At Cippenham Infant School all classes have two sessions of indoor PE and one session of outdoor PE a week. We recognise the importance of physical activity for the health and development of our children.  Children are encouraged to participate in all activities on offer and to perform to the best of their ability.  

Children need to have a PE kit to change into for a PE lesson in the hall or outside.  We sell PE shorts, t-shirts and PE bags at school.  Plimsolls or trainers can be bought cheaply at supermarkets or clothing shops.  Children may wear tracksuits or similar outside in the winter.

Children are also encouraged to be physically active during playtime and lunchtime sessions, and we have been fortunate that our children's family and friends have collected supermarket vouchers.  We have used these to purchase play equipment for play and lunchtimes to encourage running, jumping, balance, throwing and co-ordination skills.  It's amazing how much learning takes place when the children enjoy playing.

Learning through PE

In the three Reception classes the children follow the Foundation Stage Guidance.  Physical Development is a major part of the curriculum and is taught through carefully planned activities during classroom time, alongside the more traditional PE lessons.  The children have many opportunities to develop and enhance their skills, explore their environment and feel the changes that occur in their bodies during activity.

Foundation Stage children have some great equipment!

In Year 1 and Year 2 the children follow the National Curriculum.  PE is taught through dance/music and movement, games and gymnastics.  Two sessions in the school hall and one session outside are timetabled for each class, and the topics taught change every half-term.  The children are encouraged to notice the increase in heartbeat and breathing, and are taught to identify when this occurs.  The importance of warming up before physical activity is also taught.  One of the things that the children really enjoy is performing their work to each other.  They make encouraging comments about each other's performance and note things to improve. The games, dance and gymnastic skills progress from Reception to Year 1 and to Year 2, so the children build on previous work and improve their performance as they move through the school.

Playground games and rhymes are positively encouraged, and are formally taught in PE lessons as part of our games activities.  We have found that the children will remember and play the games in their free time, making playtimes more fun. 

Can you remember any from your childhood?  Why not teach them to your child?

 Year 2 children playing in the playground as part of a structured PE lesson.

Children in Year 1 and 2 are taught to safely lift and carry small or light pieces of equipment.  This is viewed as part of the lesson, and the children learn safe lifting and carrying techniques that will continue through life.

Sports Day

Our Sports Day each year is a huge success.   All the children participate in activities, moving round a circuit.  This means that all the children join in at the same time and nobody feels left out.  We enjoyed it so much one year we did it twice......or was it because of the rain?  We always have a great turnout of loved ones to watch the children compete and the day has a lovely atmosphere - make sure you come this year!

Miss Dewberry and staff take part in the Teachers' race.

Skipping Workshop

On Monday 9th October, we had a visit by the coach from Skipping Workshops, a team of people who present demonstrations of skipping in schools over the country. Their aim is to encourage children and adults to skip for health, fun and fitness. The coach worked with a small group of children during the day, then after school more children were invited to attend the workshop with their parents. It was well attended with the children having lots of fun, learning new skills, as well as some mums having a go too!

Tennis

During the course of the year, we have been fortunate enough to receive tennis coaching from Slough Tennis Centre for Year's 1 and 2. We also have used Tesco Sport for School's vouchers for additional coaching for Reception and Year 1. The children have learnt basic tennis skills and had lots of fun!