Our PE Curriculum
At St James we follow SkillStart across seven year groups, from EYFS (Reception) to Year 6. Each year is organised into six half terms - Autumn 1 through to Summer 2 - with two units per half term: twelve units across the year, each built from six fully planned lessons, fitting our normal half-termly timetable.
In Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2) the focus is on fundamental movement skills: running, jumping, throwing, catching, balance and coordination, developed through play and simple games. In Key Stage 2 (Years 3 to 6) those foundations are applied in games, gymnastics, dance, athletics and outdoor and adventurous activity, with growing emphasis on tactics, composition and personal improvement.
Alongside the units, we deliver swimming and water safety as a separate programme, working towards the national curriculum outcomes: swimming 25 metres competently, using a range of strokes effectively, and performing safe self-rescue.
Our curriculum is written to align with the National Curriculum programmes of study for physical education at Key Stages 1 and 2.
Progression at a glance
| Year | Games | Gymnastics | Dance | Athletics | OAA / Fitness |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EYFS | Playing simple chasing and rolling games with big equipment | Exploring ways of moving, balancing and landing safely | Responding to music and stories with whole-body movement | Running, hopping and jumping through play | Listening games and moving confidently around shared space |
| Year 1 | Sending, receiving and stopping a ball with control | Basic shapes, travelling and safe landings | Moving in time to a beat with simple actions | Running, jumping and throwing for fun and form | Following simple instructions and moving safely in space |
| Year 2 | Simple attacking and defending in small-sided games | Linking shapes and rolls into short sequences | Creating short motifs from a stimulus | Changing speed and direction; underarm and overarm throws | Working with a partner to solve movement challenges |
| Year 3 | Passing and moving into space in invasion games | Balances and transitions using apparatus | Performing with expression and clear timing | Sprinting technique and standing jumps measured for distance | Simple map reading and team trust activities |
| Year 4 | Choosing tactics in net, wall and striking games | Sequences with changes of level, speed and direction | Composing group dances with canon and unison | Relay changeovers, pacing and pull throws | Orienteering around the school site against the clock |
| Year 5 | Applying rules and positions in competitive games | Counter-balance and partner work with control | Developing motifs using dynamics and formation | Measuring, recording and improving personal bests | Planning routes and evaluating team strategies |
| Year 6 | Leading team tactics and officiating small games | Extended group sequences performed for an audience | Choreographing and refining a whole-class performance | Combining events; sustained running with pace judgement | Multi-stage challenges combining navigation and problem-solving |
Anatomy of a unit
Every unit arrives ready to teach. Inside you will find:
Unit objectives
Clear, assessable objectives that state what pupils will know and be able to do.
Six lesson plans
A full plan for each lesson, with timings, teaching points and progressions.
Warm-ups
Purposeful warm-ups linked to the skills in the lesson, not generic fillers.
Differentiation
Adaptations to support and stretch, so every child is challenged appropriately.
Assessment sheet
A simple end-of-unit checkpoint for recording who is working at expectation.
Equipment list
Exactly what to get out of the cupboard, listed per lesson and per unit.