Physical Education - Intent

At Westwood, we offer a high quality, holistic, broad and balanced Physical Education curriculum that seeks to develop children’s physical, social, emotional and thinking skills. Through this, we aim to facilitate children’s enjoyment of - and competence in - a wide range of sports and physical activities that we hope will inspire them to lead healthy, active lives both whilst they are at our school, and beyond. We want our children to know why it is important to lead healthy, active lives and feel equipped with the knowledge and skills to do so.

Physical Education lies at the forefront of our vision but we also recognise the impact that school sport and physical activity has on children’s physical and mental health. We provide opportunities for, and encourage children to be, as physically active as possible throughout the school day through active travel, active play and active learning. Through active enrichment such as residentials and sporting visits, we hope to provide inspirational experiences and raise aspirations.

All children take part in school sport and healthy competition is encouraged. Through this, we want our children to be able to strive for their personal best, to work cooperatively as part of a team and to compete against others whilst still adhering to the principles of honesty, respect and sportsmanship. Our House Team system is based around Leeds sporting superstars; we hope this helps inspire our children to ‘Dream, Believe, Achieve’ and one day a school could name a team after them!

Physical Education – Implementation

The Physical Education curriculum at Westwood is designed around 3 key aims:

1. To develop a physical literacy and knowledge in children that provides them the skillset for lifelong participation.
2. To develop children holistically into well-rounded young people.
3. To promote a love of PESSPA.

The primary aim of our PE curriculum is to develop children’s physical literacy - therefore allowing them to participate in, and excel in, a wide range of activities – all in an enjoyable, supportive and challenging environment. We offer a broad PE curriculum to ensure that all children experience a variety of sports and activities, enabling them to identify what they enjoy most and feel inspired to lead healthy, active lives.

Our progressive curriculum covers the National Curriculum through:

• Games (through ball skills, sending and receiving, invasion, target, net and wall & striking and fielding games)
• Fundamental movement skills (through fundamentals, athletics and fitness)
• OAA (in school and on residential visits)
• Swimming (all Year 4 children swim weekly)
• Dance
• Gymnastics

Children are assessed each half-term against criteria consisting of physical, social, emotional and thinking skills (all of which are taught explicitly during lessons). Children who are struggling in one of more of these areas are offered intervention through targeted quality first teaching and invitations to attend appropriate extra-curricular clubs/events.

We combine this curriculum with facilitating and encouraging active playtimes and lunchtimes through a combination of sport-based and active play-based games (led by both adults and children) and offering a wide variety of equipment to facilitate informal active play. In addition, we offer:

• Extra-curricular clubs to all children across KS1 and KS2 (including clubs designed to target children who might be less engaged or do not enjoy competitive sport-based clubs)
• Visits to/experiences at local facilities 
• Taster sessions with community-based clubs (for example Hajime Judo Club and Let’s Do More Basketball)
• All children in Years 2 and 4 take part in a competitive, but fun orientated, skipping competition with Skipping School. For this, they learn a combination of individual, partner and team skips as well as a ‘skip dance’ in Year 4. These skills can then be used out on the playground or beyond the school gates as an easy way for children to increase their physical activity levels independently or with others.
• In September 2023 we partnered with Hunslet Rugby Foundation. A specialist rugby coach works with each class in KS2 throughout the year and offers after-school clubs as well as hosting competitions and festivals with local schools. This partnership also allows our children to access free holiday camps as well as attending their 'Friday Night Club' which offers free activities and a healthy meal each Friday evening.  

Westwood are proud to be part of the Leeds Well Schools Partnership, which, amongst other benefits including high-quality CPD for staff, enables us to access extra-curricular fixtures/events (both competitive and non-competitive) ranging from football, netball and tag-rugby to gymnastics, ice-skating, orienteering and triathlon to name but a few. Our aspiration is for all children to attend at least one extra-curricular club/event and represent ‘Team Westwood’ at least once before the time they leave us; this includes all SEND children who may attend events specifically designed to cater for their needs.

Children are invited to go on a residential trip in Years 4 (Herd Farm), 5 (Robinwood) and 6 (Ingleborough) which are a little further from home and a little longer in duration each time. As well as all the exciting activities on offer – from archery to abseiling, canoeing to caving, high ropes to hiking – the children benefit from increased confidence, perseverance and teamwork skills as well as strengthened friendships and memorable life experiences.

Selected children in Year 5 undertake the ‘Positive Futures’ programme which is a national, sport-based social inclusion programme. Activities offered include climbing, skateboarding, canoeing and ice-skating. The emphasis is on personal development and working co-operatively with others; skills which undoubtedly can be transferred back into PE lessons and the wider curriculum.

A team of ‘Active Allstars’ from Years 5 and 6 are trained by the PE Leader and Physical Activity Co-Ordinator to assist them in working to make sure all children in our school are (and enjoy being) active for at least 60 minutes every day. They lead games at playtimes/lunchtimes, help organise equipment, act as an additional link for pupil feedback from their peers and younger children and help at clubs / fixtures.

Pupils, parents/carers and staff are regularly given the opportunity to share their feedback and opinions about PE and playtimes/lunchtimes via a survey; we endeavour to act on feedback wherever possible as we want all stakeholders to be involved in the design and evolution of our PESSPA offer to maximise its’ impact.