Physical education at Swiss Gardens
Our Core Aim for Physical Education
At Swiss Gardens Primary School, our aim is to provide a high-quality, inclusive and ambitious Physical Education curriculum that enables every child to develop the knowledge, skills and motivation to lead a lifelong healthy and active lifestyle.
Our curriculum is underpinned by a clear progression of learning, ensuring that children build competence, confidence and resilience as they move through the school. Through our unique partnership with Twinkl PE Mastery, we deliver a carefully sequenced curriculum that develops both physical literacy and personal development, ensuring all pupils can succeed, regardless of starting point.
What do PE lessons look like at Swiss Gardens Primary School?
Early Years Foundation Stage (Reception)
In Reception, children engage in daily physical development opportunities that support the Early Years Framework, developing core strength, coordination and spatial awareness.
In addition, children take part in a weekly structured PE lesson (approximately 40 minutes), where fundamental movement skills are explicitly taught and practised. These sessions are designed to build early physical literacy through exploration, repetition and guided discovery.
Key Stage 1
Children participate in two PE lessons per week (minimum 45 minutes each), where learning is focused on mastering fundamental movement skills such as agility, balance and coordination.
Lessons are structured to ensure children:
- Develop control and fluency in movement
- Apply skills in increasingly purposeful contexts
- Begin to understand simple rules, tactics and teamwork
Learning is carefully sequenced so that children are not just participating but embedding and refining key physical competencies.
Key Stage 2
Children receive a minimum of two hours of PE per week, with learning organised to ensure breadth and depth across the curriculum.
Each week typically includes:
- Dance or gymnastics – developing control, expression and body awareness
- Invasion, net and wall, or striking and fielding games – applying skills, tactics and strategies
As children progress, they are supported to:
- Refine and combine skills with increasing precision
- Make decisions in game situations
- Evaluate and improve their own and others’ performance
Children in Years 3 and 4 also have the opportunity to develop their swimming proficiency at Penguins Swimming Club, Lancing College.
P.E Progression
PE NATIONAL CURRICULUM PROGRESSION OVERVIEW.docx
We have established links with other sporting organisations, such as Albion in the Community and every year send teams to the Albion Cup at Lancing Football Club. We have also been invited to a number of events at the Amex stadium with groups of children, going on a tour of the stadium and taking part in activities relating English and Maths to football!
Swimming At Swiss
Year 3 & 4 children also have swimming lessons for a term each at Swiss Gardens, ensuring they are more confident in the water after the weeks they learn from instructors at Lancing College.