Physical Education is vital for all. It is important to inspire all pupils to succeed and excel in competitive sports and other physically-demanding activities.

Opportunities to compete in sports and other activities build character and confidence, and help the children to embed values such as fairness and respect.   

At St. John’s we aim to develop:

1. competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities;

2. children's perseverance to be physically active for sustained periods of time;

3. children's engagement in competitive sports and activities;

4. healthy and active lives for all children.

St. John’s Physical Education curriculum follows the Primary PE Passport Application, established by Lancashire County Council. The App provides hard copies of a variety of PE plans that follow the National Curriculum.

Impact

• All Year 5 and 6 children have had the opportunity to swim – for a number, these were their first swimming sessions / lessons. This continued provision will enable more children to be safe and confident in the water.
• The track has encouraged children to be more active at playtimes and lunchtimes, as well as being a resource to enable children to learn more effectively using the outside provision. The Daily Mile initiatives have led children to a heightened understanding of how to stay fit and healthy.
• Targeted groups of children (including those who generate Pupil Premium funding) have attended a range of additional clubs and activities (KS1 Football and Archery) and their awareness of physical fitness and health has been enhanced.
• Staff across the school have a greater understanding of teaching and learning in gym, dance, swimming and outdoor education. This builds capacity for the future.
• PE lessons are active, engaging and challenging.  The children follow an agreed programme of learning and all are encouraged to achieve well.

For many years we have worked hard to ensure that all our children have access to a varied and exciting programme of sport and P.E., both in school lessons, via extra-curricular sports clubs and through participation in sporting competitions and matches. To achieve this, we work alongside the Wyre and Fylde School Sports Partnership, Fleetwood Town and staff expertise in school. 

This has been recognised in 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23 when we received the “Sainsbury’s School Games Gold Award.” This is a very prestigious award that recognises the impact of our sports provision across the school community.

Our children enjoy participation and competition – they work hard and recognise that keeping fit and healthy is a life-long goal. Our P.E. curriculum is broad and balanced, our range of clubs is extensive, we ‘signpost’ talented individuals to different provision and we enter local, regional and national competitions when we can – often successfully.

As a school community we were delighted when the Government announced that every primary school in the country would receive a substantial (and ring-fenced) sum of money that must be used to raise levels of participation and enable all children to make life-long positive choices.

Swimming and Water Safety

We provide swimming instruction in Key Stage 2. The National Curriculum requirement is for pupils to be able to: swim competently, confidently, and proficiently over a distance of at least 25m; use a range of strokes effectively; perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations.

2019 % of Y6 pupils who met the NC swimming requirements = 93.3% (28/30 pupils) 

2020 % of Y6 pupils who met the NC swimming requirements = 92% (23/26 pupils) 

2021 % of Y6 pupils who met the NC swimming requirements = 90% (27/30 pupils) 

2022 % of Y6 pupils who met the NC swimming requirements = 73% (22/30 pupils) 

2023 % of Y6 pupils who met the NC swimming requirements = 70% (21/30 pupils)

Achieving 60 Active Minutes

Government Guidance says that:

• Children and young people should engage in moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity for an average of at least 60 minutes per day across the week. This can include all forms of activity such as physical education, active travel, after-school activities, play and sports.

• Children and young people should engage in a variety of types and intensities of physical activity across the week to develop movement skills, muscular fitness, and bone strength.

• Children and young people should aim to minimise the amount of time spent being sedentary, and when physically possible should break up long periods of not moving with at least light physical activity.

At St. John's we support the children in achieving this by:

- 15 minute morning and afternoon break time - During these break times the children have access to the MUGA (Multi-Use Games Area), football goals, Trim Trail, Concrete Playground, Path, Field (in dry weather) and Playground Pals games delivered by Year 5 children. All these activities are placed on a rota. 

- Active Lunch Time - During lunch times the children have access to the Concrete Playground, Path, Field (in dry weather), Fleetwood Town come and deliver sessions on the MUGA, Bollywood Club, sporting equipment trolley. All these activities are placed on a rota. 

- After School Curricular Sporting Activities - e.g. dance, netball, football

- Competitions and Sporting Opportunities - e.g. football league, netball league, dance competition, tag rugby competitions 

- 2 hours of P.E. taught during curriculum time each week

- Daily Active Mile - Classes attempt to achieve the daily active mile (7 laps of the path) each day or get out onto the path for 10 minutes.

What our children think about Physical Education

Why is P.E. important to you?

Blake (Year 2) - It is important because you keep fit and healthy.

Sonny (Year 6) - It keeps us fit and gives us lots of energy.

Why is important to be fit and healthy?

Louie (Year 3) - So that you can grow up to be really strong.

Oliver (Year 6) - Because if you're not healthy you can get really ill.

Why do you enjoy P.E. at school?

Viyona (Year 2)  - It is fun and it keeps you healthy.

Jacob (Year 3) - Because it keeps me strong.

What are your favourite things to do in P.E.?

Albie (Year 2) - I love to play football in P.E. because I run around a lot!

Harriet (Year 2) - I love doing the warm up because it warms your muscles.

Adrienne (Year 6) - I like doing all of the skills and then using them in the games as I can improve all of my sports!