Real PE is a unique, child-centred approach. It transforms how we teach PE to engage and challenge EVERY child in primary school.

All children at Shakespeare benefit from a broad, deep and progressive PE curriculum using the LAT (Learning Academies Trust) long term plan to guide our short-term planning. It has been devised by our team of PE leads across the Trust to ensure breadth of knowledge and expertise whilst covering all National Curriculum objectives. For each unit there are a series of ‘I can’ progression statements that guide a unit of work. At Shakespeare, all pupils participate in 2 hours of high-quality PE in a week.

In the Early Years, our children will start to develop the fundamentals of movement whilst participating in lessons with a theme which mirrors their classroom topic or PE unit of work. This enables the children to develop their physical literacy whilst embedding the learning achieved in the classroom. They will also develop their fine and gross motor skills while being able to hold different objects and manipulate different sized objects.

In KS1, the Physical Education curriculum changes to an activity specific focus. Children learn how the body changes during exercise whilst further developing the fundamentals of movement (Jog, Sprint, Jump, Hop, Weight on Hands, Balance & Coordination). The children follow the REAL PE scheme of work.

In KS2, children develop the key concepts through a variety of ‘vehicles’, by building upon the skills taught in KS1. Across KS2, children play competitive games, modified where appropriate [for example, basketball, cricket, football, hockey, netball, rounders, and tennis], and apply basic principles suitable for attacking and defending. They then show their knowledge by photos, videos and using the Head, Heart, Hands model, both in lessons and at the end of a unit to show what they have learnt.

Children take part in swimming in Year 5 at the Plymouth Life Centre, where they are taught by swimming teachers to swim competently, confidently, and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres and perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations.

We place high importance on the PE curriculum and provision at Shakespeare and are very proud of our connections with the local secondary schools. To complement our PE lessons, we value the importance of offering a wide range of extra-curricular clubs. This enables the children at Shakespeare to develop their knowledge, understanding and performance in PE through activities such as Football, Netball, Tag Rugby, Cross Country Running, Dance, Rounders, Cricket, Athletics, Multi-Skills and many more.

Shakespeare Primary School are part of the Plymouth School Sports Partnership whose vision is…

“…to create a sustainable PE, School Sport and Physical Activity system as part of the health and well-being provision for all children and young people. Our MISSION is to positively impact on the lives of every child and young person attending Partnership schools and their parents/carers through the opportunities that we provide to help them achieve more in life and at school. We promote the Olympic and Paralympic VALUES of Friendship, Respect, Excellence, Determination, Inspiration, Courage and Equality.”

Shakespeare Primary School are also part of the School Games network and as such are part of a National Project that aims to get more young people participating and engaged in sports and competition. For more information about the School Games please click on the hyperlink below. As part of our sports programme, the PSSP run School Games events at regular intervals in the academic year to enable our young people to engage in various level of competition. For upcoming events or to read some of our blogs, please visit www.yourschoolgames.com and search for our school.