PE Plan

Physical Education Plan for Scoil Bhríde, Paulstown

Introductory Statement:

This Physical Education plan for Scoil Bhríde was formulated by the teaching staff. It was currently being reviewed. 

Rationale

Physical education provides children with learning opportunities through the medium of movement and contributes to their overall development by helping them to lead full, active and healthy lives.

The purpose of this plan is to provide practical guidance for teachers, parents and other relevant persons on the provision of effective physical education in our school.

Vision

We envisage that in PE each child will be given the opportunity to develop their physical skills and competencies to their full potential, appropriate to their age and ability in a safe and supportive environment.

Aims

We endorse the aims of the Primary School Physical Education Curriculum :

• To promote the physical, social, emotional and intellectual development of the child

• To develop positive personal qualities

• To help in the acquisition of an appropriate range of movement skills in a variety of contexts

• To promote understanding and knowledge of the various aspects of movement

• To develop an appreciation of movement and the use of the body as an instrument of expression and creativity

• To promote enjoyment of, and positive attitudes towards, physical activity and its contribution to lifelong health-related fitness, thus preparing the child for the active and purposeful use of leisure time.

We endeavour to develop inclusive activities at all times in our PE lessons

Curriculum Planning

Strands and Strand Units

Our Physical Education curriculum is divided into six ‘strands’ or sections as recommended in the Primary School Physical Education Curriculum. These six strands are;

Athletics, Aquatics, Dance, Games, Gymnastics and Outdoor and Adventure Activities.

Each strand is subdivided into strand units.

The curriculum is designed to be spiral in nature. The children will experience at least 5 strands in each year. As they progress through the school, they will experience opportunities to refine and develop their skills, abilities, knowledge and appreciation in each strand.

Pool based Aquatics is provided for in the second school term for classes from 1st – 6th at Graiguecullen Swimming Pool, Carlow. The cost of this for parents is subsidised by the Board of Management & Parents’ Association. No child will be denied access to swimming lessons due to lack of financial resources.

(cf also swimming procedure document in appendix)

A dancing teacher works with the staff to teach the children Irish Dancing. This is also very much part of our promotion of our Irish culture. All children in the nominated classes participate.

1st – 3rd Classes have 10 hrs of Irish Dance lessons over the course of Terms 1 & 2.

4th Class & Sen Ins  have 5 hrs of Irish Dance lessons in Terms 1 & 2 respectively

Physical Resources-Facilities and Equipment

The following facilities are available to the children and staff for Physical Education.

1. School yard – suitable for ball games, athletics and small sided games

2. School field – suitable for Athletics, Outdoor & Adventure activities and Games

3. Hall / GP room suitable for Dance and Gymnastics

4. Community Hall  - suitable for ball games, small sided games & Dance

Our school is developing a well resourced Physical Education store containing the necessary equipment for the implementation of strands. (list in appendix) Equipment is checked regularly and stock replenished as often as budget allows. Teachers keep literature, DVDs, CDs, tapes, books and lesson ideas in their own individual classrooms. The school will also use the CD of PE lesson plans prepared by the Primary School Sports Initiative. This is available to teachers on the school network.

Approaches and Methodologies

We will use a combination of the following approaches:

• Direct teaching approach

• Guided discovery approach

• Integration

We will use methods that encourage maximum participation by the child through group

work: Individual, pair, group and team play; Station teaching; Using a play area divided into grids.

Structure of a PE lesson:             Warm Up ------- Main Activity ------- Cool Down

3.  Assessment and Record Keeping

As Physical Education is a physical activity-based area, most assessment is done within the lesson by observing, listening, asking questions and giving feedback to pupils.

Teachers report annually to children, parents and relevant staff through parent-teacher meetings and end of year school reports. Children may be asked to self-assess and peer assess where appropriate.

We will assess

• Willingness to participate in activities

• Readiness to engage with a certain activity

• The level of competence of a child in carrying out an activity

• Interest in and attitude to activity

• Willingness to cooperate in individual, pair and group activities

Our assessment tools are:

• Teacher observation

• Teacher-designed tasks

Multi-Class Teaching

In years where there is a multi class situation the teacher will ensure that the curriculum content planned takes account of the skill level of both classes involved in conjunction with the whole school plan for PE.

Children with Different Needs

We acknowledge that each individual child has particular needs and all are at different stages of their personal development. We also recognise that for some children, participation in certain strands of the Physical Education curriculum may be problematic because of physical, intellectual or emotional difficulties. Every attempt, often with the valued assistance of additional staff (SNAs), will be made to ensure that all children experience the richness and breadth of a full Physical Education curriculum.

Equality of Participation and Access

We promote the needs and interests of all pupils regardless of ability, culture, gender or aptitude. Quality work to the best of the children’s ability is the target for everyone. Every child will have access to all PE activities provided by the school and lack of financial resources on behalf of the child will not hinder their participation.

Linkage and Integration

Every attempt will be made to link the various strands of the PE curriculum and to integrate the other subject areas with PE, where appropriate. (e.g. Dance with Music; Aquatics/Games with SPHE; Athletics with Maths; Orienteering with Geography and Gaeilge used to give simple directions )

Organisational Planning

Timetable

Each class will receive a minimum of one hour of PE per week allocated across the week and timetabled at the discretion of class teachers but in accordance with hall / yard rota. During weeks where aquatics and active schools week are organised some discretionary time is used for PE.

