Lark Hill Primary School

PE at Lark Hill Primary School

At Lark Hill, we believe that a high-quality Physical Education (PE) curriculum inspires all pupils to succeed and excel in competitive sport and other physically demanding activities. Our PE curriculum provides opportunities for pupils to become physically confident in a way that supports their health and fitness, while fostering character, resilience and fair play.

We aim to inspire active, confident and reflective movers who love being physical, understand how to keep their bodies healthy and develop a genuine, lifelong passion for sport and physical activity.                                                                                                                         Our PE learning is rooted in our four core school values:

• Respect: Pupils demonstrate sportsmanship, abide by rules, respect officials and show consideration for peers of all abilities during collaborative and competitive play.
• Responsibility: Children take ownership of their personal fitness, look after sports equipment, take on leadership roles (such as warm-up leaders or umpires) and understand how to keep themselves and others safe.
• Creativity: Pupils explore creative expression through dance choreography, gymnastics sequence design and strategic problem-solving in tactical invasion games.
• Challenge: Children are challenged to improve their personal bests, master complex motor skills, apply tactical thinking under pressure and persevere through physical difficulty.

How We Teach PE: Our Approach

PE at Lark Hill is delivered as a progressive journey through the Get Set 4 PE scheme of work. The scheme uses a holistic Whole Child approach, ensuring that lessons focus not only on physical competence but also on social, emotional and cognitive growth.

Every lesson explicitly targets four areas of development:

1. Physical: Mastering fundamental movement skills (FMS), sport-specific techniques, agility, balance, coordination and stamina.
2. Social: Collaboration, communication, sportsmanship, leadership and inclusion.
3. Emotional: Resilience, self-regulation, managing success and defeat and building confidence.
4. Thinking (Cognitive): Tactical decision-making, evaluating performance, understanding rules and strategic planning.

Substantive & Disciplinary Knowledge in PE

Substantive Knowledge (Physical Content & Skill)

• Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS): Running, jumping, hopping, skipping, throwing, catching, rolling and kicking.
• Sport-Specific Technique: Precise execution of footwork, racket strikes, passing techniques, gymnastic balances and dance motifs.
• Health & Fitness Mechanics: Understanding how the body reacts to exercise, heart rate, flexibility, strength and stamina.

Disciplinary Knowledge (Thinking & Acting like an Athlete)

• Tactics & Strategies: Understanding attacking vs. defending roles, creating space, boundary coverage and pacing.
• Evaluating & Improving: Observing self and peer performance, analysing movement patterns and adjusting improve outcomes.
• Rules & Fair Play: Understanding official sporting rules, umpiring and playing with integrity.

A Spiral Journey Through Movement

Our PE curriculum follows a progressive structure that builds upon prior learning across key stages:

• EYFS / KS1: Focuses on fundamental movement skills, body management, basic object control, simple rules and creative expression through dance and gymnastics.
• Lower KS2: Transitions from fundamental skills to modified team games, introductory tactics, aesthetic sequencing and outdoor adventurous activities (OAA).
• Upper KS2: Refines specialised sporting skills, complex tactical decision-making, officiating, officiating duties and sustained physical exertion.

Mixed-Age Class Strategy

To ensure full National Curriculum coverage, skill progression and non-repeating unit content across our mixed-age classes, PE is structured using a 2-Year Rolling Cycle (Cycle A and Cycle B) for mixed cohorts, alongside a single-year track for straight classes:

• Robins (Mixed Year 1 / Year 2): 2 Year Rolling Cycle
• Starlings (Mixed Year 2 / Year 3): 2 Year Rolling Cycle (Bridging KS1 & LKS2)
• Kestrels (Mixed Year 4 / Year 5): 2 Year Rolling Cycle (Bridging LKS2 & UKS2)
• Skylarks (Year 6): Single Year Track 

How Differentiation Works in Mixed Classes

To deliver Get Set 4 PE smoothly in our split classes without pupils repeating content or missing key milestones, teachers use Get Set 4 PE’s single-year lesson units paired with the platform’s built-in STEP Framework (Space, Task, Equipment, People) and differentiated success criteria:

