Physical Education

Physical Education at Orchard Vale Community School

At Orchard Vale Community School, Physical Education plays a vital role in inspiring pupils to lead healthy, active and confident lives. Our PE curriculum is designed to motivate every child to improve their skills, discover new sports, and enjoy being active as part of their everyday routine.

Our Vision

We aim to nurture a positive ethos where children are encouraged to:

• Develop physical competence across a broad range of activities
• Build confidence, resilience, and teamwork
• Learn to compete respectfully and fairly
• Cultivate life‑long habits for health and wellbeing

PE Values

Together with the children we have created a set of PE values that connect physical education to personal growth, behaviour and wellbeing:

• Enjoyment
• Honesty
• Teamwork
• Determination
• Respect

Each week in our celebration assembly, a child from KS1, lower KS2 and upper KS2 is chosen as our 'pe champ of the week'. This child is someone who has demonstrated one or more of our PE values in their lessons.'

What We Offer

Throughout their time at Orchard Vale, pupils experience an extensive and engaging PE curriculum. They take part in a wide variety of sports, including: football, cricket, netball, curling, cross‑country, golf, dodgeball, rounders, hockey, dance, tennis, and gymnastics.

These activities ensure pupils learn the fundamental movement skills outlined in the national curriculum, as well as how to officiate, collaborate, and compete appropriately.

After school sports clubs are offered daily. These clubs are on rotation and are open to pupils free of charge. Clubs are chosen based on current teaching and child preferences.

Additional to this, all Upper Key stage 2 children attended swimming lessons at our local swimming pool. The school feel passionately about this due to locality and the importance of water safety.

Curriculum Structure

Our PE provision is planned and sequenced across the whole school through:

• Long-term plans
• Medium-term plans for athletics, basketball, dance, EYFS PE, football, games skills, gymnastics, hockey, netball, outdoor adventure, striking and fielding, tag rugby, and tennis
  

These plans are reviewed yearly and adapted to meet the needs of all children within our school. This structured approach ensures progression of skills, knowledge, and confidence from Early Years through to Year 6.

Year 6 PE Leaders

Each year, a group of motivated and responsible Year 6 pupils are invited to apply for the role of PE Leader.
These pupils take on an important leadership role within our school’s sporting community. As PE Leaders, they:

• Support staff in organising and running lunchtime and intra‑school sporting activities
• Help younger pupils take part in games by modelling skills, encouraging fair play, and promoting inclusive participation
• Assist during sporting events, festivals, and enrichment clubs
• Act as positive role models, demonstrating confidence, teamwork, and responsibility

This opportunity allows our oldest pupils to develop leadership, communication, and organisation skills, while also contributing to the vibrant sporting culture at Orchard Vale. It reinforces the values of respect, teamwork, and perseverance that underpin our PE curriculum.

Barnstaple Primary School Sports

Each year the school pay into the BPSS initiative. This enables all pupils to attend various external sporting festivals at local facilities such as Tarka Tennis and local secondary schools.

Various competitions are held throughout the academic year where selected teams complete against other local primary schools in sports such as Football, Tag- rugby, Cricket and other Invasion games. This gives children great pride in representing their school in sporting competition.

2025 to 2026 PE Timetable