Modeligo National SchoolCeapach, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford

PE Plan

Physical education plan covering content, approaches and assessment.

🏃 CurriculumRatified: March 2022

Modeligo National School PE Plan

Rationale

Physical Education provides children with learning opportunities through the medium of movement. Through PE we aim to help children develop physically as well as socially, emotionally and intellectually. This plan describes the place which we give to PE in our school — to support children in every aspect of their life and development — and the way in which we will achieve that goal through our agreed approach to teaching PE. This document will also serve as a basis for each teacher's long and short term planning and as a source of information for parents and the Board of Management.

Vision

We envisage that through PE children will be given the opportunity to develop their physical skills and competencies to their full potential, appropriate to their age and ability, in a safe and supportive environment. The planning and management of the PE curriculum in our school will always have the children as the focus of attention through the provision of a broad, balanced and differentiated programme of physical activities.

Aims

We endorse the aims of the Primary School Curriculum for PE:

  • To promote the physical, social, emotional and intellectual development of the child
  • To develop positive personal qualities
  • To help in the acquisition of an appropriate range of movement skills in a variety of contexts
  • To promote understanding and knowledge of the various aspects of movement
  • To develop an appreciation of movement and the use of the body as an instrument of expression and creativity

Strands and Strand Units

The curriculum is divided into six strands:

  • Athletics
  • Dance
  • Gymnastics
  • Games
  • Outdoor and adventure activities
  • Aquatics

Learning Opportunities

In every strand, children will be given opportunities to:

  • Become skilful and intelligent performers
  • Acquire and develop skills, performing with increasing physical competence and confidence
  • Learn how to select and apply skills
  • Develop their ideas in a creative way
  • Set targets for themselves and compete against others individually and as team members
  • Understand what it means to persevere, succeed and acknowledge others' success
  • Take the initiative, lead activity and focus on improving aspects of their own performance

Approaches and Methodologies

We use methods that encourage maximum participation, including individual, pair, group and team play — with younger children and pupils with special needs receiving more individual attention — and station teaching, where groups rotate around different stations.

Direct-Teaching Approach

The direct-teaching approach involves the teacher telling or showing children what to do and observing their progress. It entails the teacher making all, or most of, the decisions concerning the content of the lesson and the child responding to instructions. It allows for practice of skills within a games situation.

Guided-Discovery Approach

The guided-discovery strategy involves the teacher designing a series of questions that will eventually lead to one or more appropriate answers and ultimately the discovery of a particular concept or solution. It offers children the opportunity to make decisions, solve problems or take initiative, promotes discussion among children, and enhances each child's capacity to evaluate.

Integration

The teacher should consider how objectives can be achieved through integration. Physical education has many objectives which are developed by other subjects such as Gaeilge, English, art, music, mathematics and especially SPHE. The development of these subjects can be enriched through a broad and balanced PE programme.

Structure of a PE Lesson

Most lessons will follow this format: Warm Up — Main Activity — Cool Down.

Assessment and Record Keeping

Teachers constantly assess in PE by observing, listening, asking questions and giving feedback to pupils. This ensures ongoing achievements are recognised and areas of difficulty are identified. Children may be asked to self-assess and peer-assess where appropriate. Teachers report annually to parents at parent–teacher meetings and in end-of-year reports.

We will assess:

  • Willingness to participate in activities
  • Readiness to engage with a given activity
  • The level of competence of a child in carrying out an activity
  • Interest in and attitude to activity
  • Willingness to cooperate in individual, pair and group activities

Our assessment tools are teacher observation and teacher-designed tasks.

Inclusion

Multi-Class Teaching

Teachers adapt the curriculum and group children as necessary to cater for the various levels in multi-class settings. Children with ability or talent for PE will be acknowledged and given additional challenges. All children will be encouraged to participate through co-operative, fun activities, with activities set close to each child's ability level while still challenging them to improve.

Children with Different Needs

Children with special needs will experience the enjoyment of participation and progression through the PE programme according to their ability. A safe and secure environment will be provided, and specialist advice (e.g. from an OT) may be sought to identify appropriate activities.

Equality of Participation and Access

  • All children from First to Sixth Class will partake in all strands of the curriculum
  • Equal access to PE equipment and facilities will be provided for all children; use of the playground during breaks is an integral part of the school's programme
  • Lessons and activities will be adapted to suit the needs and abilities of pupils with special needs
  • Lack of financial resources will not hinder any child's participation in PE activities

Sports Coaches

Periodically, children receive training sessions from Modeligo GAA and the West Waterford GAA Development Team. All coaches must provide a Garda Clearance certificate to the principal prior to commencement and will be given a copy of the school's Child Protection Policy.

Swimming

Children from 3rd to 6th Class attend swimming lessons bi-annually, where they are taught confidence in water and proficiency in basic strokes.

Lunchtime Games

All children are encouraged to play and enjoy their break times. Physical facilities available include school yards, school hall, grass areas, on-site pitch, local pitch/astro turf and playground (on occasion).

  • 3rd–6th Class: soccer or football (use of pitch subject to weather); any child who does not wish to play ball games may use a specified area of the yard
  • Infants–2nd Class: team games in a separate yard; Junior Infants–2nd may also use games painted on the ground (hopscotch, target, snakes and ladders)

Health and Safety

The school's Health and Safety Policy will be adhered to at all times during PE. Staff will ensure the following safety aspects are observed:

  • All children wear suitable footwear and clothing during PE lessons
  • Equipment will be suitable in size, weight and design to the age, strength and ability of the child, and in good repair
  • Children will be taught how to lift and carry all PE equipment safely
  • All PE lessons include a warm-up and cool-down
  • Any accident will be recorded in the Red Incident Book in the staffroom, and the procedures outlined in the Health and Safety Policy will be followed
  • An appropriate surface will be used for each activity (e.g. mats during gymnastics)
  • Each teacher has a First Aid Kit

Parental Involvement

Parents have a responsibility to support and encourage their children to participate in all strands of the curriculum, including local athletics events and school tours involving physical activities. Photos of the annual Sports Day are uploaded to the school blog. Parents are informed of and may attend school matches.

Success Criteria

The criteria for evaluating the success of this PE policy are:

  • The importance of enjoyment and play
  • Maximum participation by all children
  • The development of skills and understanding
  • A balance between competitive and non-competitive activities
  • A balance between contact and non-contact activities
  • Providing opportunities for achievement for each child

Means of assessing outcomes include teacher, parent and community feedback; children's feedback regarding activity level, enjoyment and skill development; inspectors' suggestions; and second-level feedback.

Roles and Responsibilities

Each teacher is responsible for implementing this policy with his/her own class. The principal will co-ordinate the progress of the policy and encourage feedback on its implementation.

This PE plan was ratified by the Board of Management on 30 March 2022. It will be reviewed in 2025–26.

Chairperson, BoM: Sr. Veronica Casey