Physical Education (PE)
"At Firs Farm we promote a love for physical activity, alongside developing physical literacy and understanding of the skills needed to excel in sport. We provide a comprehensive and balanced curriculum, with opportunities for all. We endeavor to develop the enjoyment of competitive sports, by building resilient, respectful and confident sportsmanship.”
Physical Education at Firs Farm encompasses a diversity of sports, which help our children not only to enhance their physical well-being, skills and stamina, but also contributes to their formation as a whole person. Through the development of team-work and individual skills, the staff at Firs Farm encourage the children to become more resilient, determined and respectful of each other.
PE is inclusive of all abilities and starts as soon as children join the school in Reception. In the Foundation stage, the focus is on developing children’s gross and fine motor skills, as well as using equipment safely. Through many fun games, children are encouraged to investigate and experiment with various ways of moving, develop their jumping and landing skills, as well as negotiating different spaces in gymnastics and dance. They start to become more aware of the effects of exercise and begin to learn aspects of safety in sport.
In Key Stage 1, children become aware of formal games and gymnastics techniques. They also start to look at and develop dance sequences. They develop a taste for basketball, tennis, football, netball, cricket and athletics. Working together and describing what they do, helps children develop communication skills; observing what happens to their bodies during physical activities makes them aware of scientific concepts and keeping scores and counting their exercises develops basic mathematical concepts. Our KS1 children have an opportunity to display their skills during the annual Sports Day, a community event.
In KS2 our children, children enhance their knowledge and understanding of physical activities, becoming more proficient in displaying and analysing their own performances, and understanding what they need to do to improve. We have an excellent team of motivated and passionate teachers, who deliver the curriculum alongside. KS2 children also take part in the Sports Day, where our Sports Captains take a prominent role, supporting with the organisation of this community event. Alongside the opportunity to perfect the skills learned so far in school, children in KS2 also benefit from our swimming lessons. By the end of the swimming programme, children in our school are all familiar with water, most can swim for a certain length and they all learn basic survival and water related rescue skills.
Our Physical Education doesn’t end with the delivery of the curriculum during PE sessions: our play- leaders work alongside lunchtime coaches to ensure our children are physically active during lunch-times, by offering them the chance to play and practise skills learned during lessons and outside school. This is also a chance for our less competitive children to enjoy physical activities in a safe, enjoyable environment. Children are involved in the good running of our lunch-time activities, with our Year 6 Games Captains helping set-up, supervise and referee those activities- a responsibility which they relish.
We also encourage the competitive side of sports through participating in different festivals, events and competitions. Firs Farm children are invited to take part in the Football League, the Netball league, Athletic, Gymnastic and Dance festivals, as well as other opportunities offered by Enfield borough to display their skills.
Please head to the PE and Sports Premium page for a closer look at PE at Firs Farm!