At Connaught Junior School, students are introduced to a wide variety of sports taught by both class teachers and sports specialists. Our lessons are designed to build progressively on prior knowledge, aiming to promote a lifelong passion for sport. All teachers model high standards of skill and technique, allowing students to practice and develop these skills in each lesson. With access to excellent resources and high-quality content, we ensure that no child is left behind. Our PE curriculum is inclusive, designed to support SEND and socially disadvantaged students, encouraging them to participate and represent the school at various sporting events. Children are also given the opportunity to choose the sports they want to participate in, which helps them take ownership of their learning. This sense of ownership empowers students, enabling them to take control of their own development. We believe our curriculum is thoughtfully tailored to ensure every student has the opportunity to improve every day. Our PE lessons are delivered across two, one hour slots, per week. The allocated two hours of PE time is shared between the class teacher and a specialist PE teachers.  

We follow the Get Set 4 PE framework, which provides comprehensive resources, including videos, music, and visual aids, to build teacher confidence and motivate pupils. 

Each lesson begins with a warm-up activity to engage and focus the students, followed by a series of progressive activities aligned with a specific theme or learning goal. There are opportunities to challenge individual students and provide support where needed. This approach allows skills to be revisited and refined over time.  

Below are some examples of the learning journey that children go on from Year 3 to Year 6, in different programmes of study. For example, Fundamental Skills and Dance. 

The curriculum clearly outlines the goals students are working towards and what they need to know and do to achieve those goals. The PE curriculum is carefully planned and sequenced, allowing students to build on prior learning and progress toward well-defined endpoints. Throughout each unit, students will have the opportunity to practice previously taught skills through the "sticky skills" program, helping to address any misconceptions before moving on to new skills or units. 

We believe our PE curriculum offers students both challenge and empowerment, while deepening their understanding of how to lead active and healthy lifestyles. Children will develop the confidence to try new activities and take risks, alongside demonstrating quick decision-making skills in various game scenarios and team challenges. Equipped with a range of strategies for problem-solving, they will show resilience, commitment and perseverance when faced with difficulties during physical activities. Likewise, all children will understand the extended benefits of physical activity and possess the skills and enthusiasm to continue developing their learning across each year group. 

At Connaught Junior School, we follow the Get Set 4 PE scheme of work which offers all children the opportunities to develop their physical fundamental movement skills, as well as achieving whole child objectives through gaining a knowledge of rules, strategies and tactics and building an understanding of the social and emotional side of sport.

Each lesson has progressive activities that are designed to inspire and engage our pupils; they have clear learning objectives with key success criteria, which provides information to help pupils develop their skill level and to consider how successful they have been within a lesson. Teaching points appear throughout to help teachers with their subject knowledge and modelling and to ensure misconceptions are addressed at the earliest point. Differentiation tasks provide activities with simple changes to appropriately challenge/support to ensure all pupils are successful and feel included. At Connaught Junior School, we use the S.T.E.P differentiation model. This stands for Space, Time, Equipment and People. All of these can be adjusted within the lesson to ensure everyone hits the learning objectives and is successful while challenging those who are feeling confident. 

We recognise that learning takes time; all lessons are sequential and build on prior knowledge and skills. With this in mind, we have a Sticky Skills Programme which is run by our sports councillors. At the beginning of every lesson, we spend 5 minutes recapping and retrieving skills learnt from our previous lesson. Once this is complete, we focus our attention on the social and emotional side of P.E before moving onto the learning objectives. Our pupils benefit from high quality instruction, time to practise and receiving meaningful feedback. 

Sample of lesson plan

At Connaught Junior School, we are fortunate to have a wide range of facilities that support a high-quality learning experience for all children. Out school features a golden daily mile track, indoor sports hall, floodlit external hard sports courts, a grassed playing field and gym equipment.  

Along with outstanding teaching facilities, the school is equipped with a fully stocked PE cupboard, portable football and netball goals, both portable and fixed gymnastics equipment, as well as mats and benches to facilitate a variety of physical activities. 

In Year 6, students have the chance to nominate themselves as Sports Captains and are elected through a democratic vote by members of their house from Year 3 to Year 6 at the beginning of the Autumn Term. During the election, candidates usually share their passion for sports both inside and outside of school, highlighting what they would contribute to the role. Our Sports Captains work closely with the specialist sports teacher and staff to help organise events, such as the Indoor Tournament and Sports Day. 

Year 6 Sports Captain Quotes

“I love being a sports captain at Connaught. It gives me extra responsibility throughout the year!”

“I have always wanted to be a sports captain since I started in Year 3. I love leading my house at Sports Day!”

“Sports Captains have the best job at school! We get to plan the Indoor Tournament and help out when schools come to visit us.”

At Connaught, our Sports Councillors are actively involved in promoting both the enjoyment and the physical principles behind our high-quality PE curriculum. They work closely with students from all year groups, discussing and sharing ideas on how to encourage greater participation across the entire school. The Sports Council plays a central role in organising and promoting a wide range of extra-curricular sports activities throughout the school day. With their genuine enthusiasm and passion for PE and sport, we are fortunate to have such dedicated students who are eager to continually improve and champion PE during their time at Connaught. 

Action Plan

Sports Day at Connaught is one of the year's most anticipated events. We emphasize fairness, enjoyment, participation, and a healthy spirit of competition. The children gather in their house teams, proudly wearing their house colours, and march onto the school field to enthusiastic cheers from the invited parents, adults and friends. The morning is filled with various activities where the children earn points for their houses. During lunchtime, all supporters relax and enjoy a picnic in our spacious grounds. In the afternoon, the excitement continues with competitive races, including sprints, relays, and long-distance events. Even parents and staff have the opportunity to join in the fun and compete! 

Connaught Junior has a rich history, showcased through the beloved tradition of the Indoor Tournament, which has been held annually since the early 1970s. Children form football or hockey teams of five and submit their uniquely named teams to the Complete Coaches. