PE

Intent

Our aim is to deliver a high-quality PE curriculum that develops the whole child—physically, socially, and emotionally. We strive to promote a lifelong love of physical activity and sport through engaging and inclusive lessons. Children will become knowledgeable about health, fitness, and the benefits of staying active, empowering them to make healthy choices. Our curriculum is personalised to challenge every child while nurturing creativity, social skills, personal development, and physical ability. Lessons are progressive, enabling children to build on core skills, track their own progress, and celebrate success fostering confidence and a positive attitude towards PE, physical activity, and sport. 

Implementation

• Curriculum Delivery: Every child will receive two high-quality PE lessons per week, delivered through a carefully sequenced and blended approach.  

• Skill Development: Lessons will focus on fundamental movements balance, coordination, agility, and ball skills providing a strong foundation for physical competence.  

• Application in Context: These skills will be applied in sport and game situations, planned in line with national curriculum objectives, ensuring progression and coherence between skill practice and competitive play.  

• Variety & Opportunity: Children will experience a wide range of sports through PE lessons, sporting festivals, and after-school clubs. They will have opportunities to try new sports while improving in familiar ones.  

• Competitive Pathways: We will collaborate with our local schools through Sunderland School Games to increase participation in competitive sport and encourage engagement beyond school.  

• Inclusivity & Progression: Activities will be designed to challenge all learners, promote enjoyment, and foster lifelong participation in physical activity. 

• Intra- and Inter-School Competitions: Regular intra-school competitions will provide all pupils with opportunities to compete in a supportive environment, while inter-school competitions will allow children to represent the school and experience competitive sport at a higher level. 

• Specialist Teaching: To enrich our curriculum and raise standards, we engage specialist coaches and teachers to deliver high-quality sessions in areas such as gymnastics, dance, and other technical disciplines. This ensures pupils receive expert instruction and experience a broad, balanced PE offer. 

Impact

Over time, children will become more physically active and secure in the core, fundamental movements that underpin lifelong participation in sport and physical activity. They will develop a deeper awareness of their physical and mental health, understanding the importance of maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle. Physical activity will be enjoyable and inclusive, leading to increased participation in sports both within and beyond school. 

Children will be empowered to track their progress, set personal challenges, and take ownership of their learning building independence, resilience, and self-motivation. They will demonstrate improved confidence, communication, and teamwork skills, contributing to their overall personal development. As a result, pupils will be healthier, happier, and better prepared for future life. 

Additional Impact Areas: 

• Academic Impact: Improved concentration, behaviour, and readiness to learn through increased physical activity. 

• Social Impact: Stronger sense of belonging and community through team sports and competitions. 

• Emotional Wellbeing: Reduced stress and anxiety through regular physical activity. 

• Inclusivity: All children, regardless of ability, will have equitable access to opportunities. 

• Long-Term Habits: Establishing lifelong positive attitudes towards health and fitness. 

Measurable Indicators 

Physical Activity & Fitness: 

• Improvement in fundamental movement skills (balance, coordination, agility) assessed termly. 

Participation: 

• Increase in the number of children attending after-school clubs and sporting festivals. 

Health & Wellbeing: 

• Pupil voice surveys showing increased enjoyment and confidence in PE. 

• Reduction in reported anxiety or stress levels (via wellbeing questionnaires). 

Academic & Behavioural Impact: 

• Improved classroom engagement and behaviour logs linked to active participation. 

Inclusivity:  

• Monitoring participation rates across different groups (SEND, disadvantaged pupils). 

Long-Term Engagement:  

• Alumni involvement in sports or physical activity beyond primary school (where possible). 

Skills Builder

We integrate the Skills Builder framework into our PE curriculum to ensure pupils develop essential life skills alongside physical competence. PE provides a unique, practical environment for children to practice and refine these skills in real-time situations. Our approach focuses on the following: 

• Teamwork: Pupils work collaboratively in pairs and groups during games and challenges, learning to share ideas, support peers, and achieve common goals. 

