PE at De Bohun

The Importance of PE

PE at De Bohun Primary School is a very important part of our curriculum. Children at De Bohun have access to over eight hours of physical activity a week! That’s not including our range of fantastic After-School Clubs.

Our indoor curriculum is taught by our teachers, following Enfield’s Indoor PE curriculum.

Our outdoor curriculum is delivered through our brilliant partnership with Non-Stop Action, who also assess our children’s development.

De Bohun Competitive Sport

We have a robust system ensuring children get the opportunity to engage in competitive sport. Currently we have squads for Football, Netball, Tag Rugby and Athletics (although this list is continually increasing!). We compete against local teams for friendly matches and also through a comprehensive league structure.

The Importance of Your Child’s Physical Education

School and Children’s Services  www.enfield.gov.uk

Children need Physical Education:

FACT: The Department of Health (2011) recommends that all children and young people (aged 5-18 years) should engage in moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity for at least 60 minutes and up to several hours every day.

FACT: Vigorous intensity activities, including those that strengthen muscle and bone, should be incorporated at least three days a week.

FACT: All children and young people should minimise the amount of time spent being sedentary (sitting) for extended periods.

FACT: A positive attitude to health and exercise will lead to the strong physical development of your child, and will increase the possibility of a long healthy life.

FACT: Physical education will help improve your child’s self-confidence and develop social skills too.

Quite simply: Physical education can contribute to making your child healthier and happier – that’s a fact!

What is Physical Education?

All children and young people (aged 5-18) should experience regular high quality Physical Education (PE). The medical evidence is too strong to not have PE as a compulsory subject in the curriculum.

Your child is entitled to a broad and balanced programme of Physical Education with activities designed to be enjoyable, vigorous, purposeful and regular. Through providing positive experiences, a lifelong interest in physical activity can be encouraged.

The range of physical activities is wide and the PE curriculum may include athletics, dance, games, gymnastics, swimming and outdoor education. A high quality programme is designed to satisfy the needs, abilities and interests of all individual children and young people. There will be some children and young people that prefer individual activities to competitive team games and others that enjoy aesthetic movement.

Children and young people are given many opportunities to develop their interests through a planned PE programme that aims to develop knowledge, understanding, skills and above all, positive attitudes towards sport and physical activity.

Within the broad philosophy that taking part is more important than winning, individual talents and sporting aptitudes will be encouraged, together with those social and personal qualities inherent in both team and individual activities. These include the acceptance of responsibility, loyalty and cooperation, determination, tolerance and the enjoyment of success as well as simply taking part.

Together with other subjects, PE helps to prepare pupils for adult life and contributes to the development of a wide range of physical, personal, social, learning and thinking skills.

Opportunities also exist in PE for pupils to progressively be given more responsibility to plan, lead and organise events and develop the right attitudes to competition – to be positive in defeat and gracious in victory. PE can help your child to develop positive attitudes which lead to success.

Helping with Your Child’s Physical Education

Your child can experience many benefits, both mentally and physically, as a direct result of their participation in some form of Physical Education – and a higher level of participation can often lead to greater rewards.

Parents can do much to help their child gain the greatest benefit from Physical Education by taking an interest, offering encouragement, and if possible joining in.

Taking an Interest

Try to take one of the many opportunities offered throughout the academic year (at parent evenings, sports events and school open days etc) to visit the school, meet staff, and discover more about what your child is doing and what is on offer.

If your child is requested to provide kit for certain activities, make sure it is available, clean and in good repair (your child’s teacher will be happy to discuss in confidence any problems arising from this request).

Encouragement

Always be ready to encourage your child whenever they experience difficulty, and give praise for effort. Remember: praise when your child has done their best is as important as praise for being the best.

Accompany your child to sporting events and festivals whenever you can, particularly if he or she is a competitor.

Participation

The benefits of physical education need not be restricted to your child at school. The whole family can enjoy good health and physical well-being with gentle, regular exercise. A brisk, half-hour walk three times a week is better for you and less dangerous than some other activities. Gradually build up your fitness by walking, jogging, cycling or swimming.

You never know, it could be fun getting fit with family and friends, and it could make the world of difference to your health.

Primary School Sport and PE Funding

The government is providing additional funding of £150 million per annum to improve provision of Physical Education (PE) and sport in primary schools. This funding – provided jointly by the Departments for Education, Health and Culture, Media and Sport – will be allocated to primary school headteachers.

This funding is ring-fenced and therefore can only be spent on provision of PE and sport in schools. Please click here for more information.

PE Kit

It is essential children are well prepared for PE sessions. As children in nursery and reception have time for outdoor play each day, it is encouraged that children wear appropriate footwear and clothing that allows them to move freely.

The PE kit is shorts and a t-shirt for indoor PE and tracksuit bottoms, T-shirt and trainers for outdoor PE. We encourage bare foot work for gymnastics for safety and high quality. No jewellery is allowed for PE.

It is important every child takes part in PE and wears the appropriate kit. Please ensure your child has their PE kit in school on the relevant days.

Swimming information

Swimming in an important part of the PE curriculum and year 4 and 5 pupils go to Arnos Grove swimming pool once a week for 15 weeks from February to July. They are taught by qualified gym instructors who work for the London Borough of Enfield.

Local Sporting Clubs

For sports clubs that have a family and specific youth activities in the area please look up http:/enfieldmaps.google.com/ and type in sporting clubs in your area.