Ofsted highlights what makes high quality PE provision

Ofsted has published its subject review of physical education (PE) as part of its series of reviews into different subjects across the curriculum.

The review says that high-quality PE is an entitlement for all pupils, regardless of their starting points or prior experiences of sport and physical activity. The national curriculum for PE aims to ensure that all pupils are physically active for sustained periods of time and develop the competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities. This may encourage them to engage in competitive sports and activities, and to lead healthy, active lives.

To meet these aims, the review highlights the importance of building firm foundations in fundamental motor skills, as well as providing pupils with high quality instruction, practise and feedback.

A strong PE curriculum should clearly state what it means to get better at PE. Pupils should learn increasingly intelligent movement and important knowledge that can reduce barriers to participation and inform their own healthy, active lifestyle choices.

While Ofsted recognises that there is no single way of achieving high-quality PE, its review finds that high-quality provision may have the following features:

Teachers know that PE includes clearly defined knowledge that can usefully be categorised as either declarative or procedural.
    
Leaders and teachers have thought carefully about what it is to know more and do more in PE. This understanding is informed by the national curriculum’s aims, and component knowledge has been identified to develop pupils’ competence.
    
A strong foundation is built on fundamental movement skills (FMS), starting in the early years and developed through transitional activities into more specialised sport and physical activity.
    
Teachers make sure that pupils’ movement is not only efficient and effective but intelligent and context-related. They ensure pupils have knowledge of rules, strategies and tactics in order to guide successful movement
    
Leaders and teachers select physical activities and sports based on their capacity to develop pupils’ competence in PE. They identify key concepts to teach and build pupils’ understanding incrementally.
    
The PE curriculum meets the needs of all pupils, including those with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND). All pupils feel included and able to succeed within the subject.
    
Pupils are supported to know more and do more all pupils benefit from high-quality instruction, practise and feedback.
    
Assessment approaches should identify the knowledge pupils have and have not acquired.
    
Teachers of PE have high levels of subject and pedagogical knowledge.