At Rydon Primary, our Physical Education curriculum develops confident, active and healthy children who understand the importance of physical activity for both their body and mind. Through a carefully sequenced programme from reception to Year 6, pupils build fundamental movement skills before applying them in increasingly complex sporting contexts.

In Key Stage 1, pupils develop and refine basic motor control. They build fundamental skills such as running, jumping, throwing and catching before applying them in simple games. Children begin to understand rules, teamwork and fair play, while developing confidence in gymnastics and dance.

In Key Stage 2, pupils apply and refine their skills across a broad range of sports and physical activities. These include invasion games (such as football, netball, tag rugby and basketball), net and wall games (such as tennis and volleyball), striking and fielding (such as cricket and rounders), athletics, gymnastics, dance and Outdoor Adventurous Activities. Swimming and water safety are taught to ensure pupils can swim competently, confidently and proficiently over at least 25 metres and know how to stay safe in and around water.

As pupils progress, they move from developing control and coordination to applying tactics, strategies and positional play. Older pupils evaluate performance, apply attacking and defensive principles, exploit space and work collaboratively to improve as individuals and teams.

Across all year groups, pupils develop:

• Agility, balance and coordination
• Knowledge of rules and tactics
• Teamwork and communication skills
• Resilience and sportsmanship
• An understanding of how exercise supports physical and emotional wellbeing

All children have opportunities throughout the year to take part in intra-school competitions, as well as represent the school in a wide range of local inter-school competitions and sporting events. We are proud to currently hold the Gold School Games Mark, recognising our commitment to high-quality PE, competitive sport and inclusive physical activity.

By the time they leave Rydon Primary, pupils have developed the skills, knowledge and confidence to participate in a range of sports and physical activities, understand how to lead a healthy lifestyle and enjoy being physically active.