P.E. & & Sport at Amberley Primary School

At our primary school, we place a strong emphasis on the importance of Physical Education (PE) for the physical, mental, and social development of our students. PE helps students to develop fundamental movement skills, promotes healthy and active lifestyles, and fosters teamwork and social skills. In addition to the physical benefits, regular participation in PE has been shown to improve concentration, attitude, and academic achievement. At our school, we offer a wide range of PE activities and sports, and we encourage all students to get involved and have fun. We believe that the skills and knowledge gained through participation in PE are an essential foundation for a lifetime of healthy living.

Curriculum Intent

At Amberley Primary School, we recognise the importance of PE and the role it has to play in promoting long term, healthy lifestyles. The intent of our PE curriculum is to provide all children with high quality PE and sport provision. It is our vision for every pupil to succeed and achieve their potential as well as to lead physically active lifestyles. We strive to inspire our pupils through fun and engaging PE lessons that are enjoyable, challenging and accessible to all. We want our pupils to appreciate the benefits of a healthy and physically active lifestyle. Through our teaching of PE, we will provide opportunities for pupils to develop values and transferrable life skills such as fairness, respect and resilience as well as providing them with opportunities to take part in competitive sport. As detailed in our overall curriculum intent, PE teaching at Amberley embraces all three of our core values: nurturing, innovation and aspiration.

Curriculum Implementation

How PE is taught at Amberley:

Pupils at Amberley participate in weekly high quality PE and sporting activities.  Our PE programme incorporates a variety of sports to ensure all children develop the confidence to succeed and excel in competitive sport and other physically demanding activities. We provide opportunities for all children to engage in extra-curricular activities before, during and after school, in addition to competitive sporting events throughout the year. This is an inclusive approach which endeavours to encourage not only physical development but also the health and well-being for all pupils within our school.

A typical PE lesson at Amberley will have three parts and will begin with a clear warm up linked to their current unit of work. The lesson will then progress into a skill based activity which is linked to the focus of the lesson and children are given many opportunities to practise and develop. The final part of the lesson is where the children will compete in a games-based activity. This could be performing a routine or playing small sided games.  

Also, at Amberley children and staff participate in the Daily Mile each day. The Daily Mile allows the children to run or jog for fifteen minutes every day at their own pace with their classmates, making them fitter, healthier and more able to concentrate in the classroom.  In addition to the Daily Mile, we have a sports enrichment week during May where children work on their determination, resilience and stamina.  The aims of the week included enjoyment of physical exercise, increasing awareness a balanced diet and discovery of new sports. There were a range of activities and workshops to challenge the children, including Wake up Shake up, Zumba, Yoga, Crossfit, Archery, Circuit training, NUFC football tournament, Healthy Eating with Mrs Hoey and a Tough Mudder assault course to finish the week.

Curriculum Impact

All children at Amberley Primary School receive a broad and balanced PE curriculum regardless of year group or ability. Every child accesses all of the key areas of the subject on offer at our school. Teachers and our school PE lead plan PE with a clear progression of skills and knowledge that we have devised as part of our curriculum offer to ensure that all children access it at an age appropriate level. Festivals and competitions ensure all of our children have the opportunity to take part in a range of sports both in and outside of school whether that is at a competitive or non competitive level. Finally, Intra-school competitions are used regularly to formatively assess children across year groups.  

The information above is collated together by class teachers and recorded in our assessment system which the PE lead then analyses in the summer term. Data is then presented to whole school staff, noting action that needs to be taken as a result. Pupil interviews are also conducted to gauge pupil voice throughout the year and learning walks take place in line with the school’s monitoring and evaluation programme. The PE leads also utilises CPD time when needed to update staff on relevant changes within the curriculum and provide support where necessary.

 

Amberley are part of the national School Games programme, the programme provides opportunities for young people to access competitive school sport. During the academic year the pupils from Amberley take part in a range of activities and competitions in various sports. Amberley were awarded the School Games Mark Gold award in 2022/23.

 

For more information please visit www.yourschoolgames.com 

Sports leaders at Amberley 

At our school, we are fortunate to have a dedicated group of Sports Leaders in Key Stage One who work hard to promote and encourage physical activity and healthy lifestyles among their peers. These students are selected based on their leadership potential and their enthusiasm for sports and fitness. They take on a range of responsibilities, such as leading warm-up activities, organising team sports, and facilitating fitness challenges.

