During Early Years, we aim to ensure that children have a continuous thread of fundamental skill development throughout the year. Work is programmed so that children work in dance, gymnastics and a variety of team and individual games. This will enable children to establish a skill set which can be progressively developed during Key Stage 1.

Fundamental skills are present throughout Key Stage 1. From the baseline assessment at the start of Year 1 through to the End of Key Stage assessment at the end of Year 2, lessons are delivered to allow children to consolidate, develop and excel in the ten fundamental areas. Teaching of these skills is delivered through themed units of work which link to other curriculum areas. Focus on the fundamental skills provides a platform for application of these into increasingly complex and demanding individual and team activities in Key Stage 2. It is aimed that children access a broad range of different games by the end of Key Stage 1 (cricket, tennis, dodgeball).

Mastery of the fundamental skills is a priority at the start of Lower Key Stage 2, with intervention for children needing to catch up. Skills are applied in all areas of the curriculum; games, gymnastics, dance and athletics. Competitive team games are taught in the hall, on the recently resurfaced playground and on the school field, and we have recently extensively improved the quantity and quality of sporting equipment for indoor and outdoor use, with specific equipment for every activity (including unusual activities such as boccia and curling).

Sporting activities have been carefully chosen to ensure children experience a full range of sports, and that skills can be applied and developed year-on-year. Sports covered in one year are revisited (e.g. Cricket in Year 3 and 5) which allows skills and tactics to be advanced, and progress to be measured. Development of skills and tactics are transferable between different activities. As the children move through Key Stage 2, different Attacking and Defending scenarios are experiences and applied to a wide range of sports.

Children in Year 4 & 5 take part in Swimming lessons, with focused Intervention sessions for children in Years 5 & 6 in the Summer term. Specialist coaches are used on occasions to boost the children’s learning and improve staff development and competence in areas of the curriculum needing improvement. Opportunities for children to further develop skills and gain experience in a wide range of sports are offered through extra-curricular activities at lunchtime and after school (we are working to re-establish as wide a selection of sports as possible following the disruption during Covid – in 2019/20, 22 different sporting activities were offered – free of charge – to children).