Physical Education (PE)
At The Orchard school our intent is to ensure that children understand the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle and to equip them with the knowledge and skills to do so. We do this by providing children with a range of inclusive and engaging physical activities so that each child can fulfil their potential and develop a lifelong love of sport , physical activity and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
We encourage all our pupils to participate in both group and individual tasks. Throughout our PE curriculum there are opportunities for both competitive and co-operative activities. The activities are designed to demand increasing independence, competence and co-operation from each pupil.
From Reception through to year 2, children are taught to master basic movements including running, jumping, throwing, and catching as well as developing balance, agility and coordination and begin to apply these in a range of activities. All children are also taught to participate in team games and perform dances using simple movements.
We use “Get Set 4 PE” to support the delivery of Our PE curriculum. This ensures all children have the opportunity to develop their health and fitness, acquire and practice new skills, evaluate and improve their performance, learn dance movements and patterns, take part in team games, explore movements and actions in gymnastics, improve their ability to throw and catch and complete a range of activities in athletics.
Alongside our timetabled PE lessons some form of physical activity takes place every day, these include a 'Wake Up Shake Up' dance at the beginning of every day and regular active learning breaks. Children are also encouraged to walk, cycle or scoot to school.
The Orchard School takes part in a variety of inter-school competitions, throughout the year and the whole school takes part in our annual sports day.
PE Policy PE Action Plan 23 - 24 PE Curriculum Map 24 - 25 Sports Premium 23 - 24
Skills and Knowledge Progression Ladders
Please click on the pictures below for the key knowledge, skills and vocabulary taught in each PE unit of work.
PE in Reception
In Reception, Physical Education (PE) forms part of the learning children acquire under the ‘Knowledge and Understanding of the World' branch of the Foundation Stage curriculum.
The aim of PE is to improve skills of coordination, control, manipulation and movement, much of it taking place through free or lightly structured activity.
Children develop large motor skills through jumping, hopping, skipping, climbing and running, and also through playing with pedal and push-and-pull toys. Children participate freely in these kinds of activities both indoors and outdoors.
Fine motor skills are acquired by using tweezers to pick up small objects, doing a puzzle or stringing beads. Children need these skills to do up buttons or laces and to hold a pen or pencil to write correctly. 
There are some language objectives in PE lessons, too. Teachers will introduce words for negotiation and co-operation, such as ‘share’, ‘wait’, ‘take turns’, ‘before‘ and ‘after’.