At Riverside Primary School we value PE as a key component of our school curriculum and as such, we dedicate substantial time to physical education and development in our curriculum and wider curriculum.

We aspire to ensure that all pupils are provided with a rich PE curriculum which is inclusive of gender and ability. PE at Riverside encompasses both individual and team sports and there is ample opportunity for pupils to access inter-school competitions throughout the year. Our hope is that pupils understand the need for regular exercise and that it contributes to a healthy lifestyle as well as having a positive effect on mental health. We provide pupils with activities in the curriculum and wider curriculum which are enjoyable and based on their interests, thus reducing the inactive population and equipping pupils with a love and enjoyment of sport.

Through the sports premium funding, pupils are also able to access opportunities to watch sport as a spectator, thus increasing their passion for sport and identifying sport as a future career choice.

By the time Riverside pupils move into secondary education they are skilled in a range of sports and have a clear knowledge of the health benefits of exercise.

Early Years Foundation Stage 

We encourage and expect as much physical development in the Foundation Stage. We relate the children's physical development to the objectives set out in the Early Learning Goals, which underpin the curriculum planning for children aged three to five. The PE aspect of the curriculum is followed through the area 'Physical Development'. The children's learning includes moving confidently and imaginatively with control and coordination, recognising the changes that happen to their bodies when they are active and using a range of small and large equipment.

Key Stage 1

Pupils should develop fundamental movement skills, become increasingly competent and confident and access a broad range of opportunities to extend their agility, balance and coordination, individually and with others. They should be able to engage in competitive (both against self and against others) and cooperative physical activities, in a range of increasingly challenging situations. 
Pupils should be taught to:

* master basic movements including running, jumping, throwing and catching, as well as developing balance, agility and co-ordination, and begin to apply these in a range of activities

* participate in team games, developing simple tactics for attacking and defending

* perform dances using simple movement patterns.

Key Stage 2

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, and apply basic principles suitable for attacking and defending

* develop flexibility, strength, technique, control and balance

* 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 
All pupils in Key Stage 2 participate in weekly swimming lessons for a term. In swimming, Key Stage 2 pupils will learn to:

* swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres

*  use a range of strokes effectively

* perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations