King's Lynn Academy

Intent

Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity

^{John. F. Kennedy}

Curriculum Rationale: Physical Education

We believe Physical Education plays a vital role in developing healthy, confident and resilient young people. Our PE curriculum is broad, inclusive and ambitious, ensuring all students—regardless of gender, background, SEND or prior experience, are supported to thrive.

Our curriculum is underpinned by national guidance and aligns closely with our school values. We aim to develop physically literate students who have the knowledge, skills and motivation to lead active, healthy lives both during and beyond their time at school.

Powerful knowledge in Physical Education – Why do we teach these aspects?

Physical education is a vital component of our school curriculum. It offers a unique contribution to the education of students through the opportunities it provides for them to plan, perform and evaluate a range of physical activities. It can enhance self-esteem and contribute to students’ moral and social developments.

Our aim of physical education is to empower all students to sustain regular, lifelong physical activity as a foundation for a healthy, productive and fulfilling life.

Powerful Knowledge in PE enables students to:

Understand how and why the body responds to physical activity, including fitness, health and wellbeing.
Apply rules, tactics and strategies to improve performance and make effective decisions in a range of activities.
Develop physical literacy, enabling confident, competent and creative movement across different contexts.
Make informed choices about healthy, active lifestyles now and in the future.
Analyse performance using key vocabulary, supporting self and peer improvement.
Build leadership, teamwork and communication skills through structured roles and responsibilities.
Demonstrate resilience, confidence and self-reflection when facing challenge and competition.
Transfer learning across activities through a spiral curriculum, strengthening long-term understanding.
Take ownership of their learning through ME in PE, developing motivation and engagement for lifelong participation.

Curriculum Features – How do we embed the Learning?

Our Physical Education curriculum is carefully designed to ensure learning is meaningful, progressive and embedded over time. Through a broad, inclusive and well-sequenced curriculum, students develop the knowledge, skills and personal qualities needed to lead healthy, active lives.

A Broad, Balanced and Progressive Curriculum

Across five years, students experience a wide range of physical activities that allow them to continually develop and refine key skills and knowledge. Learning is structured through a spiral curriculum, where techniques, concepts and understanding are revisited regularly, allowing students to deepen learning, increase confidence and improve performance over time.

KS3: Head, Heart and Hands

As part of our commitment to delivering a high-quality, inclusive, and progressive Physical Education experience, we have introduced the Head, Heart, Hands curriculum model across Key Stage 3. This model has been carefully chosen for its focus on developing the whole child through a balanced emphasis on cognitive, emotional, and physical learning in PE.

Our Key Stage 3 curriculum is built around the Head, Heart and Hands model:

Head – Knowledge, Understanding, Feedback, Responsibility, Analysis, Rules
Heart – Effort, Communication, Respect, Leadership, Resilience, Confidence
Hands – Fitness Levels, Physical Ability, Technique, Tactics, Competitive, Problem Solving

This approach provides a clear, structured framework for building essential competencies in three interconnected areas:

At Key Stage 4, we use the ME in PE model to guide our Physical Education curriculum because it places the individual at the heart of learning. In Years 10 and 11, the focus shifts towards fitness for life, where students are encouraged to find enjoyment in movement and develop lifelong habits that support healthy, active living.

By addressing the three strands—Healthy Me, Physical Me, and Social Me—we equip students with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to stay active beyond school. In Year 10, we blend performance and enjoyment, helping students improve fitness and competence while discovering what they enjoy. In Year 11, the emphasis is on choice, enjoyment, and personal well-being, ensuring all students can find positive and sustainable ways to stay active.

This personalised approach empowers students to take ownership of their health, value physical activity as part of everyday life, and understand the wider physical, mental, and social benefits of being active.

Curriculum Enrichment – How do we link with other subjects and offer experiences?

In PE we pride ourselves on the extensive sporting opportunities which are made available to our students. Our extra-curricular sports programme is designed to give students the very best chance to further develop their sporting abilities as well as providing an avenue for competitive Local and Regional sporting fixtures. We are part of the West Norfolk Physical Education Association (WNPEA) and our fixture calendar is vast as we enter teams throughout a range of sports including Football, Basketball, Netball, Hockey, Rugby, Badminton, Athletics, Tennis, Cross-Country, Kinball, Cricket and Rounders. As well as fixtures, we also aim to provide experiences through trips, Women’s Euro 22 Championships at Old Trafford, Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships and the Netball Super League Season Opener.