Physical Education | Brooke Priory | Oakham

Physical Education

A child’s sporting journey at Brooke Priory begins with developing their fundamental movement skills, including agility, balance and coordination in their early years at the school. This journey continues into Prep school, where the children apply these fundamental motor skills in a wide range of activities associated with the development of an active and healthy lifestyle, including various invasion games, athletics, gymnastics and dance.

All pupils will be made to feel comfortable and confident in a PE environment, through fun and enjoyable experiences in lessons. This aims to develop a positive connection with the subject from day one due to our nurturing and inclusive outlook.

As well as physical advancement and the progression of fundamental and complex movement skills, we have a wider focus that aims to develop the whole child. The development of key life skills will be at the forefront of our PE & sport provision. Positive values and attitudes will be developed in order to form foundations for lifelong learning that will help to equip children to face the challenges of the modern world.
 

Our P.E. & sport provision covers four domains:

• Physical – movement, skills and performance
• Cognitive (thinking) – rules, positions, tactics and application of feedback, as well as awareness of a healthy lifestyle
• Social – interpersonal skills, such as leadership, respect and communication
• Emotional – confidence, resilience, motivation and fair play
   

Swimming & Tennis

All children from Kindergarten up to Form VI will have a weekly swimming lesson as part of their curriculum. Kindergarten begin their swimming in the spring and are in the pool once a week all the way through to the summer holidays, while the rest of the school swim during the autumn and spring terms. Instead of a swimming lesson during the summer months, Forms I-VI have a weekly tennis lesson from the Easter break onwards.

Cross Country

This is prominent during the autumn term in particular, fostering our school values of confidence and hardwork and resilience. Our outlook and ethos once again is very much a ‘try your hardest and give it a go’ approach, encouraging the children to show determination and resilience as they tackle this testing and challenging activity. The Prep children develop their fitness and tactical approach to running during the first few weeks of the academic year in their weekly PE lessons, with all children catered for through differentiated and engaging tasks, performing at a level appropriate for their confidence and ability.

Dance

Dance is an important part of our provision, with weekly lessons for EYFS and Pre-Prep and we are delighted to have a dance specialist who leads on this. The Prep department also experience dance lessons throughout the year, as a way of developing coordination and movement patterns.

House Captains

Playing sport cultivates and develops many personal qualities and people skills, not least leadership. One of the highlights of Form VI for the children is undoubtedly the chance to undertake whole school roles and responsibilities. This is a key part of their development as individuals and why Form VI is such a special time for the children. Sports captains and PE Prefects are awarded to Form VI children during their final year at the school. The PE Prefects assist the Head of Sport with various tasks, as well as work with some of the younger children in the school, through leading PE and sport sessions. Sports captains lead the teams at fixtures, as well as running warm-ups before training and matches.

Rewards and Recognition of Achievement

Player of the Match Certificates: Recognising success in performance, effort and attitude during our competitive fixtures programme is done through the awarding of ‘Player of the Match’ certificates at our weekly rewards assembly.

PE Star of the Week Certificates: These are awarded for outstanding effort, attitude and progress during their PE and swimming lessons. These are linked to our school values and are a recognition of particularly commendable endeavour during that week.

Colours: these are awarded to Form VI children throughout their final year at Brooke Priory. Colours are awarded for all of the major sports played during their time in prep-school (hockey, rugby, netball, football, cricket, swimming, cross country, athletics and gymnastics). This is in the form of a badge for their blazer and is given for outstanding performance, progress, attitude, leadership and knowledge of the sport in question. See our colours criteria below for more details.