developing leadership skills. These children will provide the pupil voice for PE and Sport in that school year, contributing to decision making, as well as event planning and organisation. They will also have a pupil leadership role in PE lessons. Additionally, Y6 pupils are invited to apply for Sports Leader training in an after school club; this then qualifies them to take on a Sports Leader role leading lunchtime clubs or sporting competitions.
What pupils at OJS think about PE
"I like that we do a bit of everything." Y3 pupil
"We play fun games." - Y3 pupil
"I like PE at OJS because we get to do fun activities and learn dances like Disney's 'I wanna be like you'." Y4 pupil
" I Love the sports and the clubs." - Y4 pupil
"I like that I can exercise my body and have a good time as well." Y5 pupil
"I like the new sports we try in it and the tournaments you can go to like hockey, football or cricket." Y6 pupil
"I liked doing cross country." Y6 pupil
Swimming
This year, all children in Years 4 and 5 will go for swimming lessons at the newly refurbished Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre. The children will work towards being able to swim a distance of at least 25m; use different strokes; learn about water safety and perform safe self-rescue. Our children always enjoy these sessions and make us beam with pride at their determination and resilience, especially for those trying swimming for the first time.