• Communication: Children develop verbal and non-verbal communication skills through coaching peers, giving feedback, and strategising during team activities. 

• Problem-Solving: Lessons include tactical challenges and decision making tasks, encouraging pupils to think critically and adapt strategies in competitive scenarios. 

• Self-Management: Pupils set personal goals, monitor progress, and demonstrate resilience when faced with challenges, fostering independence and responsibility. 

• Creativity: Through dance, gymnastics, and game design, pupils explore creative expression and innovative thinking. 

• Leadership: Opportunities are provided for pupils to lead warm-ups, organise teams, and take on captain roles, building confidence and organisational skills. 

• Listening & Reflection: Structured reflection at the end of lessons helps pupils evaluate performance, celebrate success, and identify areas for improvement. 

By embedding these skills into PE, we prepare pupils not only for sporting success but also for life beyond school equipping them with the confidence, adaptability, and interpersonal skills needed for future education and employment. 

SEND

Our PE curriculum is fully inclusive, ensuring that all pupils, including those with SEND and children in our HUB unit can access high-quality physical education. Lessons are adapted to meet individual needs through differentiated activities, modified equipment, and tailored support, enabling every child to participate meaningfully and achieve success. We prioritise creating a supportive environment where pupils can develop confidence and enjoyment in physical activity. 

Children in the HUB unit access mainstream PE alongside their peers in other year groups, promoting social integration and shared experiences. In addition, they benefit from specialist teaching and targeted interventions to develop physical skills at their own pace. We also provide opportunities for these pupils to take part in PE trips and both intra- and inter-school competitions, ensuring they experience the same breadth of sporting opportunities as their peers. Our approach celebrates diversity, promotes equity, and fosters a sense of belonging for all learners. 

Voice 21

At our school, we believe PE is not just about physical development it’s also an opportunity to build essential communication skills. We use the Voice 21 Oracy Framework to embed speaking and listening into our PE lessons, helping children become confident communicators as well as active learners. 

How we do this in PE: 

• Structured Talk Opportunities: Pupils take on roles such as team captain, coach, or motivator during games, encouraging them to give clear instructions, share strategies, and offer feedback. 

• Use of Sentence Stems and Vocabulary: We introduce key sporting vocabulary and sentence starters to help children articulate ideas effectively, e.g., “Our strategy is…” or “I noticed that…”. 

• Collaborative Problem-Solving: During tactical challenges, pupils discuss options, negotiate roles, and make decisions together, developing reasoning and critical thinking. 

• Reflection and Self-Evaluation: At the end of lessons, pupils participate in guided discussions to reflect on performance, set goals, and celebrate success. 

• Non-Verbal Communication: Children learn to combine verbal communication with gestures and signals, improving clarity and teamwork in fast-paced activities. 

By embedding oracy in PE, we ensure pupils develop confidence, teamwork, and leadership skills that extend beyond the sports hall—preparing them for success in all areas of life. 

How We Support Vulnerable Children

We are committed to ensuring that all children, including our most vulnerable learners, can access and enjoy high-quality physical education. Our approach is rooted in adaptation, inclusion, and care. Lessons are differentiated to meet individual needs, using modified equipment, alternative roles, and tailored activities so every child can participate meaningfully and experience success. Additional adult support is provided where needed to build confidence and engagement. 

Children in our HUB unit, access mainstream PE alongside their peers to promote social interaction and inclusion. They also benefit from specialist teaching sessions designed to develop physical skills at their own pace. To enrich their experience, we provide opportunities for HUB pupils to take part in PE trips and both intra- and inter-school competitions, ensuring they enjoy the same breadth of sporting opportunities as their peers. Our goal is to create a safe, supportive environment where every child feels valued, motivated, and able to thrive. 

Primary PE Curriculum Overview 2025-2026

Curriculum Intent – PE

At Academy 360, our PE curriculum is designed to inspire all students to develop a lifelong love of physical activity, sport, and healthy living. We aim to provide an inclusive, engaging, and challenging environment where students can build physical confidence, teamwork, resilience, and a strong understanding of the benefits of an active lifestyle. 

