At Elaine Primary, we deliver an ambitious, highly inclusive, and active Physical Education (PE) curriculum designed to inspire a lifelong commitment to physical health, emotional wellbeing, and sporting character. Aligned with the National Curriculum, our curriculum ensures that all children develop secure physical proficiency and tactical understanding cumulatively over time.

We view physical activity as a powerful driver of self-regulation, academic stamina, and teamwork. Underpinned by our core school values of Excellence, Love, Aspiration, Individuality, Nurture, and Engagement (ELAINE), we teach our children to become resilient, collaborative, and respectful players. We work in close, relational partnership with our families to encourage healthy, active habits at home, ensuring that every child has the confidence to participate and succeed.

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Our Curriculum Design

Children at Elaine are entitled to two hours of high-quality PE every week, divided into dedicated indoor (gymnastics and dance) and outdoor (games, athletics, and adventurous activities) sessions to ensure balanced physical development. Our curriculum pathway is structured into three progressive phases:

Early Years (Nursery & Reception):

Physical development is a prime area of learning in our early years setting, establishing the critical foundations for coordination, strength, and positive attitudes toward physical activity.

• Daily Activity and Routines: Practitioners explicitly model and teach movement control using sensory continuous provision, nature walks, and structured playground games.
• Transcription Readiness: Early gross and fine motor activities are intentionally planned to build the core muscle strength, posture, and hand-eye coordination required for early pencil grip and writing stamina in Year 1.

Key Stage 1 (Years 1 & 2)

In Key Stage 1, we systematically teach and refine the three core pillars of Fundamental Movement Skills to ensure movements become automatic and secure:

• Locomotor Skills: Developing agility, rhythm, and coordination through running, chasing games, and jumping.
• Stability Skills: Building core strength, body tension, and balance through twisting, gymnastics, and creative dance.
• Manipulation Skills: Perfecting hand-eye coordination and object control through throwing, catching, tracking, and striking in games like Tri-Golf and infant agility.

Key Stage 2 (Years 3 to 6)

As fundamental movement skills become automatic, the Key Stage 2 curriculum transitions pupils into applied, tactical game scenarios. Under our rolling curriculum model, children learn the specific rules, spatial tactics, and collaborative positions of traditional and modern sports:

• Invasion Games: Football, Tag Rugby, Netball, Hockey, and Handball.
• Net and Wall Games: Badminton and Tennis.
• Striking and Fielding: Cricket and Rounders.
• Athletics & Outdoor Adventurous Activities: Track and field disciplines alongside collaborative team-building challenges.

Swimming and Water Safety

We believe that swimming and water safety are not just statutory curriculum requirements, but essential, life-saving skills that every child has a right to master. We are fully committed to ensuring that every single pupil leaves our school with the physical confidence, swimming proficiency, and self-rescue skills needed to enjoy water environments safely.

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Year 5 Swimming 

Our Year 5 children swim for the full academic year. This sustained, year-long focus ensures that all children have sufficient time to master foundational aquatic skills, develop physical stamina, and build long-term muscle memory without cognitive overload.