The Sports Leaders play a crucial role in helping to create a positive and inclusive culture of sport and physical activity at our school. They serve as role models for their peers and help to inspire a love of physical activity in younger students. We are extremely proud of the contributions of our Sports Leaders and believe that their efforts have a positive impact on the physical and social development of all students in Key Stage One.

School Swimming

At Amberley, we place high value on supporting our children to develop swimming skills. 

Year 3, 4 and 5 children attend Lakeside Leisure Pool once a week for the full a term and are taught by specialist swimming teachers. We also have a member of staff who has been trained to assist the swimming teachers and allow the children to swim in smaller groups. All children are supported to reach the recommended government guidelines. Children who do not reach this standard by the end of Year 5 will continue with specific swimming lessons as they move into upper KS2 until they reach the expected standard.

High Borrans in Year 4

All of our children at Amberley in Year 4 are offered the chance to visit High Borrans Outdoor Education Centre. During their time at High Borrans, the children will have opportunities to develop problem solving, resilience and many more key life skills. 

High Borrans provides all protective outdoor and specialist equipment necessary to carry out chosen activities. They also provide (free of charge) any specialist equipment required for chosen activities.

This loan includes waterproof clothing, walking boots, wellington boots, rucksacks, lunch boxes and water bottles. If your son/daughter already has any of this equipment they can bring it to use at the Centre. The course organiser will check clothing and equipment’s suitability for activities and the weather.

Your son/daughter does need to come equipped with enough warm and comfortable personal clothing suited to the activities. The Lake District weather may be cold, wet and windy even in summer and during the activities your son/daughter may choose to end up wet or muddy. The centre has a good drying room but spares of old clothes, socks and shoes are needed. 

On The Water

Boats that are great for everyone

Paddling your boat silently through the softly rippling waters of a small tarn is top of Mr Sayer's to do list.

For younger guests and those that haven’t paddled much before we use our own private tarn. 

Just a hop, skip and a jump from the Centre, yet it feels remote and immersed in nature. Children have spotted herons, buzzards, otters and crayfish whilst exploring our wildlife haven, as well as many rubber ducks!

Sessions often end up with a spot of jetty jumping for the brave, or paddling in the shallows for those who prefer something a little calmer. A great introduction to the craze of wild swimming!

Ghyll Scrambling

Embrace the challenge – sit under a waterfall

Ghyll scrambling is a favourite. Make your way up a mountain stream, get a totally different perspective of the environment, and it’s great fun. A brilliant personal challenge where your team mates will need your help. 

Caving

Yorkshire is riddled with caves and caverns and there’s one to suit every group

For our caving adventures (or pot holing!) we travel to the Yorkshire Dales to experience a totally different landscape. There’s nowhere better in the UK than Yorkshire for a bit of underground exploration.

Dark Tunnels

The dark tunnels are otherwise known as Cathedral Cavern

Also out in Langdale, this is a great activity to couple with a ghyll scramble or a walk taking in the famous Slater’s Bridge.

The dark tunnels are otherwise known as Cathedral Cavern, a network of interlinked quarries above Little Langdale, with a huge main chamber that stands 40 feet high. Some tunnels require lighting, so we take torches or candles to explore 

Fell Walking

A superb perspective of the surrounding landscape

Here in the Lake District, hills are known as ‘fells’. Use this word and earn a few Brownie points! Standing on the top of a Lakeland Peak is an experience few will forget. A unique world-class environment provides a great place for real geography and true inspiration

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Coastal Scrambling

An adventure on the rocks above Morecambe Bay

I bet when you think of the Lake District your first thought isn’t beaches! Challenges here include easy rock climbing, walls, caves, squeezes, ledges and jumps. Humphrey Head is tucked away on the coast to the south of the Lake District.

Unaccompanied Walk

The sense of achievement if they make it back is evident

What could be more exhilarating than being given your own map and having to find your way back to the Centre without any adults?!

Ropes Course

Test your balance on the see-saw, test your nerves on the Burma bridge

This is the first thing you’ll see as you come up the drive to the main building, and another of our most popular activities. 

Evenings

Hopefully you will have had plenty of adventure during the day

The following activities are suggested for evenings.

Indoor: disco, shop, movie night, table tennis, table football, arts & crafts, diary writing or writing a postcard home, indoor orienteering, games and problem solving

Outdoor: games on the front lawn, hide and seek, camp fire and night-line.