Schools must use the Sports Premium Funding to make additional and sustainable improvements to the quality of PE and sport they offer.
Funding can be used to:
- hire qualified sports coaches to work with teacher
- provide existing staff with training or resources to help them teach PE and sport more effectively
- introduce new sports or activities and encourage more pupils to take up sport
- support and involve the least active children by running or extending school sports clubs and holiday clubs
- run sport competitions
- run sports activities with other schools
The government’s vision is that all pupils leaving primary school are physically literate with the knowledge, skills and motivation necessary to equip them for a healthy lifestyle and lifelong participation in physical activity and sport.
We have a number of initiatives in place to raise the profile of PE within school. These include:
- Participating in sport competitions in liaison with other local primary schools.
- providing free places for all pupils on a wealth of after school sports clubs (greater focus in Summer Term )
- Offering Pupil Premium children extended opportunities to increase participation in sports and physical activity.
- Offering pupils for whom fitness/health and physical welfare may be an issue.
- Providing our sports teacher release to access further training and CPD in the subject.
At St. Matthew’s the school’s leadership team including governors recognises that one of its key contributing tools for engaging children and raising aspirations to succeed is the importance placed on competitive sport. Through sport, the children begin to develop the important qualities of discipline, resilience, communication, team work, and ambition: qualities that they are then able to use in their learning within the classroom.
From an early age competitive sport is nurtured and encouraged, with staff identifying pupils with specific talents in, for example, football, and gymnastics . Skills are taught through P.E. lessons and through a wide variety of sports provision offered after school, both by teachers and also by highly skilled HLTAS and teaching assistants who, with their skill and enthusiasm, ensure that sport is enjoyed by all.
This diet of sport builds strong relationships of trust between pupils and support staff, and impacts positively upon the engagement and trust between them in the classroom and on the playground. Support staff who work with them on the sports field, deliver booster sessions and interventions minutes later. Similarly, the discipline demanded of the children in sport impacts upon behaviour within the classroom, and the school attributes the excellent behaviour for learning within the school as a direct result of the culture of discipline, respect and dedication nurtured through sport activities.
Partnerships are strong. With the local School Sports Partnership and also key networking with other local primary school we participate in competitions and ‘friendly’ organised activities to give our children experiences many would not have access to in their home lives. The school's leadership team recognise the importance sport and exercise has on both social emotional and physical wellbeing.
Individual talents and sport participation is celebrated and acknowledged in our weekly Celebration Assembly, where pupils are encouraged to share their participation, accomplishments, medals and trophies achieved during sporting events and competitions outside of school. These are also celebrated on our Friday Feature that is sent out to all parents.
PE resources to utilise outdoors have been established in containers on both KS 1 and KS 2 playgrounds. These are extremely well utilised during the Summer Term when children can freely access the plentiful school grounds. In the winter we focus mostly on facilitating football , basketball and small equipment exploration as space is at a premium on the playgrounds. Our Learning mentor has trained playground buddies to facilitate play on the KS 1 playground.
Our annual Residential to Arthog for Year 6 focuses on Team activities including Gorge walking, canoeing and rock climbing and again this weekend in May is immensely popular with clear evidence of raising expectation and personal aspiration and successes, giving them greater confidence and self belief prior to moving on to secondary school.
School sports days involve every child from Nursery to Year 6, with Nursery / Reception experiencing a morning of physical activities based on a carousel of challenges (non competitive) and occasionally races with parents close by! Key Stage 1 and 2 enjoy competitive sports days, with again overwhelming parental support. These are photographed and photo-stories placed on our school website for all to enjoy.
Telford School’s Sports Partnership
As a school we subscribe to the Telford School Sports Partnership. We are also able to have PE specialists come into school to provide staff members with PE CPD. Buying in to the Telford and Wrekin School Sports Partnership gives us access to a variety of competitions , coaching from the school sports liaison partnership, attending meetings to review provision and increase participation with other Primary Schools in the authority. Children have attended a number of sporting events and are free to enter.
Swimming
Every Summer Term our Years 4, 5 and 6 children go swimming on a weekly basis. We have this year also added an additional swimming session in during our school day for children who we feel would benefit from gaining more confidence in the water, or from extra levels of fitness. One of our teachers is a qualified swimming coach. As a result of these sessions we have seen a significant impact in the ability and confidence of the targeted group over recent months, and we hope to continue to facilitate this over the summer months.
PE Subject Leader
The PE subject leader within school has an impact on improving the quality of PE. Our PE leader is new to the role this year and is working closely with the Deputy Head - Mrs Wilson, the sports teacher, Mr Stewart and the Sports Partnership to develop the PE curriculum and ensure all children have access to sporting events and competitions.