What are the aims and purpose of our curriculum?

This curriculum develops pupils’ physical, psychological, social and emotional wellbeing. Competence and confidence are built alongside a focus on being active across a diverse range of sports and physical activities. Pupils’ enjoyment and motivation encourages lifelong participation and healthy, active lifestyle choices.

What overarching curriculum principles inform the design of our curriculum?

This principle recognises the important role that knowledge, and vocabulary as a particularly important type of knowledge, plays in learning. Knowledge is developed across four PE strands: ‘Move’ focuses on pupils’ ability to enact movements, ‘think’ develops pupils’ knowledge of the why and how, ‘feel’ builds characteristics including self-belief, resilience and confidence and ‘connect’ develops aspects such as leadership, teamwork and wider cultural elements of physical education. We identify and map vocabulary across the curriculum, both in terms of the introduction of new vocabulary and the necessary repetition of vocabulary that has gone before. New vocabulary, called keywords, are signalled in bold in our lesson materials to indicate their importance. Over time, pupils are exposed to increasingly complex definitions, for example, the term ‘energy’ evolves as pupils develop their understanding of movement, muscular contractions and nutrition.

A careful and purposeful sequencing of our curriculum content underpins the design of our curriculum, ensuring that pupils are able to build on and make links with existing knowledge. For example, we teach gymnastics from key stage 1 through to key stage 4 to ensure that the development of knowledge and skills is coherent and progressive. Knowledge and skills are built across year groups, for example, futsal in year 7, leads to football in year 8 and then Gaelic football in year 9. Coherent vertical threads also enable the development of concepts such as ‘teamwork and leadership’ or ‘knowledge of healthy, active living’ throughout the primary and secondary curricula.

Our evidence-informed approach enables the rigorous application of research outcomes, science of learning and impactful best practice both in education in general and at a subject specific level. For example, the design of our resources reflects findings from Sweller’s cognitive load theory and Mayer’s principles of multimedia learning whilst our lesson design draws on Rosenshine’s principles of instruction. We also draw on findings from research organisations such as the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF). At the subject level our curriculum is grounded in Sport England’s ‘move, think, feel and connect’ framework.

Our flexible approach enables schools to use our resources in a way that fits their contents and meets the varying needs of teachers and their pupils. Our curriculum can be used in its entirety or units can be selected to complement existing curricula. Our resources are adaptable so that, for example, teachers can adapt the lesson to fit the space available, can edit or add checks for understanding, or adapt practice tasks to better reflect the prior knowledge of their pupils. At key stage 4 teachers and pupils can select a core PE pathway or pathways aligned to the most frequently used exam board specifications for GCSE PE: AQA, Edexcel or OCR.

Our commitment to breadth and diversity has driven our choice of sports and physical activities. For example our curriculum features tchoukball, martial arts, pickleball and couch to 5k, alongside more traditional sports such as swimming, netball and cricket. Across our key stage 4 lessons and resources, the choice of individuals, teams, sports and role models celebrate and promote diversity within sport, encouraging all pupils to partake.

Our curriculum is intentionally designed to facilitate high-quality teaching as a powerful lever to support pupils with SEND. Aligned with EEF guidance, our resources have a focus on clear explanations, modelling and frequent checks for understanding, with guided and independent practice. Lessons are chunked into learning cycles and redundant images and information are minimised to manage cognitive load. We have removed reference to year groups in our resources so that they can be used when pupils are ready, regardless of their age. Our resources are purposefully created to be accessible, for example by using accessible fonts, colours with good contrast, and captions in our videos. For practical PE lessons, C-STEP guidance provides suggestions for adapting the communication, space, task, equipment and people in lessons to meet the needs of pupils and contexts.

What subject specific principles inform the design of our curriculum?

The PE curriculum focuses on the knowledge and skills specific to physical education, taught through safe practical and theoretical units, including:

Foundational movements and physical activity;

How pupils connect with each other and feel about physical activity with an emphasis on positive experiences and self-reflection;

Health and the encouragement of lifelong active lifestyles;

Rules, tactics and strategies in a range of sports and other activities.

Foundational movement is taught in key stage 1 in units such as ‘Locomotion’ and revisited through the ‘move’ strand of all future units. Declarative knowledge such as knowledge of the rules, tactics and strategies is a focus in each lesson. The ‘feel’ and ‘connect’ strands highlight life skills such as self-belief, resilience, teamwork and collaboration. With specific units focused on health and wellbeing such as martial arts and couch to 5K, and explicit development of these four strands, our curriculum will motivate and inspire all pupils to lead healthy, active lifestyles.

Ensures sustained movement for the majority of curriculum time.

Our resources ensure sustained movement. For example, we have included tips for making our quizzes practical in our lesson guides and our checks for understanding include ‘show me’ activities where pupils have an opportunity to physically demonstrate their prior knowledge and understanding.

Promotes inclusive and purposeful competition.

All PE lessons include specific adaptations that can be used to appropriately challenge and engage all pupils, for example, in netball adding a defender to increase pressure on the attack, or changing the ball used and goal area to ensure scoring is achievable for all. Lessons include opportunities for competition, with a focus on enjoyment and collaboration. Primary PE lessons frequently include competitive games to help pupils learn new skills and ideas while still ‘playing’ with peers.

How does our curriculum reflect the aims & purpose of the national curriculum?

There are four aims of the national curriculum. First, is that all pupils should ‘develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities’. Our curriculum exposes pupils to a breadth of activities, such as netball, hockey, football and swimming, also including less traditional activities such as pickleball and korfball.

The second aim is that all pupils should be ‘physically active for sustained periods of time’. Our curriculum acknowledges the importance of being physically active by maximising the time that pupils spend practising in lessons alongside teaching the knowledge necessary for safe and successful practice.

The third aim is that all pupils should ‘engage in competitive sports and activities’. We include purposeful competition in lessons from key stage 1 through to key stage 4 to increase enjoyment, engagement and understanding of rules, tactics and strategies. These begin as fun activities such as ‘muddy monsters’ and ‘stepping stones’ and develop into full-sided competitive sports which provide opportunities for participation, leadership, and officiating.

The final aim is that pupils ‘lead healthy, active lifestyles’. Our curriculum teaches health, fitness and wellbeing from key stage 1 through to key stage 4. The curriculum is designed to build knowledge and skills over time to increase pupil confidence in their performance. Pupils experience a range of activities in the curriculum in the hope that they find an activity they enjoy and strive to learn outside school and when they leave education.

What teaching time does our curriculum require?

Our curricula for key stages 1-3 are designed for 36 weeks of curriculum time across the school year, leaving time for other activities both within and beyond the curriculum such as assessments or school trips. At key stage 4, year 10 also has 36 weeks of curriculum time, but year 11 has only 24 weeks (approximately 2 terms) to recognise that schools will not be teaching new content in the run up to the GCSE exams.

In PE, following the DfE’s non-statutory guidance published in March 2024, our curriculum provides two lessons per week of approximately one hour across key stages 1-3. At key stage 4 we offer two lessons per week for the statutory core PE pathway and an additional two lessons per week for the GCSE pathways. We understand that exact time dedicated to PE can vary between schools due to differences in curriculum planning, resource allocation and school-specific priorities. Therefore we fully expect and encourage teachers to adapt our curriculum and resources to best suit their needs and available curriculum time.

We use threads to signpost groups of units that link to one another, that together build a common body of knowledge over time. We use the term thread, rather than concepts, themes or big ideas, because it helps to bring to mind the visual concept of a thread weaving through the curriculum.

Our PE threads that weave through both our primary and secondary curricula are: 

Move: application of tactics, strategies and compositional ideas

Think: knowledge of rules, tactics, strategies and compositional ideas

Think: knowledge of healthy, active living

Think: decision making, problem solving and creative thinking

Think: evaluation, analysis and reflection

These threads reflect Sport England’s ‘move’, ‘think’, ‘feel’ and ‘connect’ framework, which is embedded throughout the curriculum. These threads align with the aims of the PE national curriculum to develop both the knowledge associated with PE and the whole pupil, not just their physical ability. For example, pupils engage with the thread ‘Connect: teamwork and leadership’ in outdoor adventure activities units in key stage 2 whilst learning about collaboration and communication, and then in more depth in key stage 3, learning about developing trust, their awareness of others and how to problem solve as a team. These threads support pupils to become motivated, confident, habitual movers and potential sports performers. Common threads across our primary and secondary curricula can enable more effective transition, helping pupils to bridge their knowledge and understanding from primary to secondary.

Recommendations from subject specific reports

How does our curriculum address and enact recommendations from subject specific reports (e.g. EEF guidance reports & Ofsted Research Review)?

Our curriculum addresses the recommendations in Ofsted’s recent PE subject report which focuses on enabling pupils to ‘know more and do more’. We have aligned our ‘move’, ‘think’, ‘feel’ and ‘connect’ framework to the three pillars of progression; motor competence; rules, tactics and strategies; and ‘healthy participation’. All units build on the development of fundamental movement skills and have been sequenced to allow progression and repetition of knowledge; this increases competence and therefore confidence. Precise timings have not been given to lessons or activities to ensure teachers progress through learning cycles and lessons at a pace appropriate for their pupils. In line with recommendations, our resources are supported by powerful demonstrations, feedback and include purposeful competition. We provide practical ideas for quizzes and make ‘practice’ the main focus of lessons which enables pupils to be physically active for up to 80% of the lesson.

How does our curriculum deal with elements that arise from the specific needs of the subject?

What activities are taught in our curriculum?

Our PE curriculum teaches a diverse and substantial range of activities:

Invasion games: hockey, tag rugby, futsal, netball, football, rugby union, handball, tchoukball, softball, korfball

Dance: thematic dance, street dance, contemporary, capoeira,

Gymnastics: floor, flight, parkour and trampolining

Health and wellbeing: fitness, mindfulness, meditation, yoga, pilates, martial art/self-defence

Outdoor adventure activities: teambuilding, orienteering, problem solving

World games: kabaddi, American football league, flag football

Net and wall games: pickleball, rounders, tennis, cricket, badminton, tennis, volleyball, table tennis

Inclusive sports: seated volleyball, boccia, goalball

Where a school may not have the necessary space or equipment, our curriculum is easily adapted. For example, ball skills could be taught through the medium of netball or football.

How do the curriculum resources support practical PE taught outside of the classroom?

Our curriculum resources in PE are printable and adaptable lesson guides that have been expertly designed to support good teaching in PE. These lesson guides contain important lesson information such as key learning points, chunk the lesson into learning cycles, give suggestions on how to explain the knowledge or skills and check for understanding, and describe the practice pupils should do. Our curriculum resources also include high quality demonstration clips to accompany every practical lesson which are housed on the lesson media page. These will support teachers in how to set up and demonstrate techniques, run practice activities, highlight specific knowledge or skills and provide feedback to correct misconceptions.

How does the curriculum address the need to warm up and cool down in practical PE lessons?

All practical lessons will include a warm up with a ‘show what you know’ assessment of prior knowledge and a cool down with an opportunity for reflective questioning and reinforcement of key learning.

How does the curriculum address swimming?

Swimming resources will sit outside of year group specific resources and will be presented by swimming stage, in line with the Swim England school swimming and water safety pathway.

PE Scholar

 was established in 2010 and has built a strong reputation for bridging the research-practice gap to ensure Physical Education stands for Positive Experiences for all by offering the latest insight, outstanding resources, expert-led courses, professional development and consultancy.

Complete PE

PE Scholar are working in partnership with 

, whose mission is to equip every teacher with the knowledge and tools to confidently enjoy delivering high-quality physical education.

This KS1 and KS2 physical education curriculum plan helps you map a coherent sequence of knowledge and skills across different activities and sports. Developed with subject experts and aligned to the national curriculum for primary PE, our units support pupils’ physical, social and emotional development — from movement fundamentals to healthy lifestyle choices.

You can filter by year group or thread to focus on exactly what you need — whether that’s performance, fitness, teamwork or leadership. Threads such as ‘Move: movement competence’ and ‘Think: knowledge of healthy, active living’ show how ideas develop over time — from mastering basic skills like balance and coordination, to applying tactics, making decisions and leading teams. These threads help you plan for progression and purpose, lesson by lesson and year on year.

You can find the full lesson resources for 

 physical education and download all the resources you need for free.

Video guide

Primary

Physical education

Key Stage 1

Key Stage 2

Key Stage 3

Key Stage 4

Secondary

Art and design

Core

GCSE

Citizenship

Computing

Cooking and nutrition

Design and technology

Edexcel

Eduqas

English

French

Edexcel B

Geography

German

History

Maths

Music

Religious education

RSHE (PSHE)

Science

Spanish

Connect: cultural and ethical awareness

Connect: teamwork and leadership

Feel: engagement and enjoyment

Feel: personal and emotional

Move: movement competence

Move: performance and competition

Move: physical fitness

Develop fundamental movement skills (specifically master basic movements including running, jumping, throwing and catching).

