Curriculum
Physical Education
Curriculum intent, implementation, and impact
Intent
At HLC, Physical Education is a cornerstone of our curriculum. We believe that sport and physical activity play a vital role in the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development of every child.
Our aim is to provide a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment where all pupils can enjoy a wide variety of sports and physical activities, reflecting our school values. We want every child to become an active, healthy member of our community and develop a lifelong love for movement that supports their future wellbeing.
Our commitment goes beyond the time pupils spend at HLC—we strive to inspire them to be “Active for Life.” Being active has a profound impact on mental health and wellbeing, and by introducing children to a range of activities, we empower them to discover what they enjoy most.
Through our curriculum, pupils will:
- Develop competence in a variety of physical activities
- Be active for sustained periods of time
- Engage in competitive sports and team challenges
- Learn to lead healthy, active lifestyles
At HLC, we don’t just teach skills—we nurture confidence, resilience, and a passion for physical activity that lasts a lifetime.
Implementation
The national curriculum states that a high-quality physical education program should inspire all pupils to succeed and excel in competitive sport. It should provide opportunities for pupils to become physically confident in ways that support their health and fitness. Opportunities to compete in sport and other activities build character and help embed values such as fairness and respect.
At HLC, our inclusive PE curriculum is designed to progressively develop children’s knowledge, skills, and understanding through a wide range of sports and activities. Our delivery model combines the expertise of our Primary PE specialist teacher with classroom teachers, ensuring every pupil receives two hours of high-quality PE each week. All lessons are inclusive and place a strong emphasis on developing vocabulary, enabling children to access all areas of learning.
The curriculum offers every child the chance to experience a variety of sports, deepen their knowledge, and build confidence. From Year 4 onwards, pupils take part in swimming lessons taught by qualified instructors, ensuring water safety and skill development.
Our PE lessons follow progressive schemes of work and curriculum drivers, carefully mapped to ensure continuity and progression across key stages. This approach allows pupils to develop both cognitive and physical skills, achieving a greater depth of learning.
Early Years Foundation Stage
Focuses on fundamental movement skills, developing fine and gross motor skills through imaginative play and isolated skill practice.
Key Stage One
Builds on these foundations by improving cooperation, agility, flexibility, and strength through modified gameplay and specialist lessons on healthy, active lifestyles.
Key Stage Two
Expands further to develop competence in a wide range of sport-specific skills, including athletics, badminton, orienteering, and swimming.
Beyond the Curriculum
We offer a rich program of afterschool and lunchtime sports clubs, all free of charge, to promote participation and lifelong physical activity. Clubs run every day and include activities such as net games, dance, kung fu, rounders, swimming, football, cricket, health and fitness, and netball. These opportunities change each term, ensuring variety and engagement for all pupils
Impact
At HLC, Physical Education is assessed by teachers against key knowledge and skills at the end of each unit. These assessments form part of pupils’ overall PE evaluation, and we use this data to shape the future for both present and future students, ensuring continuous improvement and impact.
We regularly gather pupil and staff voice to celebrate successes and identify areas for development. Some lessons are recorded to support monitoring and evaluation, ensuring high standards of teaching and learning.
Our LCT Primary PE Specialist Teacher works closely with the subject leader and classroom teachers, providing coaching, team teaching, and CPD opportunities. We also source high-quality external training to continually enhance staff expertise.
Teachers and subject leaders upload and analyse assessment data to identify strengths and areas for development across cohorts and individuals. This process helps us highlight pupils with additional needs and create holistic individual action plans, ensuring every child receives the support they need.
These insights shape our Action Plan, driving improvements and new priorities. Through this ongoing cycle of reflection and development, we strive to deliver the best possible Physical Education curriculum, empowering HLC pupils to lead healthy, active lifestyles now and in the future.
