National Curriculum and Schools
Physical Education
A multi-activity programme at Glaramara, which may include aspects of rock climbing, canoeing, ghyll scrambling, hill walking, orienteering and problem solving exercises, will provide more than sufficient evidence to satisfy many of the national curriculum requirements for PE.
The curriculum at Key Stage 2 requires students to:
- take part in outdoor activity challenges, including following trails, in familiar, unfamiliar and changing environments
- use a range of orienteering and problem solving skills
- work with others to meet the challenges.
At Key Stages 3 & 4, some of the key themes are:
- Increased choice to select the activities that most suit the aspirations and preferences of pupils in order to engage, challenge and inspire them.
- Opportunities for pupils to experience a broader range of roles allowing skill development in a wider range of contexts as leaders and officials as well as performers.
- A curriculum that contributes to healthy lifestyles focusing on developing pupils’ understanding of the important contribution physical activity can make to the healthy functioning of the body and mind and its place as an essential component of a healthy lifestyle. This provides opportunities to work across the curriculum with subjects such as science, food technology and PSHE. It may also contribute to studies of themes such as sustainable development (in terms of the impact of lifestyle choices on the environment and sustainability) .
- A greater emphasis on increasing specialisation, with a focus on providing clear pathways into physical activity in and beyond school, will enable pupils to specialise and develop specific skills and techniques relevant to their interests.
Teachers are often surprised by which pupils achieve success through outdoor activity, as they are not always those who shine in the arena of more traditional sports. The need for speed and agility can take second place in the outdoors to patience, courage or a good sense of humour!
