Every primary school should have a teacher dedicated to PE
Responsible Department: Department for Education
We would like the Government to introduce dedicated PE teachers into every primary school in the UK. This would help in the fight against childhood obesity. Problems with body image could be tackled at an early age. Both of these things, if tackled, would mean savings in the future.
Please sign and share the following e-petition calling for the above:
Ollie Dowding
Hi Lee and Liz,
I think this is a brilliant idea and I agree with everything you say above Liz. Here in Guernsey we are striving to improve the provision of PE in our local schools. My colleague and I delivered 15 weeks of PE to every year 3 and 4 class in Guernsey with the main aim of upskilling teachers but also raised the level of PE within these schools. The schools get this provision for FREE! Ideally what we would like to see is suitably qualified people to be employed by the school to deliver all the PE and thus raising the standard throughout the school.
What we find is that the teachers we work alongside really do not have the confidenc to teach certain sports, the lessons are often very short or sometimes cancelled and this is having a huge impact on the ‘PE experience’ that these children get.
This coming acadmic year we are looking to get an overall picture of how PE is delivered in the island. Effectively we hope that every primary school teacher will complete a questionnaire outlining a) the training they recieved to teach PE b) there confidene/attitudes towards PE c) are there any opportunities for you to further their knowledge
Do either of you have any pointers or know of a similar questionnaire that may have been produced?
Kind regards
Ollie Dowding
Liz Myers
Hi Ollie,
I completely agree with your comments. I have also found that it is not a lack of willing that prevents high quality PE being taught in primary schools but a lack of confidence and understanding of how to create and deliver a rich and challenging PE curriculum. We are fortunate enough to have outreach time built into our physical education secondary timetable where x4 secondary PE specialists are released for two hours a week to work in and with our primary schools up-skilling teachers and enhancing curriculum, as well as my role as teacher release. I have created a CPD audit questionnaire that was completed by my PE department and my cluster of linked primary schools (please see link below). I aim to use the results of these questionnaires to design and deliver a personalised CPD programme for my partnership utilising the expertise already in existence from both primary and secondary level. Areas of need that can not be covered internally will be outsourced to training providers. This may give you a starting point for your own efforts. Please keep us updated on your progress and share any resources that you create, I am always looking for new ways and approaches to improve the quality and provision of physical education within my own and neighbouring sports partnerships.
http://www.pescholar.com/resource/phase/whole-school/1782/physical-eduction-cpd-audit/
Kind regards,
Liz Myers
Liz Myers
Hi Lee,
I have just signed the online petition. I totally agree that there should be a review of the physical education provision within primary education in the UK.
As SSCO I have first hand experience of working with primary schools that seem polarised in their approaches to physical education. Some schools are fantastic at providing a rich and diverse primary physical education programme, but in my experience this is usually due to a sport-enthusiastic teacher or head, and rarely as a whole school ethos. The other scenario I am completely sympathetic towards is that often primary school teachers are not provided with the support, provision or training to deliver physical education effectively within primary education, often resulting in the employment of outside sports coaches to ‘teach PE’. There is a clear need in todays society to rethink the value and importance physical education plays throughout each phase of education.
Keep us updated on your progress with the petition.
Kind regards,
Liz