St John’s Catholic School for the Deaf

Physical Education Policy

Policy Statement

Physical education supports the development of the whole child through the physical dimension. A planned program of physical activity, which includes both competitive sports and those that are played for fun, supports the child’s development of physical literacy so that, in future life, they are able to apply their skills in a range of situations. The range of activities offered is differentiated to meet the needs of each child, including those who are physically less able, and those with complex needs including multi-sensory impairment.

Through their active and enthusiastic participation in physical education, children gain not only in physical well-being but also develop personal and social skills, and self-esteem. They learn about the key values of teamwork, fair play and respect for themselves and others. Sport importantly provides a healthy environment for young people to learn how to deal with competition and how to cope with both winning and losing.

Aims of Physical Education

·  To provide every student with an equal opportunity to develop their physical skills

·  To foster an enjoyment of exercise and sport, and to encourage students to include physical activity as a leisure pursuit

·  To provide opportunities for students to compete with others at their own level and to enable them to become participators/achievers rather than spectators where possible

·  To promote the knowledge, understanding and skills necessary for healthy living, and to foster an understanding of the benefits of a life-long healthy lifestyle

·  To build students’ self-confidence, self-esteem and self-expectation, and to help them become explicitly aware of their physical capabilities

·  To enable pupils to develop emotionally, learning to win, lose, obey rules and cope with disappointment

·  To provide opportunities for the child to become water confident and, where appropriate, to learn to swim

Practice

PE is taught throughout the school by a PE team, led by a specialist HLTA in collaboration with the lead teacher from the Primary and Early Years Department. These staff are updated on developments in PE with quality assured training courses both school based and external.

Timetabled PE lessons form an important part of the curriculum for pupils of all age groups, and an annual programme of extra-curricular activities provides opportunities for all to participate in a range of both competitive team sports and group activity challenges. Wide ranging and differentiated learning challenges respond to each child’s different needs and aptitudes.

Students participate in local and national events for deaf students, including athletics and tennis. Team-building activities include the annual themed activity week and sports day which fosters co-operation anda sense of team spirit. The support of parents and other school staff during these extra-curricular sporting activities promotes the sense of achievement and develops self-esteem. Success is celebrated in assemblies with the award of trophies, prizes and certificates.

To meet the diverse learning needs of our pupils, a multi-disciplinary approach, with input from Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, specialists in multi-sensory impairment and blind and visual impairment are required. Qualified coaches are employed to advise and ensure the the program is delivered in a safe and enjoyable environment.

Date of Policy / Authors

/ Review Frequency /

Reviewed by

/ Governing body approval

21/03/2014

A Webster, C Baldwin /

2 years

S:\_Teacher Admin\The Staffroom\Policy Documents\Current Policies and procedures 2012\SCHOOL POLICIES\draft RE policy May 2012.doc