We have an agreed timeframe over a two year period to cover all strands and is  used for all classes - bold print is fixed for all classes with the rest being flexible to suit individual teachers. However The Games, Outdoor and Adventure activities and Athletics strands are done at a time when it is hoped the weather will be fine and will allow the PE lessons to be based outside.

For Active Schools Week discretionary curriculum time is used to promote physical activity for all children in the school encompassing as many of the strands of the PE curriculum as possible. This is organised annually ( cf appendix for typical schedule of the week ).

In June we hold a Sports For All Day with an emphasis on participation by all with fun and enjoyment through team & class events ( cf appendix for typical programme of events ).

We avail of the expertise of GAA coaching through Kilkenny County Board and County Coaches provide coaching sessions & class games on occasion during the school year. The sessions with the visiting coaches are used to supplement and support the work of the class teacher.The class teacher will be present to supervise all activities organised by visiting/support coaches and will retain ultimate responsibility for the class.

Code of Ethics

All teachers and coaches working in the school context will be expected to adhere to the school Child Protection Statement. They should always ensure that they treat children with integrity and respect and that the self-esteem of children is enhanced. All adult actions in sport should be guided by what is best for the child and carried out in the context of respectful and open relationships.

After School Activities

Opportunities are provided for children to participate in and enjoy a variety of extra curricular activities after school. These include Hurling, Gaelic football, Camogie. Participation based extra curricular activities offer opportunities to all who wish to partake in these. Through the Parents’ Association gymnastics has been offered to children also.

School representative teams are also catered for in inter-school competitions in hurling, Gaelic Football, Camogie, Basketball & Soccer. These games allow children to put skills into practice in real game situations and also to learn life skills through involvement in sport. We strive towards the inclusion of all who wish to participate over the course of the series of games involved.

Children are encouraged to play games and practice skills during break-time. Occasionally the school may organise an outdoor walking trip to suitable locations in the locality. Through the Parents’ Association gymnastics has been offered to children also.

PE Equipment and ICT

Our school is developing a well resourced Physical Education store containing the necessary equipment for the implementation most strands. (list in appendix) Equipment is checked regularly and stock replenished as often as budget allows. Teachers keep literature, DVDs, CDs, tapes, books and lesson ideas in their own individual classrooms. The school will also use the CD of PE lesson plans prepared by the Primary School Sports Initiative.

Health and Safety

The children are required to wear the school tracksuit and bring appropriate gear on the day they have physical education. Children should not wear dangerous jewellery. Children are taught to handle all apparatus safely and carefully. Correct methods of lifting and carrying are also taught. Should an accident occur in the PE lesson we will follow the procedures outlined for accidents in our Health and Safety policy.

Where the PE lesson involves the skills of hurling/camogie helmets must be worn by all pupils.

Where hurling/camogie is organised outside of the a PE lesson activity may only commence when a teacher is present.

Individual Teachers’ Planning and Reporting

Individual teachers will design a physical education plan specifically for their own class while at the same time ensuring that their class plans coordinate with and feed into the overall school plan, set out in the policy and progression grids. This should ensure clear progression as children move from class to class.

Strands covered in PE each month are recorded on the Cúntas Míosúil.

The Cúntas Míosúil will be very relevant in recording what has been covered and in reviewing and developing the school plan for the following years.

Staff Development

The school will access the PCSP PE Cuiditheoir through the Regional Curriculum Support Service to support the staff in certain strands if requested. Visiting coaches may be used to supplement and support the work of the class teacher. These are recognised as up-skilling opportunities for the teachers involved. Teachers will be notified of courses relating to PE available in the area.

Parental Involvement

Parents have a responsibility to encourage their children to participate in all strands of the Physical Education curriculum. Parents may view the PE policy in the school.

Community Links

Local clubs and sporting organisations are invited to provide information on the services that they provide. We are very much aware of the school’s role in the community and we are also conscious of the fact that the expertise of people in the community is an invaluable resource to any school. The community is also involved in fundraising for the Aquatics strand for the school.

Success Criteria

Means of assessing the outcomes of the plan may include;

• Teacher/parent/community feedback

• Children’s feedback regarding activity levels, enjoyment and skill development

• Inspectors’ suggestions/WSE recommendations

The criteria for evaluating the success of this policy will be :

• The level of enjoyment exhibited by the children

• The maximum participation by all children

• The development of skills and understanding

• A balance between competitive and non-competitive activities

• A balance between contact and non-contact activities

• The provision of opportunities for achievement for each child

• The level of teacher satisfaction in teaching a broad, balanced curriculum.

Implementation

Roles and Responsibilities

The PE Post holder will co-ordinate the progress of the policy, encourage and accept feedback on its implementation. Each teacher is responsible for implementing this policy with his/her own class.

The plan should be monitored and will be reviewed by the staff at regular intervals or if deemed necessary through feedback.

Ratification and Communication

This policy was ratified by the Board of Management in October 2011.