Through a broad and balanced curriculum, we equip students with the skills, knowledge, and motivation to participate in a wide range of physical activities both in and beyond school. We strive to develop personal excellence, fair play, and leadership, ensuring every student has the opportunity to succeed, regardless of ability. 

The curriculum ensures every learner can participate, progress, and achieve, while developing the literacy and oracy needed to communicate effectively about performance, health, and wellbeing. Ultimately, PE empowers students to leave school as confident, active young people who value physical activity and understand its importance for their future lives. 

Our ultimate goal is to instil a lifelong commitment to physical well-being, fostering a positive attitude towards health, fitness, and mental well-being that extends into adulthood. 

Our curriculum in PE is sequenced to build on the knowledge learnt in KS2, and prepare students for their life outside of Academy 360 and when they leave education. Physical skills are progressed from KS2 onwards by initially focusing on fundamental movement skills which later progresses into developing them into sport-specific skills and finally refining these skills for performance in more complex game scenarios. This allows students to develop skills to progress in sports, and apply them outside of Academy life. 

Students are also taught how to develop tactical and strategic understanding over the course of their time with us. In lower years, basic tactics are introduced in small-sided games to build their foundational knowledge, and then developed further to have a greater independence in tactical decision-making, coaching, and analysis of performance. Developing tactical competence is an important focus of ours due to the transferable skills developed for their working life.  

Physical fitness and health awareness is also sequenced from KS2 to KS4 by starting with a basic understanding of the components of fitness, and later embedding knowledge of personalised fitness plans, deeper knowledge of training methods, and preparation for lifelong health. Knowledge and understanding of fitness and health is a vital part of our GCSE offer in PE, and students are taught vital content included the Sport Studies course, as well as content that is not linked to the GCSE. Similarly, we cover other areas on our curriculum such as leadership which also builds foundational knowledge for our GCSE PE route. 

There is also a particular focus on inclusion and broadening participation by dedicating time to well established sports, but equally giving time to new and emerging sports. In younger years, students will have an exposure to a wider range of activities, which will then lead to choice-based participation to encourage lifelong engagement and promote early specialisation in a sport. 

Contributing to our A360 Curriculum Intent in PE, we contribute to our whole school intent by: 

How does our curriculum cater for disadvantaged students and those from minority groups?

Students who are disadvantaged, including those with multiple barriers, are actively considered in curriculum planning and sequencing to ensure equitable access, targeted support, and the best possible outcomes for all. 

In PE and Sport studies at KS4 Foundational knowledge is front loaded so all students—especially those with gaps in literacy, confidence, or prior learning—can access later, more complex content. Key concepts are revisited through interleaving to strengthen long term memory and support learners who need more time to secure understanding. Practical and theory components are balanced to ensure students with different strengths can succeed and feel motivated. 

Adaptive teaching strategies such as chunked instructions, visual demonstrations, and scaffolded writing frames help students access both practical and written elements when it comes to the KS4 Units in Sport studies. 

The OCR Sport course ensures students revisit key threshold concepts—such as training principles, fitness components, participation factors, and the impact of barriers—through both the exam content and the NEA. The exam introduces and tests core knowledge, while the NEA requires students to apply this knowledge in practical contexts, such as analysing performance, designing training programmes, or evaluating participation issues. Because students meet the same big ideas in different units and formats, they repeatedly connect theory to practice, deepen understanding, and strengthen long term retention of these essential sporting concepts. 

Literacy Skills

Students develop strong literacy skills within Child development through deliberate opportunities to read, write, speak, and listen using subject-specific vocabulary and language, enabling them to communicate and think critically with confidence. 

In PE,  Verbal feedback during practical sessions helps students articulate ideas clearly and constructively. Leadership roles in drills and warm ups require students to communicate instructions using accurate vocabulary. Group discussions about tactics and strategy build confidence in expressing viewpoints and reasoning. Listening to peer and teacher feedback strengthens understanding and supports improvement.  Explicit teaching of technical terms (e.g., aerobic endurance, agility, officiating signals) ensures students can communicate like sports practitioners. 

