‘Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does.’
Nelson Mandela, 2000
At our school, we take the power of sport, physical education and activity very seriously and see it as a critical player in ensuring our children are physically and mentally healthy and develop to become successful learners, confident individuals and responsible citizens.
We want every child to be:
- Competent and confident physically
- Competitive successfully at their own level
- Demonstrate enjoyment and commitment when developing and maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle
Competent and confident physically and mentally
Our expectation is that every child will benefit from outstanding PE provision and be physically competent and confident through the planned, progressive curriculum and comprehensive extra-curricular programme.
Research has proven the role that PE and sport can play in the development of the whole child and in ensuring all round well-being. Our curricular and extra-curricular offer promotes and supports this.
We expect the values developed through PE and sport to transfer in to other areas of our children’s lives, from academic to attendance and behaviour. Our Christian ethos and the ‘super star’ values of determination, honesty, passion, respect, self-belief, respect and teamwork support this. We aim for these, along with all our values, to be demonstrated in all aspects of school life and beyond.
Competitive successfully
‘Winning isn’t everything but wanting to win is.’ Vince Lombardi
At Michael Syddall Primary School, competitive sport is viewed as part of the ethos of our school and of the opportunities we provide our children. Our children understand that winning is important, but also that the enjoyment of competitive sport and knowing that they have tried their best are equally as valuable.
As a school, we value the benefits that sport bring. The values of passion, teamwork, determination, honesty, respect and self-belief which cannot be underestimated in sport but also in life. It is these value which tie our school together.
The opportunity to win brings with it in equal measures the risk of defeat. It is these experiences which will shape the lives of our children, a life that will undoubtedly provide them with setbacks and challenges. Competitive sport provides our children with the opportunity to win modestly and lose gracefully. Not every child will be a world champion, but every child should have the opportunity to take part, compete and learn from the experiences of winning and losing.
Demonstrate enjoyment and commitment when developing and maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle
Our school is committed to developing the health and well-being of all of our school community through physical activity.
We provide a range of opportunities and experiences to ensure that children know and understand how to maintain a healthy, active lifestyle. This includes being physically active as well as learning about food and nutrition, self care, healthy relationships and mental health. Our curriculum is comprehensive and places this element of children’s education as a priority area.
We aim for children to be physically active following the Chief Medical Officer’s guidance. Our children take ‘active breaks’ throughout their day and are encouraged to move regularly. This is supported by the raft of activities on offer throughout and beyond the school day which ensure children leave our school with the desire to continue to be physically active and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Overall, children enjoy being active and want to continue to be as active as possible throughout their lives.
COMPETITION INTENT
It is our intention that all children in school are given the opportunity to compete at a level that is appropriate for them, this could include virtual competitions or face to face events.
Our children are prepared in a way that ensures they know the rules and aim of the game they going to play to ensure they take part successfully. They have had the opportunity to practise what they are doing as well as explore the tactical/strategic part of the game.
All competition that we attend is based around the School Games values, which reflect our own school values, of determination, passion, teamwork, honesty, respect and self-belief. These form the basis of preparation, ‘in-game’ conversation and reflection.
We are aiming to try our best and enjoy what we are doing – if we do these things we have already won! Actually winning is an added bonus…we want our children to compete for life, not just for primary school.