PE and Sport
The purpose of the PE and Sport curriculum is to provide a knowledge-rich curriculum that develops pupils’ physical, mental, and social health, and ensures that being active forms part of their life-long identity.
The mantra and basis for curriculum and extra curriculum planning for PE at The Rudheath Senior Academy is based on how we can get ‘More students, More Active, More Often!’ The focus is ‘Fitness comes first’ where each pupil is encouraged to achieve their personal best. We want to see our students arrive to PE with happy faces and leave with red and sweaty faces (and still happy faces!).
All learners are encouraged to strive for excellence through an engaging & high-quality physical education curriculum that inspires all pupils to succeed and excel. It will provide opportunities for learners to become physically confident in a way which supports their physical and mental health and fitness. Opportunities to compete in sport and other activities will be provided to build character and help to embed values such as fairness and respect in addition to RSA’s key values of excellence and kindness.
The curriculum is sequenced over KS3 and KS4 to develop, apply and consolidate the core and advanced skills and tactics required to prepare learners for competitive sport, an active lifestyle, BTEC Sport and beyond. The fully inclusive PE Curriculum provides opportunities for enrichment to equip all learners with the knowledge and cultural capital to become educated, active, and healthy citizens. The sequence of sports reflects the Vale Royal School sport competition calendar, seasonal weather conditions and pupil voice.
You will see happy pupils taking part in active lessons. Barriers are removed to promote engagement and inclusivity. This is done by offering a varied and well differentiated curriculum and by adapting sports and activities when required. The focus is ‘Fitness comes first’ where each pupil is encouraged to achieve their personal best. We want to see our students arrive to PE with happy faces and leave with red and sweaty faces (and still happy faces!).
Each PE teacher will show relentless optimism and positivity to all pupils. They will be their biggest cheerleader and encourage them to achieve their personal goals. The PE department’s positivity will spread contagiously amongst each class and the school community.
Pupils will strive to be their ‘personal best’ in each lesson and want to improve their fitness scores and core PE grades at each data entry point. The happy and self-confident pupils will enjoy and look forward to PE lessons and understand the mental and social benefits of PE in addition to the physical benefits. These benefits will be seen across the whole school curriculum.
To ensure consistency across all sporting areas all teachers assess the same practical skills in each sport. These skills are tested in isolation, in conditioned practices and in competition. To ensure pupils know and remember more, each lesson begins with a knowledge drill and concludes with a plenary/ reflection. In addition to knowledge drills and regular questioning & to assess the pupils’ cognitive understanding of the rules, regulations, skills, tactics & tier 3 vocabulary, each pupil completes a quiz set via Microsoft Teams.
As well as assessing each pupil’s practical skills, the RSA PE department assess each pupil’s aerobic endurance (bleep test) and core muscular endurance (one minute sit up test). This is done at 4 different data entry points beginning with the first two lessons in September. This data is used to highlight, and act on, any concerns. Feedback is given verbally and by using normative comparison tables. Extra fitness classes will be introduced to those students whose aerobic fitness is a concern. This data is used to motivate pupils and has been used effectively in parent consultation evenings.
RSA has an extensive extra-curricular programme that can be accessed by all students. No one is excluded. The programme changes each term and reflects the pupil voice, upcoming sporting fixtures and environmental conditions. To encourage cultural capital, pupils are asked to watch live sports events with their families either on TV or in person.
BTEC Sport pupils receive 1 piece of homework per week that will focus on checking knowledge based upon the key BTEC Sport learning aims. This will prepare students for internal or external (exam) assessment and will be set in class and via Microsoft Teams.
PE and Sport prepare learners for an active and healthy lifestyle and future. Learners will enjoy the physical, mental, and social benefits of PE and sport for the rest of their lives. Academically, pupils can study A- Level PE at Sir John Deane’s or embark on vocational courses such as coaching or personal fitness at South Cheshire college and Warrington & Vale Royal college.
Learning Journey