Using sport specific texts and case studies exposes students to authentic vocabulary and real world scenarios in KS4 Sport Studies.  Use of sport-specific terminology ensures precision and develops confidence in written communication. Reflective writing on practical performance encourages students to analyse strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. 

Qualifications

Students leave our academy with excellent qualifications that give them a wide range of choices and opportunities as they move into the next stage of education and adult life.

In PE, we encourage all students to take GCSE PE, regardless of their practical ability. We also offer additional qualifications such as DofE. Transferable skills for adult life such as Communication, teamwork, leadership, and resilience are developed through practical sport and group activities. Critical thinking and problem solving are strengthened through tactical analysis and performance evaluation. Health, wellbeing, and lifelong fitness habits prepare students to make informed choices beyond school. 

Strong Character

Students develop strong character traits that will support them to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing world.

We provide students with a strong foundation in performance, composition, and music industry knowledge, promoting creativity, In PE, students are taught many skills, both sporting and not, to prepare them for the rapidly changing world. From a participant perspective, students are taught traits such as determination, resilience and competitiveness. From a leadership perspective, students are taught traits such as patience, confidence and fairness. 

Physical and Mental Health

Our students develop their physical and mental health, alongside their intellectual growth.

In PE, students are challenged physically in every lesson, ranging from working hard in the gym, to applying techniques into a game's situation. As part of the curriculum, students are also taught the benefits of participation in sport, which involves physical benefits, mental benefits, social benefits and intellectual benefits. Teamwork and cooperative activities strengthen relationships and a sense of belonging. Students learn the importance of physical activity for mental wellbeing, including mood regulation, motivation, and self esteem. 

Cultural Experiences and Opportunities

Students have access to high-quality cultural experiences and extra-curricular opportunities.

In PE, students are given a broad and balanced curriculum, including a mixture of emerging and well-established sports. They are also given a multitude of opportunities to compete in different sports and gain qualifications along the way. 

Careers Information

Students engage with high-quality careers information and guidance across all key stages.

In PE, students are taught about sport as an industry and taught the different career paths that one can follow in school. In GCSE level PE, students attend sessions at local colleges, and have colleges come to them to deliver recruitment and information sessions. 

British Values

Students have a highly developed understanding of the fundamental British Values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance.

In PE, British values are embedded into our lessons, teaching democracy by encouraging students to have a say in teams, the rule of law by encouraging respect for referees and team captains, individual liberty by promoting a growth mindset, mutual respect by encouraging sportsmanship, and tolerance by promoting inclusive PE lessons. Leadership opportunities allow students to experience both representing and listening to others. Students learn the importance of rules in sport and why they exist to ensure safety, fairness, and respect 

Protected Characteristics

Students have a strong understanding and appreciation of all protected characteristics, including race, gender, religion, disability and sexual orientation.

In PE, students develop an understanding of protected characteristics by promoting inclusivity, respect, and awareness of diversity within sports and physical activities. In GCSE level PE, students are then taught about the barriers to participation the protected characteristics may face and how to solve the barrier. Teamwork in mixed groups encourages students to challenge stereotypes and value contributions from all backgrounds. PE fosters a culture where all students feel safe, respected, and able to participate without fear of judgement

The OCR Sport course helps students understand and appreciate all protected characteristics by exploring how sport must be inclusive, fair, and accessible to everyone. Through topics such as barriers to participation, equality in sport, adapted activities for disability, and the impact of culture, gender, and religion on involvement, learners see how different groups experience sport differently. Case studies of athletes from diverse backgrounds, discussions about discrimination, and analysis of inclusive practice help students recognise the importance of respect, fairness, and representation. This repeated exposure builds a strong appreciation of race, gender, religion, disability, and sexual orientation within sporting contexts. 

Click the link below to see our Secondary PE Curriculum

5 Year Curriculum Map PE5 Year Curriculum Map Sport Studies