~ Physical Education ~

Physical Education (PE) provides children with learning opportunities through the medium of movement. It contributes to their overall development by helping them to lead full, active and healthy lives. Children can experience the joy of physical exertion and the satisfaction of achievement while developing the skills of positive attitude that enhance self-esteem.
             Through PE we aim to help children develop physically as well as socially, emotionally and intellectually. We use PE in our school to support children in every aspect of their lives and development. To achieve that goal, we use our agreed approach to teaching PE and the content of the curriculum programme at each year level.

The PE curriculum is for children from junior infants to sixth class. P. E. is allocated 1 hour per week. It provides a balanced range of activities for children through the six strands. Each of the six strands are taught every year. We have standardised the school year so that all classes are taught the same strand at the same time.

• Athletics
• Dance
• Gymnastics
• Games
• Outdoor and adventure activities
• Aquatics

Teacher Planning & Timetables

All teachers have been given copies of the PSSI (Primary School Sports Initiative) lesson plans for their class level along with a bank of warm-up and cool-down activities. These plans have been extremely useful throughout the year for all strands. Each class has two timetabled slots for PE each week. One of these is in the hall and the other is on the yard.

PE Equipment & Storage

Our older Active School Committee members help to monitor our store room to ensure that it is kept tidy. An inventory of all the equipment is done at the end of each academic year and any broken or damaged equipment is replaced. We have lots of equipment for the various strands and they are all labelled.

P.E. Library

We have recently created an area in the staff room where teachers can access resource books for P.E. This includes:

• 'Move Often, Move Well' booklets from the PDST on the fundamental movement skills.
• Be Active ASAP resource folder.
  
• Little Athletics resource folder and workbook.​

Strands

Games

Games is taught under the strand units of Sending, Receiving and Traveling, Creating and Playing Games and Understanding and Appreciation of Games. Some of the fundamental movement skills taught alongside this strand are dodging, sidestepping, kicking and striking with hand/implement.

Dance

Dance is taught under the strand units of Exploration, Creation and Performance of dance and Understanding and Appreciation of Dance. This strand is usually taught between the months of November and February as the weather can be poor and we can use the hall and classroom for some of our lessons.

Athletics

Athletics is taught under the strand units of Running, Jumping, Throwing and Understanding and Appreciation of Athletics. Some of the fundamental movement skills are taught alongside this strand. They include walking, running, jumping and throwing.

Gymnastics

From Junior Infants to First Class, the strand units of Movement and Understanding and Appreciation of Gymnastics are taught. Teachers focus on the fundamental movement stability skills of balancing and landing through gymnastics.

Aquatics

Outdoor Adventure

We use the Land PAWS (Primary Aquatics Waters Safety) programme to teach the children the basic water safety skills they need from the classroom. They can then take this knowledge and apply it  whenever they go swimming.

Outdoor Adventure is taught under the strand units Walking, Orienteering and Understanding and Appreciation of Outdoor Adventure. This strand is usually taught during the spring/summer months as the weather is much better for being outdoors.