Typical Sports Covered in PE
Schools can select activities that allow pupils to meet the curriculum's objectives while providing a varied physical education experience.
It is quite common for these councils to use local resources and favour locally popular sports. But then, there are the schools that include more modern and newer sports, focusing on inclusivity and diversity. The goal, for parents, is to identify the schools that have the best PE programmes that can excite their children. Main sports covered in Community schools include:
- Team & Territory Sports
- Bat, Ball & Field Sports
- Racket & Net Activities
- Movement, Performance & Individual Sports
- Swimming & Water-Based Activities
- Outdoor & Adventure Activities
Team sports are common and can help children develop coordination and physical skills while also learning about teamwork, tactics and communication. Individual activities can give pupils opportunities to develop movement, balance, strength, endurance and technique in different ways.
How PE Changes as They Grow Up
In the early years of school, there is a more prominent focus on developing fundamental movement skills. There is not as much specialisation; it is more about inclusivity and getting children to enjoy sports. Beneath this, there is a wide range of benefits for the children, including developing social skills, cooperating with others, and learning to follow basic rules through games and sports.
As they move up the years, PE can become more layered and open up into more specialised activities. It can branch into sports with competition and basic levels of tactics or strategy.
By secondary school, the focus tends to lean more towards choice and opportunities to specialise. Students, by now, are hopefully encouraged to pursue the sports that interest them, and are given options to try out more complex sports. The aim is not to make an Olympiad of every student, but to give them the foundation for healthy life habits.
PE and Sport Premium Funding
Eligible primary schools in England can receive PE and Sport Premium funding to improve the quality of their physical education, physical activity and school sport. The funding gives schools additional resources to strengthen their provision. It can be used in areas such as staff development, improving the quality of PE teaching, increasing participation and supporting pupils in accessing a wider range of sporting opportunities.
School Events, Competitions and Training Beyond School
PE lessons are only one part of the sporting experience available at some community schools. Schools can also organise extracurricular clubs, competitions, tournaments and other sporting events. Inter-school competitions can give pupils the opportunity to represent their school and experience competitive sport in a different environment. Some schools also work with external sports clubs, coaches and community organisations.
These relationships can expand the activities available to pupils and give them access to specialist instruction or facilities that the school may not have itself. For children who develop a particular sporting interest, these opportunities can become a pathway towards more advanced training outside school. Schools can therefore act as an introduction to activities that pupils may continue through local clubs or other organisations.
Sports for Different Abilities and Levels of Confidence
A child who does not enjoy a competitive team game might discover that they enjoy swimming, dance, athletics, gymnastics or another individual activity. Inclusivity also means recognising that pupils can progress at different speeds. The ideal PE curriculum at a school should give children opportunities to improve from their own starting points rather than making participation dependent on already being highly skilled.