• Teaching from a Single Unit Plan: The teacher selects the appropriate unit from the 2-Year Rolling Cycle. The core skill or activity is delivered to the class as a whole.
• Assessing via Embedded Success Criteria: Teachers evaluate pupils against Get Set 4 PE's multi-tiered success criteria (Working Towards, Expected, Greater Depth or Year Group learning outcomes) embedded within each lesson card.
• Adapting via the STEP Framework:
  • Space: Adjusting pitch sizes or target distances (e.g., younger pupils throw or pass over shorter distances; older pupils work in tighter spaces to increase pressure).
  • Task: Modifying rules and touch limits (e.g., younger pupils have unlimited touches; older pupils are limited to two touches or must use non-dominant limbs).
  • Equipment: Modifying gear (e.g., larger/softer balls or wider bats for younger learners; standard equipment or smaller target zones for older learners).
  • People: Structuring groups intentionally (e.g., pairing younger pupils with older peer-mentors for skill drills or matching equal ability levels for competitive mini-games).

Inclusive & Multi-Sensory Approach

Get Set 4 PE lessons are adapted to ensure all pupils, including those with SEND or medical needs participate fully. Activities utilise step-by-step differentiation (using the STEP framework: Space, Task, Equipment, People), visual flashcards, modified equipment (e.g., larger/softer balls, lower nets) and structured peer support.

British Values & Oracy in PE

• British Values: Rule of law (abiding by referee decisions), democracy (team decision-making in tactics), individual liberty (choosing creative paths in dance/gymnastics) and mutual respect (shaking hands, praising opponents).
• Oracy: Guided by the Voice 21 framework, pupils discuss tactical strategies, evaluate peer performances using technical vocabulary (e.g., coordination, extension, possession, tracking) and articulate constructive feedback.

Progression Overview by Class

Robins | Mixed Year 1 / Year 2 (2-Year Cycle)

Cycle A

Cycle B

Starlings | Mixed Year 2 / Year 3 (2-Year Cycle)

Cycle A

Cycle B

Kestrels | Mixed Year 4 / Year 5 (2-Year Cycle)

Cycle A

Cycle B

Skylarks | Year 6 (Single Year Curriculum)

Vocabulary Progression

Assessment, Evidence, and Curriculum Impact

The impact of our PE curriculum is monitored and evaluated using Get Set 4 PE assessment systems:

Get Set 4 PE uses a holistic assessment framework built directly around the Whole Child model. Instead of purely grading physical execution or athletic speed, it assesses children across four key strands of development in every unit:

1. The Whole Child Assessment Strands

Get Set 4 PE breaks down learning objectives into four distinct areas:

• Physical: Executing motor skills, agility, coordination, stamina, and sport-specific techniques (e.g., throwing mechanics, footwork, balances).
• Social: Collaboration, communication, sportsmanship, turn-taking and supporting peers.
• Emotional: Managing success and defeat, self-regulation, resilience, confidence and determination.
• Thinking (Cognitive): Tactical awareness, understanding rules, decision-making under pressure, evaluating performance and planning strategies.

2. Differentiated Success Criteria (3-Tiered Judgements)

In every single lesson plan, Get Set 4 PE provides clear, observable success criteria mapped to three attainment bands:

• Working Towards (Developing): The child is beginning to show control or understanding, requiring teacher scaffolding, simplified rules or adapted equipment.
• Expected (Achieving): The child consistently executes the core physical skill and demonstrates the required social/tactical understanding for their year group.
• Greater Depth (Exceeding): The child performs skills fluently at speed/under pressure, applies advanced tactics, leads peers or evaluates performance critically.

3. Practical Assessment Methods

Because PE is a practical subject, Get Set 4 PE's assessment system is designed to minimise teacher paperwork while gathering meaningful data:

• In-the-Moment Formative Observation: Teachers observe pupils during small-sided games, drills, sequences and team tasks using the lesson card success criteria.
• Digital Tracking Tools: The online Get Set 4 PE platform allows teachers or subject leads to log class data quickly. Teachers mark off whether pupils are Working Towards, Expected, or Exceeding at the end of a unit.
• Self & Peer Assessment: Lessons regularly feature pause for thought plenary moments where pupils evaluate their own performance or give constructive feedback to a partner against the whole-child strands.
• Visual/Video Evidence: Teachers often capture short video clips or photos of dance choreography, gymnastics routines or tactical match scenarios to store as digital evidence of progression over time.