PE and Sports Premium
William Law CE Primary School has a clear vision regarding PE and sport that is centred on offering pupils an enriching, challenging and imaginative programme of study. Our philosophy towards the teaching and learning of PE is not only focussed on ensuring that every child leads an active, healthy life but also to allow them to explore and enjoy a wide range of sporting activities. We believe that a high quality curriculum that fulfils this philosophy helps to foster learners who are resilient and persistent in all aspects of the curriculum. PE and sport therefore is fully integrated into the ‘creative curriculum’ at William Law CE Primary and is a prevalent part of daily school life. The school itself has built a fantastic reputation for its sporting achievements which is a direct result of the positive attitudes that continue to be demonstrated by pupils and parents/carers. Regular opportunities for children to compete help them to develop ambition and confidence in each individual sport.
PE and sport is led by a PE coordinator whose role is supported by the head teacher, all members of staff, and school governors. This role ensures that teaching and learning remains creative and adapts to the changing interests and needs of individual pupils.
The school has a large sports hall which is outfitted with a large range of gymnastics equipment and provides a safe place for children to experience: dance, gymnastics, aerobics (circuit training), handball and orienteering activities. This space also offers a valuable opportunity for children to demonstrate and share their sporting achievements in whole school assemblies through award ceremonies and performance opportunities. In addition to this, all children are given the opportunity to attend weekly swimming lessons; an area which we believe is crucial, not only for children’s physical development but also for their safety.
Outside we have a large sports field that accommodates two football pitches, a running track (summer term), and a trim-trail. In addition to this, the children have access to a large playground equipped with basketball hoops. Some of the sports explored in these outdoor spaces include: football, rugby, netball, basketball, hockey, athletics, cricket, orienteering, tennis, rounders, and badminton. The opportunities given to children in PE lessons are broad, engaging and inclusive. This wide range of opportunities for children to excel in a particular sport is also reflected in the large number of out of school clubs, some of which are run by staff. Other clubs are paid for by school and run by independent professionals who deliver precision teaching to a group of children, such as our weekly ‘Sports Academy’ for children who are gifted and talented in sports.
At William Law children not only enjoy the PE and sport that they encounter but they also value its positive impact on their learning. Children are engaged, enthusiastic and thrive in their PE lessons, gaining confidence in their abilities and new drive to take responsible risks. We therefore feel it is our duty to ensure that our upcoming sports funding (Sports Premium) is spent wisely to invest in maintaining a high standard of PE and sport in school. This then ensures that we have a positive impact and work towards fulfilling the goals of the Olympic legacy.
So far we have used the funding to impact teaching and learning by:
- Buying in to a Sports Partnership where support from secondary school PE practitioners is shared with staff and competitions are organised in the local area
- Run intra and inter school sports competitions which increase pupils' involvement in competitive sport
- Pay for professional development opportunities for class teachers
- Pay for professional development opportunities for PE co-ordinators to develop new initiatives and feedback to teachers to impact children's learning
- Provide places for pupils in after school sports clubs that deliver precision teacher e.g. 'Sports Academy'
- Resourcing high quality sports equipment that gives children the best chance to explore high quality PE and sport
We are looking forward to the future and have ambitious plans to increase the profile of PE and sport in school further still. This includes a school improvement plan to build an astro-turf area which would allow for PE lessons to become more diverse and open up opportunities for competitive hockey and football tournaments. We have also recently established further professional links with Peterborough United football club which has really captured the enthusiasm of pupils. With the support of the sports premium, children’s opportunities in PE and sport at William Law continue to grow and the future therefore is very exciting for pupils.
