Physical Education.
All classes in our school are taught five out of the six strands of the P.E. curriculum each year.
The six strands include: Aquatics, Athletics, Games, Dance, Gymnastics and Outdoor and Adventure.
Physical Education is allocated 1 hour per week of overall teaching time. Discretionary time is also used towards P.E. We have standardised the school year so that all classes are taught the same strand at the same time apart from Aquatics which takes place in different terms.
Below is our standardised PE time-table and a link to our Physical Education Plan.
The six strands include: Aquatics, Athletics, Games, Dance, Gymnastics and Outdoor and Adventure.
Physical Education is allocated 1 hour per week of overall teaching time. Discretionary time is also used towards P.E. We have standardised the school year so that all classes are taught the same strand at the same time apart from Aquatics which takes place in different terms.
Below is our standardised PE time-table and a link to our Physical Education Plan.
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Teacher Planning
All teachers have been given copies of the PSSI lesson plans for their class level along with a bank of warm-up and cool-down activities. These lesson plans have been extremely useful throughout the year for all strands.
PE Equipment
Our Active Schools Committee monitor our store room to ensure it is kept tidy. They dispose of damaged and broken equipment. We have purchased lots of new equipment this year to assist class teachers in delivering the PE curriculum, in particular focusing on the strand of games. The new equipment we have purchased includes: skipping ropes, basketballs, softballs, tennis balls, shuttlecocks, cones, beanbags and hula hoops.
Basketball Workshop
Pat Critchley is a highly regarded basketball coach. He has vast experience in this area along with many other games. He was invited to visit our school as we were focusing on Games as our strand for development this year.
P.E. Resources
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We have created an area beside our Active School Noticeboard where teachers can access Resource books for P.E. This includes booklets from the PDST on the Fundamental Movements Skills, lessons from the Irish Water Safety Council, the GAA and many more.
Gymnastics
From Infants to sixth classes the strands of Movement and Understanding and Appreciation of Gymnastics are taught. Teachers focus on teaching the fundamental movement stability skills of balancing and landing through gymnastics. We are very lucky to have brilliant gymnastic mats in our school hall. They are a wonderful resource to have and assist teachers in delivering the Gymnastic strand of the curriculum. The PSSI lesson plans are a useful resource.
Games
This year the strand of games has been the area we have prioritised. We scheduled it to be taught during May as we would have our CPD covered at this stage. We have broadened the range of games we teach but also teachers have focused lessons on teaching the fundamental movement skills most suitable for games. These skills are dodging, side-stepping, catching, throwing, kicking, striking with the hand and striking with an implement. Across the classes students participate in a wide variety of games during PE lessons. These include: Tennis, Basketball, Badminton, Benchball, Dodgeball, Olympic handball, Hockey, Rounders and Gaelic Football and Hurling/Camogie. We have invested in lots of new equipment to assist in teaching this strand. This includes new basketball hoops, goalposts and a large variety of different type balls for various games.
Aquatics
Second class to sixth class attend swimming lessons in Portlaoise Leisure Centre for six weeks each year. Children in Junior Infants, Senior Infants and 1st class are taught the Land Paws Programme.
Athletics
Athletics is taught under the strands of running, jumping and throwing and Understanding and appreciation of athletics. Athletics is taught during the months of September and October when the weather is still dry and we can use the school field. This a very popular strand in our school. The children enjoy relay races, short and long distance running, hurdles and sprinting. Teachers focus on the fundamental movement skills of running, jumping and throwing through Athletics.
Dance
Dance is taught during the months of January and February. These months were chosen as the weather is generally poor and we can use the hall for PE lessons. The strands of Exploration, creation and performance of dance and Understanding and appreciation of dance are covered. In our lessons we focus on the fundamental movement skills of balancing, jumping and skipping. The PDST website and the PSSI lesson plans are a very useful resources when planning our dance lessons.