The PE National Curriculum: Key Elements for a Successful Summer Term
As the summer term begins, many primary schools across the UK are preparing to enhance their Physical Education to ensure pupils remain engaged, active and learn the essential skills needed for their development.
A well-structured and high-quality PE curriculum plays a vital role in shaping the physical, emotional and social well-being of primary school children. With dryer, lighter, and dare we say “sunnier” conditions, this stage of the academic year is the perfect time to look at the PE National Curriculum and evaluate your own PE mapping and set the groundwork for a successful summer of physical activity.
At PE Planning, we are dedicated to helping schools create dynamic and comprehensive PE mapping that meets the varying needs of all pupils, has the PE National Curriculum at the heart of it, and also ensures every child receives the very best education in physical activity. Here, we highlight the most important aspects required to deliver a high-quality PE curriculum, focusing on the start of the summer term…
1. A Clear, Structured Curriculum Framework
A well-defined framework is the foundation of any successful PE program. As the summer term approaches, you should structure your curriculum to build on the skills pupils have learnt throughout the year. For primary school pupils, this means covering different activities, from team sports and individual pursuits to fitness and wellbeing exercises.
A quality PE curriculum should cover key areas, including:
- Fundamental Movement Skills: These skills are the building blocks for all physical activities. Incorporating running, jumping, throwing and catching into lessons helps children develop coordination and body awareness.
- Sports and Games: Introducing popular team sports, such as football, netball and cricket, encourages teamwork, communication and strategy.
- Health and Fitness Education: Beyond the physical activities themselves, embedding a daily routine of exercise and a healthy lifestyle is key for their long-term well-being (more to follow in the ‘physical literacy’ section of this blog).
- Outdoor Activities: As the weather warms up and the summer term begins, it’s the ideal time to take your PE outdoors. Activities like orienteering and athletics foster a love for physical activity in natural environments.
Ensure that your PE curriculum integrates all of these elements in a logical progression, with clear objectives for each unit. This allows pupils to build upon their previous experiences, setting the stage for their continued growth. To help with this, take a look at our recommended free PE Long Term Plan.
The PE National Curriculum offers more guidance or key stage one and key stage two.
2. Inclusivity and Differentiation
Providing high-quality PE means ensuring that all children, regardless of skill level, are included. Differentiation is crucial to ensure all pupils can participate, learn and succeed.
Incorporate various levels of challenge in each activity so that children can work at their own pace while still being pushed to improve. This could mean offering more advanced tasks for confident athletes, and also providing simpler tasks or additional support for those who may need it. Look out for tips to make a task harder/easier on our PE Lesson Plans:
It’s also important to create an environment where children feel safe and encouraged to try new things, even if they are outside their comfort zone. Incorporating games and activities that require teamwork and communication can foster a sense of unity among pupils.
3. Engagement and Fun
For PE to have a lasting impact, it must be engaging and fun. The summer term is the perfect opportunity to inject enthusiasm into lessons by incorporating outdoor and non-traditional sports that get children excited to participate. Activities such as tennis, handball and golf provide variety and excitement, and also teaching valuable motor skills and coordination.
Remember, children are more likely to stay motivated if they enjoy what they’re doing. By incorporating various activities and introducing challenges, we accomplish this goal… And creating a positive and supportive atmosphere where every child feels confident and encouraged.
4. Emphasis on Physical Literacy
Physical literacy involves helping children develop the confidence, motivation and skills to enjoy and participate in physical activities for life. As we enter the summer term, it’s essential that PE lessons focus not just on physical skills, but also on building mental and emotional resilience through sport. Teaching children to approach challenges positively, bounce back from setbacks and work as a team is key to overall development.
A high-quality curriculum will integrate opportunities to help children improve their physical literacy, not only through traditional sports but also through problem-solving tasks, teamwork challenges and creative movement exercises. Encouraging children to enjoy and participate in physical activity can lay the foundation for an active and healthy lifestyle throughout their lives.
Find out more about Physical Literacy here.
5. Assessment and Reflection
Ongoing assessment is essential to monitor the progress of pupils and to ensure that your curriculum is meeting its objectives. This could be done through formative assessments during lessons, where teachers provide feedback on pupils’ techniques, skills and overall performance.
Reflection is also a key part of the learning process. At the end of each unit or activity, encourage your pupils to reflect on their experiences, achievements and areas they want to improve. This helps them become more self-aware and motivated to continue developing their physical abilities.
Ofsted recently reviewed the PE National Curriculum and recommended treating PE as a ‘knowledge-based’ subject. You will see that most PE Planning resources have prompts for the teacher to check the ‘procedural’ and ‘declarative’ knowledge of the pupils taking part in PE. You can find out more about the Ofsted review and how to implement their recommendations here.
Our website not only provides support with informal assessment and reflection with PE lessons… We also have tools and resources to help teachers effectively assess and track pupil progress, ensuring that every child’s growth is properly supported. See samples of our assessment documents, and other free PE resources, here.
6. Professional Development for Staff Delivering PE
Finally, the importance of PE based professional development for teachers cannot be overstated. Teachers should have the opportunity to continually refine their skills and stay up-to-date with the latest teaching practices, trends and new approaches to Physical Education.
As summer term progresses, consider offering opportunities for training, whether that be through external courses, workshops, or peer-to-peer learning sessions. A well-equipped and knowledgeable teacher will be better able to deliver high-quality lessons that engage and challenge pupils.
As the summer term begins, reassess your PE curriculum to maximise pupil engagement, skill development, and enjoyment. A comprehensive, inclusive and dynamic curriculum is the key to delivering high-quality PE experiences that will have a lasting impact on children’s physical, mental and emotional development.
For more information on how to develop a high-quality school PE curriculum, create a free PE Planning membership here. We offer expert guidance, lesson plans and resources to help you deliver an outstanding Physical Education that meets the needs of every child in your school.
Let’s make this summer term a time for growth, fun and achievement in PE!
