How we teach PE at Wordsworth Primary School and Nursery

At Wordsworth Primary, we are passionate about fostering a lifelong love for physical activity in all our children. Our PE curriculum is designed not only to promote physical health but also to support mental well-being, ensuring that every child leaves us equipped to lead a healthy and active life.

Through engaging PE lessons and exciting sports visits and competitions, we give our children the chance to build resilience, boost their confidence, and grow into independent individuals. Our approach centres around Real PE, with lessons taking place twice a week. Children dive into a variety of activities, including Core PE, Gymnastics, and Dance, all aimed at developing their Fundamental Movement Skills.

Our curriculum revolves around six key learning themes, known as the Real PE cogs:

• Personal
• Social
• Creative
• Cognitive
• Physical
• Health & Fitness

Each of these themes is revisited yearly, allowing children to strengthen and deepen their understanding over time. At Wordsworth, every child is encouraged to take part in competitive activities, both within school and against other schools, further boosting their skills and sportsmanship.

What you will see in lessons:

In our lessons, you can expect to see:

• Regular practice of agility, balance, and coordination
• Opportunities for children to apply the skills they’ve learnt
• Clear and supportive modelling of expectations
• Successful collaboration and communication between children
• Personal challenges where children strive to beat their own best efforts
• Moments of reflection, where children evaluate their achievements and think about how they can improve

Our goal is to create an environment where physical activity is fun, rewarding, and something children will carry with them throughout their lives.

Swimming

At Wordsworth Primary, we believe swimming is an essential life skill, and we’re excited to offer our Year 5 children the opportunity to take part in a ten-week swimming course. This course, led by experienced instructors, is designed to help every child build their confidence in the water.

Throughout the sessions, children learn a variety of swimming strokes, from front crawl to breaststroke, while also gaining vital skills in safe, self-rescue techniques. Our aim is not only to teach swimming, but to ensure that each child feels comfortable and safe in the water, setting them up for a lifetime of enjoyment and safety in aquatic environments.

Key Stage 1

A typical lesson in KS1 and Lower KS2 at Wordsworth primary school includes a warm-up to get the children energised, followed by focussed skill-building sessions. This is then applied in a fun and engaging game that helps reinforce the skill learnt. The lesson wraps up with a review, where children reflect on what they’ve learnt and share their thoughts.

Key Stage 2

A typical lesson in upper KS2 at Wordsworth primary involves starting with a warm-up to get them moving, followed by an initial game to engage them. Afterwards, the focus shifts to skill development, where children work on refining a specific skill. This is then applied in a second game, allowing them to use what they’ve learnt in a practical setting. The lesson concludes with a review, where children reflect on the lesson and discuss their progress.