Due to pupils being indoors and less active during the first lockdown period (March 2020 onwards) it is even more essential that they engage in high levels of physical activity in school and establish good active behaviours for later life.
We have the flexibility to decide how physical education, sport and physical activity will be provided whilst following the measures in our system of controls. Pupils will be kept in bubbles and the sports equipment thoroughly cleaned between each use by different individual groups.
Outdoor sports will be prioritised where possible and large indoor spaces used where it is not, maximising natural ventilation flows (through opening windows and doors) distancing between pupils and paying thorough attention to cleaning and hygiene. This is particularly important because of the way in which people breathe during exercise.
We are able to work with external coaches, clubs and organisations for curricular and extra-curricular activities where we are satisfied that it is safe to do so. We will always consider carefully how such arrangements can operate within their wider protective measures.
Activities such as Daily Mile, making break and lunch-times active and encouraging active travel will all help to enable pupils to be physically active whilst also encouraging physical distancing.
At Cheetwood it has been a priority over many years to improve pupil fitness by continuing to offer the minimum four hours per week for every pupil, comprising of at least two hours high-quality PE, physical activity and school sport.
At Cheetwood Primary School PE develops pupils’ physical competences and confidence. It promotes physical development, skills and knowledge of the body; it provides opportunities for pupils to be creative, competitive and to face challenges as individuals, in groups, and in teams. PE at Cheetwood also aims to develop a sense of fair play and sporting behaviour. Through PE pupils learn how to plan, perform and evaluate their work, enabling them to improve their quality and effectiveness. Through these processes, pupils discover their abilities, preferences and how to make choices about getting involved in lifelong physical activity.
Through our commitment to delivering high-quality PE we have developed strong links with a number of outside organisations: Manchester United, The Northern Tennis Association, Pure Gym, Manchester PE Association, Manchester Giants, Manchester City and Sale Sharks. These links help us to deliver high-quality PE lessons to pupils across the school as well as giving our staff new opportunities to further develop their knowledge and skills.
The school achieved the Sainsburys School Games Mark (Bronze) between 2012 and 2015 which recognises that pupils are provided with opportunities to participate in inter and intra competitions in a range of sports. In 2016 and 2017 the school did even better and achieved the Silver Award.
We are delighted to announce that we have achieved the
School Games GOLD Award for the 2018/19 and the 19/20 academic year!
The School Games Mark is a Government led award scheme launched in 2012, facilitated by the Youth Sport Trust to reward schools for their commitment to the development of competition across their school and into the community, and we are delighted to have been recognised for our success.
We are extremely proud of our pupils for their dedication to all aspects of school sport, including those young volunteers, leaders and officials who made our competitions possible. As part of our application, we were asked to fulfill criteria in the areas of participation, competition, workforce and clubs, and we are pleased that the hard work of everyone at our school has been rewarded this year.
School Sports Crew
In the autumn of 2013 we established our pupil-led ‘Sports Crew’, with support from the Sports Premium. The aim of the sports crew is to help with the overall development of organised sport within our school.
The sports crew are responsible for organising and running a number of lunchtime games and activities in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, ensuring as many pupils are participating in sport over lunchtime. They are responsible for devising and implementing their own athletics and multi-skills activities to engage KS1 pupils over the lunchtime period as-well
While overseeing different sports, they also encourage and promote sport and healthy lifestyles in school, getting children to participate in clubs at lunchtimes and playtime, sorting out the teams for competitions and refereeing.
We have eleven young leaders from Year 5 and Year 6, who meet up regularly with Mr Nordon to discuss issues surrounding sport and PE in school, some of the things discussed at meetings are:
• Planning and running of the annual sports week and sports day
• Lunchtime clubs and how to monitor them
• After school clubs, participation and what clubs to have each half term
• Discussion of the School Games Values
• Discussing what is a healthy lifestyle and how can we promote this in school
Department for Education KS2 Swimming Reporting:
Our pupils attend swimming lessons weekly throughout Year 4.
*There is a plan in place for the 19/20 cohort to attend swimming lessons for at least half a term before they leave Year 6.
As of October 2020, Due to the on-going Covid situation the current Year 4 cohort have not returned to swimming lessons.
