Is PE compulsory in Primary School?

paulineb_2

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

That's highly unfair! We often send fitness instructors into our local schools to coach children in a variety of sports and activities at lunch times and after school clubs. They are highly experienced and qualified in what they do. Far moreso than most school teachers running a PE lesson!

I can see this from both sides. Im a fitness instructor who is also qualified to teach childrens fitness.

My mum is a teacher who teaches PE as part of her working week.
I have more specialised skills in fitness than she does. She has much more experience than me in dealing with kids.

I can control a class when Im working with them, but working with kids is hard work. She is far more skilled at that than I am, given that shes been teaching for 40 years.

And while she can teach a PE lesson safely, she recognises that when it comes to fitness, I have more knowledge than she does, because thats my job and Ive done a lot of qualifications whereas PE is something she's expected to teach as part of her working week.

paulineb_2

totallybored wrote: »

It's not always that easy in a primary school. If you're a 3 form entry with only one hall just ensuring each class gets 1 hall slot a week is difficult enough. Unfortunately some of these then have to be used for other things such as special assemblies, visiting drama / theatre groups and other visitors, christmas plays and loads of other things. Schools don't have the money to build another hall unfortunately. It really does depend on the layout and size of each school, I've been in an old Victorian building that had 3 halls, one on each level and every child had 2 indoor PE lessons a week and lunches were served in another building. Where I am currently has one hall, over 500 kids and a lunch time staggered over 2 hours (plus the time for setting the tables out and then putting them back and cleaning).

Agreed, one hall, lots of classes, it can be incredibly difficult to plan 2 sessions of indoor PE a week given that in a lot of schools the hall can be used for so many other things.

Valli

There you go -

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-physical-education-programmes-of-study/national-curriculum-in-england-physical-education-programmes-of-study

Mojisola

totallybored wrote: »

It's not always that easy in a primary school.

Where I am currently has one hall, over 500 kids and a lunch time staggered over 2 hours (plus the time for setting the tables out and then putting them back and cleaning).

I was a governor for many years at an large Infant School with exactly this set-up. Dinner happened every day and the prep time and clear-up time were timetabled along with all the other uses.

Of course, there were other events - outside visitors, etc - which meant some regular lessons in the hall had to be cancelled but these were timetabled well in advance and all teachers knew when their regular lessons needed to be changed.

It is poor management if class teachers are not notified in advance and classes are getting changed for PE only to find the hall is otherwise in use.

room512

maman wrote: »

totally not the case, have watched the lessons as i am a volunteer sometimes at the school, he is highly qualified and his classes are extremely well run and look like loads of fun, he is alot more qualified in fitness and games than most of the teachers, plus the TAs help in his lesson so is very well managed

I'm happy to be corrected and delighted that this coach sounds up to the mark. Sadly I've met too many who can be very 'shouty' and have no idea how to manage a large group (30+) where not everyone is keen to be there. The fact that TAs are in support does suggest to me that he is standing in for qualified teachers though.[/QUOTE]


The TA has to be there for insurance purposes and the coaches are more qualified to teach sport than many teachers. I think the coaches are a great addition to school and hope they will continue to be employed after this year.

Spendless

Mojisola wrote: »

I was a governor for many years at an large Infant School with exactly this set-up. Dinner happened every day and the prep time and clear-up time were timetabled along with all the other uses.

Of course, there were other events - outside visitors, etc - which meant some regular lessons in the hall had to be cancelled but these were timetabled well in advance and all teachers knew when their regular lessons needed to be changed.

It is poor management if class teachers are not notified in advance and classes are getting changed for PE only to find the hall is otherwise in use.

I agree with this. My 2 have attended seperate Infant and Junior schools that were 2-3 classes per year and used the hall for dinners along with everything else. You know the hall is in use between x and y time for the use of dining mon-fri and then the rest of the time should be timetabled and organised. If a travelling Shakespeare company is coming in to perform for certain years then all classes should be told the hall is out of use.

Likewise if yr 6 is using the space to spread out and make Andersons shelters with cardboard boxes then they should either be using time when the hall is marked as 'free' or telling the relevant teacher in advance that they are taking priority over hall use.

I don't see that it's acceptable for a teacher to turn up because it's their turn only to find out someone else has grabbed it. It smacks of poor organisation.

OP -My youngest is at a school where the HT sounds similar to yours. The only thing that I have ever found works is to put a concern in writing (eg letter, email or in child's planner- if they have one). I find it astouding how much an attitutde changes once they is a paper trail!! Keep your opinions out of it and stick to the facts and await a response. Good luck with it.

~Chameleon~

paulineb wrote: »

I can see this from both sides. Im a fitness instructor who is also qualified to teach childrens fitness.

My mum is a teacher who teaches PE as part of her working week.
I have more specialised skills in fitness than she does. She has much more experience than me in dealing with kids.

I can control a class when Im working with them, but working with kids is hard work. She is far more skilled at that than I am, given that shes been teaching for 40 years.

And while she can teach a PE lesson safely, she recognises that when it comes to fitness, I have more knowledge than she does, because thats my job and Ive done a lot of qualifications whereas PE is something she's expected to teach as part of her working week.

I guess it all comes down to experience then. All our coaches are also heavily involved in Streets Sports which is a community based project working alongside the Police and local Councils with under privileged children, keeping them off the streets and preventing them committing crime. So they're well used to handling large numbers of children from ages 5-16 in a variety of settings. All have passed Safeguarding Children qualifications and enhanced CRB checks too.

As well as that, we also deliver Council approved and funded health & fitness sessions in schools and local communities focussing on healthy nutrition (which is where I come in) and exercise in children. Those reaching overweight/obese levels are usually referred to us.

LondonGal

What's wrong with swapping? Year 5 need the hall during Year 3's time this session, so Year 3 have the next timetabled session for Year 5? Simple!

If a class has the need to take over another classes PE slot, they should lose the PR time, not the class that lost the session. Hardly rocket science. :T