PE

Intent 

Physical Education at St Thomas More Catholic Primary School aims to develop a fun, high-quality physical education curriculum that inspires all pupils to succeed and excel individual’s abilities in competitive sports and other physically-demanding activities. We will provide opportunities for pupils to become physically confident in a way which supports their health and fitness.  They will learn about themselves, their bodies and ways to become physically active.

• Our children will have regular opportunities to compete in a variety of sports and other activities that build character and help to embed values such as fairness and respect.
• PE at St Thomas More is an imperative element of the curriculum, which develops and promotes a need for leading healthy and active life styles, having a balanced diet, positive growth mind-set and the resilience to persevere with activities that may be challenging. All children will have two hours of high quality Physical Education each week. 
• Children will leave Thomas More being able to swim 25m confidently.
• Staff at St Thomas More are passionate about the need to teach children how to cooperate and collaborate with others by working as part of a team; as well as providing opportunities for children to achieve their ‘Personal Best’.
• At St Thomas More we aim to adopt a supportive and encouraging approach towards PE. When educators celebrate achievements, however small, and foster an inclusive environment, students are more likely to develop a positive outlook towards physical activity
• EYFS have a significant focus on physical development. They use their PE lessons to work on their gross motor skills.

 Implementation 

Pupils at St Thomas More participate in 2 hours of weekly, high quality PE lessons.  Our PE curriculum is varied and long-term plans ensure that we meet the requirements of the National Curriculum. The PE programme incorporates a variety of sports to ensure all children develop the confidence, tolerance and the appreciation of their own and others’ strengths and weaknesses.

Children take part in a range of invasion games, striking & fielding and net & wall games; we promote imagination and creativity in gymnastics and dance, as well as providing opportunities for athletics using both indoor and outdoor environments plus outdoor and adventurous activities. We offer our Year 6 children the opportunity for additional outdoor adventurous activities through an annual residential trip.

All pupils participate in weekly swimming lessons for approximately 8 weeks in Years 3, 4 and 5.

Our PE curriculum follows Get Set 4 PE Platform. It is a comprehensive platform that has been designed to allow for effective progression of knowledge and soft skills from one year to the next by providing detailed ‘Performance Pathways’ for children to follow. These ‘Pathways’ enable children to build upon prior experiences and apply these fluently, with confidence. Specific vocabulary is taught and extended each year. Teachers assess the children’s progress in PE, both by making informal judgements, as they observe them during lessons, and through assessing against the specific objectives set out in the National Curriculum and recorded using the Get Set 4 PE assessment software.

We have clear expectations of what the pupils will know, understand and be able to do at the end of each Key Stage. Teachers are supported with resources to know how to prepare children for their next phase of education. These resources include the Get Set 4 PE progression of skills document, progression ladders and knowledge organisers.

Our EYFS also follow Get Set 4 PE curriculum as part of their Physical Development prime focus. The Get Set plans allow for the children to develop their gross motor skills. In addition to following Get Set 4 PE plans, EYFS also provide an opportunity for the children to develop their fine motor skills through the provision of busy fingers, disco dough and other activities.

Physical Education is fundamental in developing healthy lifestyles in young people and at St Thomas More we provide opportunities for all children to engage in extra-curricular activities.

In addition to our PE curriculum and extra curriculum opportunities, children are encouraged to take part in a wide range of competitive sporting events throughout the year. Although we enjoy the competitive nature of sport, we also appreciate and encourage the importance of children ‘taking part’ and promote positive experiences of being physically active and not always participating to win. This is an inclusive approach which endeavours to encourage not only physical development but also value the importance of promoting a positive physical and mental well-being for all pupils.

Playtimes are an important part of our pupils being happy, healthy and ready to learn. Our recent additions to the Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) equipment has received a lot of positive feedback from pupils across the school. We have well-equipped playgrounds, outdoor table tennis tables, a large sports field, a KS1 Trail, outdoor gym equipment and a growing Forest School provision. These have been designed to provide opportunities for children to develop and improve fundamental skills using various body parts and to maintain high activity levels.

Impact

At St Thomas More, we want to inspire, promote and achieve. We want children to enjoy outdoor activity, be physical active and enjoy competing. At Thomas More, we motivate children to participate in a variety of sports which are engaging and fun. We inspire children to instinctively utilise skills and knowledge acquired during PE lessons, encouraging them to take responsibility for their own health and fitness thus developing a love of sport leading to a happy and healthy life.

Children are happy learners within Physical Education. Recent PE Pupil Voice analysis (Autumn 2025) informs us that approximately 90% of children enjoy taking part in P.E. lessons across the school.

Through Physical Education, children deepen their appreciation of their faith and fulfil their God-given talents.

Children of all abilities and backgrounds achieve well in Physical Education, which is reflected in outstanding progress that reveals a clear learning journey.  Children talk enthusiastically about their learning in Physical Education and are eager to further their learning in the next stages of their education.

Through following the precise progression of Get Set 4 PE, children will achieve well in PE and meet National Curriculum objectives by the end of their Key Stage.

By the end of EYFS, we expect all children to have successfully achieved their early learning goals within the physical development prime focus.

Fundamental British Values are evident in Physical Education and children understand how it can celebrate difference.

Through this exposure, children will produce work that is influenced by the best of the best.

Children are physically active for sustained periods of time and recognise the importance of this, when being encouraged to lead healthy, active lives.

By the end of KS2, children will be able to swim competently and confidently over a range of at least 25 metres.  

National Curriculum - Physical education.pdf

Physical Education Curriculum Map - Topics.pdfPhysical Education PE Progression Map.pdf