Our philosophy for PE is underpinned by the belief that confident and competent students are more likely to actively engage in life-long physical activities and, in doing so, maintain a healthy and active lifestyle.
In PE we have considered the curriculum not only to be a powerful tool in allowing our young people to counter any social, cultural and academic disadvantage they may face but also the provider of a strong moral compass to guide their future life. As such, the ASPIRE values form an integral part of our lingua franca in PE; we explicitly develop the character of our students in PE lessons by creating meaningful leadership opportunities. Leadership opportunities are plentiful away from PE lessons, too. Students have the opportunity to engage in Youth Sport Trust initiatives such as Set for Success and This Girl Can.
Students are taught to become competent players who have sufficient skills to participate and compete. Students learn to execute strategies that are appropriate for the complexity of the game being played. This subject-specific knowledge is underpinned by a strong focus on vocabulary. Students' ability to add such important knowledge to long-term memory is reflected in the pedagogical approaches deployed in lessons. Developing a literate sportsperson who understands and values the rules, rituals, and traditions of sport is important. Students use the ASPIRE values to distinguish between good and bad sport practices in a variety of sport settings. We aim to create enthusiastic students who preserve, protect, and enhance the sport culture through participation, involvement, and appropriate behaviour. The evidence-based pedagogical approach known as ‘Sport Education’ forms an important strand of how we implement these aims.
We aim to ensure that all our pupils who are disadvantaged or have any special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have access to a carefully planned curriculum. Our curriculum aims to provide pupils with SEND with explicit systematic teaching and rehearsal of knowledge. We also ensure that these pupils have the time they need to study important subject content in physical education.
The King’s Leadership Academy Hawthornes physical education curriculum has been developed to ensure that all pupils:
develop competence and confidence to excel in a broad range of physical activities
are physically active for sustained periods of time
develop character through meaningful leadership opportunities
engage in competitive sports and activities
lead healthy, active lives.