PE
Head of Department : Mr Hiorns - MHIORNS@LAR.CAMBRIANLT.ORG
Our Physical Education Curriculum aims to develops pupils’ competence and confidence to take part in a range of physical activities and promote positive attitudes towards physical activity and fitness as part of a healthy lifestyle. With a high-quality physical education programme in place we aim to support students in acquiring a variety of skills, in addition to the ability to use tactics, strategies and compositional ideas in order to perform successfully in a wide range of activities.
As well as developing their physical literacy, we aim to teach students about the importance of skills such as communication, resilience and teamwork as well as fair play and respect through both competitive sport and leadership opportunities.
Our curriculum also encourages students to reflect on their own and other’s performances. They are then supported in finding ways of improving them whilst still being active for sustained periods of time.
KS3 Curriculum PE
At Key Stage 3 we offer a broad and balanced curriculum that cultivates a lifelong love of physical activity and allows students to develop a wide range of skills and abilities. Students will have 4 Physical Education lessons a fortnight.
Our curriculum maps for each year group can be seen in the Learning Journey attached below.
KS4 Curriculum PE
At Key Stage 4 students are encouraged to take part in competitive sport as well as being given the skills to make positive lifelong physical activity choices. Students will have 4 Physical Education lessons a fortnight
Our curriculum maps for each year group can be seen in the Learning Journey attached below.
Piercings in PE
Up to date guidance on piercings is made clear on the Uniform page of the school website. The extra detail below refers to the rules, specifically related to piercings in lessons involving physical exertion, dynamic movement and, on occasion, direct or indirect contact with others or equipment. These lessons include Core Physical Education, Sports Studies and Dance and are collectively referred to as “Physical Lessons” in the descriptions below.
1. Core Requirement
- For the health and safety of all students, all facial and body piercings must be removed prior to Physical Lessons.
- We advise that students get any new piercings at the start of the summer break to maximise the healing time available before piercings must be removed.
All piercings, whether open or covered, pose an increased risk of injury, both to the student and to other students in a lesson. Possible injuries include those involving tearing and embedding.
2. Non-Compliance
If a student arrives at a Physical Lesson with a piercing they cannot or will not remove without acceptable pre-arrangement:
- The student will be given a safe alternative activity for that lesson to ensure their safety and the safety of others in the lesson. This may or may not be within the same lesson.
- The school will contact parents/carers to discuss a permanent solution and next steps. This may involve the need for a follow-up sanction for refusal.
3. New Piercings
It is recognised that new piercings require a healing period. As such, we advise that students get any new piercings at the start of the summer break to maximise the healing time available before piercings must be removed. In specific circumstances, a temporary exemption may be granted:
- This only applies to a single pair of ear studs or a single small nose stud.
- A maximum healing period of 6 weeks will be granted from the date of the piercing.
- Students must provide a signed parental note acknowledging the increased risk of injury to the student and accepting full responsibility. An exemplar letter is included below.
- Whilst wearing healing piercings, the piercings must be taped over. The student is responsible for providing the tape and applying it securely before taking part in the lesson. This is to ensure that the risk of injury to themselves and to other students in the lesson is reduced.
4. Documentation & Compliance
To ensure consistent safeguarding, the school will maintain the following records:
- Parental letters will be kept on file by the PE department.
- Exemptions, including the "end date" for taping, will be visibly recorded in the PE office.
- Staff will monitor compliance to ensure taping is secure and appropriate for the planned activity.
5. Higher-Risk Piercings
Multiple piercings, hoops, dangly earrings, larger piercings or piercings near the eye or mouth present a significantly higher risk of injury to the students and to other students in the lesson.
- These cannot be taped and must be removed.
- If a student is unable or unwilling to remove high-risk piercings, they will be removed from the main activity and assigned a safe alternative task (e.g., officiating, coaching, or written analysis).
- Further participation will be subject to an individual risk assessment based on the nature of the piercing and the specific requirements of the lesson activity. An exemplar letter requesting this is included below.