Mr Bradley's Blog - A broad and balanced PE curriculum

“A broad and balanced curriculum provides children with the skills, knowledge and understanding they need to develop into well-rounded, informed individuals.”

There is little argument that a broad and balanced curriculum is the most effective curriculum when it comes to developing the whole child.

The Gateway School Physical Education and Games Department certainly strive to live by this philosophy too. We aim to ensure that students leaving Gateway at the end of Year 6 have had the opportunity to experience a range of sports and physical activities such as gymnastics, athletics, dance, football, cricket, netball, swimming, hockey, rugby, tennis, basketball and cross country running. Students have also had the opportunity to play many of these sports in a competitive environment, such as House matches, inter-school matches and Regional and National competitions.

A broad and balanced Physical Education curriculum helps students develop their physical skills and confidence to take part in a range of physical activities and sports, both in and out of the classroom. Each activity taught in the physical education curriculum embeds key skills that the students learn and develop.

The benefits of sport in education go far beyond the physical, there is growing evidence that sport positively impacts students in academic progress and mental health. Through the teaching of Physical Education and Games, students are able to develop many lifelong skills that will help them succeed in all areas of their school lives and beyond. Alongside developing sports specific skills and improving fitness, students develop interpersonal skills, including communication, resilience, problem solving and leadership, as well as developing confidence and self-esteem.

We are committed to developing students who have a positive attitude towards sport and exercise and the aim of our PE curriculum is to inspire and motivate students to want to engage in sport outside of school and into their adult life. A student may not feel that they are ‘sporty’, but I truly believe that there is a sport or physical activity out there for everyone. Through the varied programme of sports and physical activities offered, it is hoped that students will discover what they enjoy and where their talents lie, which in turn will help them make good decisions about lifelong physical activity.

Wishing you all an enjoyable (and active) weekend.

Andrew Bradley

Head of Physical Education & Games