PE and Sport Premium

Please read the information below which gives details of our PE and Sport Premium Grant and how we allocate the funding.

St. Francis school recognises the benefits of a strong Physical Education (PE) Curriculum and extra-curricular activity on developing a healthy body, improving academic performance, improved social skill and the raising of self-esteem. At least two hour sessions per week are dedicated to physical activity in the curriculum. The high profile of PE at St. Francis and is reflected in the children’s attendance at the extended school sports clubs as well as the achievement of the children at organised inter school competitions.

All our pupils receive quality PE provision through the purchase of Creative's Jasmine online platform (REAL PE). This platform has allowed our teachers to deliver a unique, child-centered, and holistic PE approach based on non-traditional sports. Furthermore, through this platform, we can guarantee each child is experiencing PE which challenges and supports all. 

PE & Sport Premium 2023/24

The school has been allocated £17,770 for the academic year 2023/2024. The school intends to build on the successful use of the grant in previous years. Following the negative effects of the pandemic we aim to provide our children with the opportunity to experience a rich and varied mixture of sports activities.

Schools are expected to evaluate their use of the PE & Sport Premium against the following five key indicators:

1. The engagement of all pupils in regular physical activity – kick-starting healthy active lifestyles;
2. The profile of PE and sport being raised across the school as a tool for whole school improvement;
3. Increased confidence, knowledge and skills of all staff in teaching PE and sport;
4. Broader experience of a range of sports and activities offered to all pupils;
5. Increased participation in competitive sport.

Sport is a huge part of life at St Francis Catholic Primary School

We aim to inspire and provide an inclusive atmosphere for all ages and abilities. Opportunities vary from Sports clubs to County sports coinciding with the PE provision offered throughout the school.

Key Stage 1 PE

Teaching should ensure that when ‘evaluating and improving performance’, connections are made between ‘developing, selecting and applying skills, tactics and compositional ideas’, and ‘fitness and health’.

During Key Stage 1 pupils build on their natural enthusiasm for movement, using it to explore and learn about their world. They start to work and play with other pupils in pairs and small groups. By watching, listening and experimenting, they develop their skills in movement and coordination, and enjoy expressing and testing themselves in a variety of situations.

Key Stage 2 PE

Pupils should continue to apply and develop a broader range of skills, learning how to use them in different ways and to link them to make actions and sequences of movement. They should enjoy communicating, collaborating and competing with each other. They should develop an understanding of how to improve in different physical activities and sports and learn how to evaluate and recognise their own success.

Pupils should be taught to:

• use running, jumping, throwing and catching in isolation and in combination
• play competitive games, modified where appropriate [for example, badminton, basketball, cricket, football, hockey, netball, rounders and tennis], and apply basic principles suitable for attacking and defending
• develop flexibility, strength, technique, control and balance [for example, through athletics and gymnastics]
• perform dances using a range of movement patterns
• take part in outdoor and adventurous activity challenges both individually and within a team
• compare their performances with previous ones and demonstrate improvement to achieve their personal best

Swimming activities and water safety

St Francis provides swimming instruction for all Key Stage 2 children.

In particular, pupils should be taught to:

• swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres
• use a range of strokes effectively [for example, front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke]
• perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations