At Forestdale we promote healthy and active lifestyles, encourage participation and celebrate sporting achievements.

Physical Education Curriculum 

The sole aim of our PE curriculum is to develop an understanding of the significant benefits that leading a physically active lifestyle has.

Our curriculum provides all children with the chance to experiment, practise and compete in an enjoyable, stimulating and appropriately challenging environment. The range of activities, along with high quality teaching, seek to ensure children enjoy success and are motivated to further develop their health and fitness.

All pupils have 2 hours a week dedicated to PE; an indoor lesson taught by the class teacher (Y3 swimming) and an outdoor lesson. In order to keep the children motivated, engaged and challenged they will explore different activities/ sports every half term. This will ensure they are continuously learning new skills and securing others.

Our children are taught a variety of sports to allow them to progress and experience a wide range throughout their school experience. Sport specific activities include Basketball, Football, Gymnastics, Hockey, Tag Rugby, Dance, Athletics, Cricket, Tennis and Rounders. Pupils become confident working with equipment, in pairs and in small groups, to make up their own games, follow rules and play in a competitive environment.

Year 3 pupils are taken to a local pool for swimming for the year as their indoor PE lesson.

We also run a range of extra-curricular activities, in a non-competitive form. This includes after, before school and lunchtime clubs. Children also have the opportunity to represent the school and participate at festivals. These are competitive and are played against local primary schools (Cross country, Athletics, Football, Netball, Tag Rugby, Hockey, Tennis and more).

Dance is an important part of our PE curriculum. Dance and movement aims to contribute to the child’s physical, artistic, linguistic, social and cultural education. As well as learning specific dance skills and styles, it is also taught in conjunction with other subjects. Topics are used as a stimulus to extend learning and knowledge in other academic areas. Children learn how to express and communicate ideas and understanding in the physical form.

Forestdale also provides extracurricular opportunities for the children in Dance. Street Dance, and cheerleading for example, are available as after school clubs.

For pupils, the dress code is as follows:-

• white T-shirt or a T-shirt the colour of the school house team
• black shorts
• children should be in plimsolls for all indoor activities. For outdoor activities the infants should wear plimsolls and the juniors should be wearing trainers. (If trainers are not available then plimsolls should be worn).
• training shoes for outdoor Games and Athletics
• a tracksuit or jogging suit may be worn if it is cold
• long hair must be tied back
• stud earrings should be removed, or taped for PE lessons
• when football boots are worn, shin guards should also be used, unless pupils are only engaged in non-competitive skills practice
• kit bag
• all clothing should have each child’s name clearly marked

Competitions

Our children regularly take part in inter and intra school competitions. Please keep an eye on news letters to see upcoming events and results.

Clubs

At Forestdale, we firmly believe in the importance of extending learning beyond the classroom, enriching pupils’ experiences and providing them with extensive opportunities to discover talents and interests.

We are proud of our dynamic curriculum and our efforts to bring learning to life through trips and visits. We also offer a wide range of clubs and activities beyond the school day to enrich pupils’ time with us. 

Our Sports Stars

Children are encouraged to provide details of their out-of-school sports activities. We now have a board in the Junior building showing examples of children’s achievements in swimming, dance, karate, etc. Well done to all the children who are featured and who take part in sporting activities out of school.

School Houses

At Forestdale Primary School we operate a House system. Children are allocated to one of five houses when they start school, or if they join later. Siblings are in the same House. We aim to keep the number of children equal in each house. The five houses and their colours are:

The House system creates healthy competition, promotes good work and behaviour, encourages teamwork, provides opportunities to take on responsibilities and brings everyone in the school together. This is especially apparent at our annual Sports Morning when children compete in houses rather as individuals. Children may wear t-shirts in their house colours for PE lessons and at the Sports Morning.