Physical Education

Trust Curriculum Intent

Our mission is to provide a cradle to career education that allows our children to enjoy lives of choice and opportunity. By the age of 18, we want every child to have the option of university or a high quality alternative. 

Subject Curriculum Intent

Physical Education seeks to achieve a lifelong love for sport and physical activity in our pupils.  When they leave us they understand and appreciate the value of an active and healthy lifestyle through participation in sport. Our curriculum explores the fundamental practical and theoretical elements that form the basis of all sports performances, be it team or individual. Through a range of sports and activities our students are able to develop their motor competence, an understanding of rules, strategies and tactics and their own healthy participation.  

Students have the opportunity to engage with a variety of team sports, including rugby league, football, netball, handball, basketball, cricket, rounders and softball. We also deliver upon a range of individual sports such as dance, gymnastics, badminton, health-related fitness and athletics. Students have the opportunity to take part in outdoor and adventurous activities such as mountain biking, climbing, orienteering among others, which present intellectual and physical challenges. We promote and encourage team work, communication and trust and developing skills to solve problems, either individually or as a group. Our curriculum facilitates the need for students to analyse their performances in all activities compared to previous ones and demonstrate improvement to achieve their personal best. 

Alongside our curriculum offering, Brigshaw Physical Education offers a wide range of opportunities to take part in competitive sports and activities outside school through our after school sports and activity programme founded on our school values of respect, integrity, resilience and equality.

Curriculum Principles

• Reverse Planning in Physical Education means that the skills, tactics and knowledge required by students at GCSE, Level 3 and A level are positioned as the end goal so that lessons from the start of year 7 build towards success at Key Stage four and Five.

This process has shaped the curriculum journey that our students follow to provide them with the motor competence, knowledge of rules and tactics and understanding of health and fitness needed to succeed with KS4 and KS5 as well as developing the confidence and competence to help promote a lifelong love of PE and Sport.

Through reverse planning pupils have the opportunity to revisit, repeat and build on existing skills and knowledge as they progress through the year groups, working towards the requirements of GCSE studies.

• Powerful Knowledge is developed by embedding a fundamental understanding of the importance of skills to allow success and confidence within a range of activities. Pupils are encouraged to develop holistically and understand the value of Physical Education in terms of social and emotional wellbeing in addition to their physical wellbeing. Through developing this knowledge our pupils are given the opportunity to enhance their physical literacy and have the ability to think about and do things that they otherwise couldn’t. 
• Cultural Capital is developed in the physical education curriculum by introducing the students to a wide range of sports and physical activities to expose students to different cultures and traditions. This is developed through the range of sports on the curriculum and offered in extra-curricular clubs. Equality and inclusivity is at the heart of extra-curricular clubs that are open to any student. Taking part in clubs and representing school teams gives students the opportunities to perform in a range of sports and develop their cultural capital of physical activities. There is an opportunity to travel to other schools in and out of West Yorkshire where they meet students or different cultures and traditions therefore broadening their cultural capital. 

• Substantive (“Know That”) knowledge is developed in the PE curriculum through explicit instructions of key teaching points and the use of success criteria so that students know key points for success. The use of focussed questioning during and at the end of lessons develops pupils' ability to recall. Key teaching points and vocabulary are highlighted in medium term plans to ensure that students' declarative knowledge develops over time.
• Procedural and Disciplinary (“Know How”) Knowledge is developed in the PE curriculum through regular practice of skills and opportunity to apply their skills within sports and physical activities. The curriculum is sequenced so pupils have the opportunity to repeat, refine and develop their motor competence. Pupils are provided with clear demonstrations, explicit explanations and specific formative feedback to allow them to become more confident and competent.
• Cognitive Psychology is developed in the PE curriculum by scaffolding lessons to build on prior knowledge and attainment. Expert modelling and demonstrations are used to model key concepts and movement patterns. Students have the opportunity to repeat physical motors skills in a conditioned environment to avoid information overload. The students then apply the skills they have developed to competitive activities. 

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