1.1 Lickhill Primary School believes that Physical Education, experienced in a safe and supportive environment, is a unique and vital contributor to a pupil’s physical development and well-being. Here at Lickhill we are committed to encouraging and developing positive attitudes towards leading a healthy and active lifestyle. Promoting and fostering an enjoyment and appreciation of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle is fundamental to our curriculum and we recognise the importance of offering children the opportunity to make informed choices about health based decisions.

1.2 As a school we know that regular, sustained and high quality physical activity opportunities, alongside a balanced diet is fundamental to the quality of a child’s life; not just in the development of fundamental movement skills and providing essential nutrition but in communicating and sharing positive values, attitudes and experiences with each other.

We believe that as adults (staff, parents and carers), we should be good role models, modelling healthy lifestyle choices and that we should support the children in understanding how regular exercise and balanced nutrition contributes to a person’s health, happiness and general well-being.

1.3 The purpose of this policy is to enable the school to develop and maintain a shared philosophy on all aspects of health.  Its key aim is to develop healthy habits within the school that benefit children, staff, parents and the whole school community. At Lickhill we also recognise the important connection between a healthy, balanced diet and physical activity and a child’s ability to learn effectively and achieve high standards in school

2.1 At Lickhill, in teaching Physical Education we aim to:

• Support the development of flexibility, strength, coordination, technique, control and balance through activities such as yoga, dance and gymnastics
• Teach gross motor skills such as running, jumping, throwing and catching (in isolation and in combination)
• Provide the children with opportunities to play competitive games such as hockey, rounders, tag rugby, netball and football, and to develop the skills associated with these sports
• Set outdoor and adventurous activity challenges
• Ensure that all children leave school able to swim 25 metres, using a range of strokes effectively, and are all able to perform safe self-rescue

2.2 In addition, we aim to:

• Give children the opportunity to challenge themselves within a safe and structured environment
• Foster an appreciation of safe practice
• Organise equipment and apparatus and begin to design and apply simple rules
• Develop a sense of fair play, respect, resilience, perseverance and sportsmanship, through team and group activities
• Teach team building and competitive skills
• Promote a healthy diet and regular exercise as an essential part of everyday life
• Promote positive attitudes towards health, hygiene and fitness, (including dental health)
• Provide the children with access to sports outside their everyday PE experience
• Develop our children's stamina and general fitness levels
• Develop a lifelong enjoyment of exercise and an understanding of its benefits

We use the sport funding monies each to improve the quality of our PE provision within school. This is spent in a variety of ways including staff training, extra-curricular activities, resources and equipment, transport to events, festivals and sporting activities. For further information, please see our PE and Sports funding action plan.

4.1 Healthy Eating:

As an addition to our PE lessons, we also encourage and promote healthy eating in our school. The school provides a range of healthy snacks for break time for all Key Stage one pupils. These snacks include both fruit and vegetables.

4.2 To ensure consistency across the school, Key Stage two pupils are also encouraged to bring in a healthy snack of their choice. Healthy snack options could include; fresh fruit or vegetables, dried fruit or vegetables, cereal bars (preferably not high in sugar content), bread sticks, crackers, rice cakes, cheese or snack yoghurts. Chocolate, sweets, biscuits, crisps, and cakes are not allowed as everyday snacks in school.  Chewing gum and fizzy drinks are not permitted on the school premises or while the children are representing the school.

4.3 At dinner time, all pupils in Key Stage one are offered a broad and balanced free school meal. As a school, we endorse fresh and local food.

4.4 Healthy Eating in the curriculum:

At Lickhill, we regard healthy eating and healthy lifestyle education as a whole-school issue, and we believe that opportunities to teach about the importance of living a healthy lifestyle occur throughout the curriculum. Assemblies are delivered to offer an opportunity to explore health and food related issues.

4.5 Healthy eating education forms an important part of our school’s curriculum. The importance of balanced nutrition and healthy food choices is explicitly taught through the Science, Design and Technology and PSHE (Personal, Social, Health Education) curriculum.

4.6 All children have the opportunity to learn about safe food preparation and to learn about where food has come from. Children learn about the requirements for plant growth, the food chain, healthy lifestyles (exercise, sleep and the components of a healthy diet) and its effect on the human body through the Science curriculum.

4.7 Cross Curricular links:

Children’s entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum requires the recognition of P.E. as a valuable contribution to cross curricular work. All staff at Lickhill consider the links P.E. has with other subjects and how it can enhance these subjects and vice-versa. From time to time, there are specific focus days e.g. cultural days, sports day and intra-school competitions.

4.8 Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)  

In the Early Years Foundation Stage at Lickhill, we aim to provide the children with a wide range of physical activities and experiences to motivate them to be active. We provide children with equipment and resources that are sufficient, challenging, interesting and plan activities that offer plenty of opportunities for physical activity. The Physical Development activities on offer to children in the EYFS at Lickhill include:

• Joining in with action songs and rhymes
• Joining in with circle games
• Riding bikes, scooters and wheeled vehicles
• Preschool and Reception  have an allocated time to use the playground each week for various activities
• Preschool and Reception have hall time each week where the children take part in dance, gym, games and apparatus sessions
• Free flow -ball games/balance bikes, negotiating space and aiming games.
• Preschool class have use of the Active Playground equipment
• Preschool, Reception class and year 1 also have use of the school’s Forest School area on a weekly basis.

4.9 Equal opportunities and SEND

All pupils, including those with SEN and disabilities, have an equal opportunity to become independently active. The pupils’ needs and interests will be protected regardless of gender, culture, ability, disability or aptitude. All children will be given the opportunity to develop their capability in the attainment targets for P.E. Participation, quality and excellence should be the target for all children. Physical Education experiences will reflect the school policy on promoting equal opportunities for all pupils in terms of organisation, opportunities and access to resources.

It is a strong feature of Lickhill that all children are encouraged to engage as fully as possible with PE activities. A range of different groupings/pupils are selected to represent the school in competitions and local festivals. Talented pupils are encouraged to partake in trials at club and county level.

This policy is the subject of constant scrutiny and review to reflect the changing needs and development of our children and staff.