INTENT
At Ashlands, we believe that Physical Education and sport are essential to the health, well-being, and holistic development of every child. Guided by a spirit of love for learning, life, and one another, we take a child-centred approach to PE. Our aim is to engage and challenge each individual, fostering not only physical skills but also the confidence, resilience, and teamwork needed to thrive both in sport and across the wider curriculum. Through this approach, we nurture a lifelong appreciation for physical activity, personal growth, and community connection.
IMPACT
Our core values shape the way we engage children in physical activity and competition. We aspire to learn new skills, play games, and continuously strive to surpass our personal bests. We place our trust in one another—our teammates, coaches, supporters, and referees—and have faith in our own bodies and abilities.
When challenges arise, we practice forgiveness and show compassion—towards players in our team, those facing challenges, teams that experience defeat, and friends who find new skills difficult to master. We nurture friendships both on and off the playing field, fostering a sense of community and belonging.
Respect is at the heart of everything we do—we respect our peers, teachers, referees, coaches, and competitors alike. Through our love of sport, we bring people together, building strong communities grounded in mutual support and shared joy.
IMPLEMENTATION:
We are committed to using our Sports Premium to provide all children with a diverse and engaging PE curriculum throughout their time at school. A wide range of extra-curricular activities encourages pupils to explore new sports and compete, promoting a positive attitude towards learning, life, and each other.
We believe in the importance of every child taking part in at least one PE lesson per week, supplemented by movement opportunities. During these sessions, children develop their movement skills through quality coaching experiences. Activities and games are carefully chosen to match the children’s key stage, ensuring that fundamental skills are nurtured and progressively developed. Additionally, after-school sports clubs and playtime activities offer further opportunities for skill enhancement and personal growth.
We are proud to encourage leadership through the role of Playground Leaders—pupils who have chosen to give their time to organising sporting and movement activities during break times and lunchtimes. This role helps children build character, develop communication skills, learn the value of teamwork, demonstrate resilience, and show respect for rules and fairness.
Our PE offer recognises the interconnected nature of PE and other subjects, teachers integrate physical activity with core learning, utilizing outdoor spaces like the playground and forest school area. This holistic approach might involve combining movement with lessons on times tables or measurement, enriching both physical and academic development.
Through our dedicated approach, we aim to inspire a lifelong passion for physical activity while building community, character, and the confidence to embrace challenges.
FOUNDATION STAGE
The Early Years PE curriculum is rooted in nurturing a love of learning, life, and one another, grounded in a spirit of connection and growth. Children learn about the world around them through play, exploration, active engagement, and critical and creative thinking. This holistic approach takes place both indoors and in our outdoor area, fostering a sense of wonder and curiosity.
Physical activity plays a vital role in children’s overall development, enabling them to lead happy, healthy, and active lives. By encouraging movement and exploration, we support not only their physical well-being but also their emotional, social, and spiritual growth—helping them build strong foundations for a fulfilling and connected life.
SWIMMING
We also believe that swimming is an important life skill, therefore all of our children, from Early Years onwards, attend swimming lessons at Crewkerne Aqua Centre during the year. They begin by gaining water confidence and then learn and develop the different swimming strokes.
Extra-Curricular Opportunities
It is our aim to provide as many additional sport and physical development based opportunities as possible, catering for all children’s needs and interests. Across the year we run lunchtime and after school clubs. We also encourage our children to participate in the many CISP and Yeovil sports competitions and matches that happen both during the school day and as after school opportunities.
The 2014 National Curriculum for PE aims to ensure that all children:
- Develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities
- Are physically active for sustained periods of time
- Engage in competitive sports and activities
- Lead healthy, active lives.