Develop confidence in performing basic movements including running, jumping, throwing and catching.

Develop agility, balance and coordination.

Work individually.

Work with others.

Engage in competitive physical activities against self.

Access a broad range of opportunities to extend agility, balance and coordination.

Engage in cooperative physical activities.

Perform dances using simple movement patterns.

Apply fundamental movement skills in a broad range of activities.

Develop simple tactics for attacking and defending.

Engage in competitive physical activities against others.

Participate in team games.

The unit will increase pupils’ motor competence when running, providing an understanding of where we run and why. Pupils will show self belief, exploring jumping in different directions, at different speeds, heights and distances. Pupils will learn how and why we jump with the correct technique.

Running

Running in a game

Running at different speeds

Accelerating when running

Running as a team

Running in a competitive game

Jumping

Jumping far

Jumping high

Hopping & skipping

Hopping & skipping in games

Jumping in a game

Locomotion: running and jumping

This unit will teach pupils to identify changes in their heartbeat and breathing when they exercise. Pupils will begin to understand how exercise makes them feel both physically and mentally. Pupils will develop their knowledge of the positive impact exercise has on our bodies and lifestyles.

Movement and exercise

Effect of exercise on our heartbeat

Effect of exercise on our breathing

Playing games to make our heartbeat and breathing faster (warming up)

Happy heart happy mind

Playing together to make our heartbeat and breathing faster

Health and wellbeing: the effects of exercise

A pure approach introduces Action-Space-Dynamics-Relationships and some constituent elements in each as a basis for future units. Pupils combine content making personal choices based on problem-solving, aesthetics and safety, providing opportunities to reflect and share opinions.

Actions

Space

Dynamics

Relationships

My moves: actions, space, dynamics and relationship

My brilliant body: performing

Dance: my moves, my brilliant body

The unit will explore and develop pupils’ movement competence when sending and receiving a ball. They will develop and apply an understanding of how, where and why we send a ball, stop the ball and dribble the ball using our hands and feet effectively. Pupils will also explore working in teams.

Dribbling with hands

Dribbling and sending with hands

Moving with a ball using our feet

Develop moving with the ball using our feet (dribbling)

Dribbling with our feet in games

Kicking (passing)

Rolling and stopping

Rolling and stopping in games

Throwing (underarm)

Throwing and catching

Rolling (sending) and stopping skills to win a game

Throwing with accuracy to win a game

Ball skills: sending, receiving and dribbling

This unit will introduce pupils to creating movements and balances whilst developing movement competence. Pupils will explore moving and balancing in high, low, wide, narrow and curled ways, on the floor and on apparatus. Pupils will add movements together and reflect on their ideas.

High movements

High jumping

Low movements

Apparatus

High and low on apparatus

High, low, over and under

Wide movements

Narrow movements

Curled movements

The difference between wide, narrow and curled

Transition between wide, narrow and curled movements

Link two movements together

Gymnastics: individual movements and balances

This unit will explore how to work with a partner and then within a team. Pupils will learn the importance of turn taking, fair play, following rules, and how to adjust a game so that everyone feels they can succeed and have fun.

Partner activities: taking turns

Partner activities: developing communication

Partner activities: solving problems

Partner activities: playing against each other

Partner activities: scoring points with a partner

Partner activities: cooperating successfully

Team activities: playing fairly in groups

Team activities: developing communication

Team activities: solving problems

Team activities: cooperating successfully

Team activities: cooperating in a team game

Team activities: decision making in a team game

Outdoor adventurous activities: working with others

A narrative approach consolidates core learning of Action-Space-Dynamics-Relationships and introduces elements to expand dance knowledge. Pupils combine making artistic decisions by responding to creative tasks. When performing, pupils reflect, analyse and share ideas using simple terminology.

Travelling and stopping: journey by bus or train

Turning and directions: journey by bus or train

Linear/curved pathways: journey by foot

Irregular pathways: journey by foot

Speeds: transport

Journeys: performing

Dance: my moves, my journeys

The unit will challenge pupils to keep control of a ball using a racket or bat. Pupils will explore and develop their movement competence when striking or pushing a ball accurately. Pupils will be able to apply their understanding of accuracy and space whilst engaging in a variety of games.

KS1 & KS2 physical education curriculum

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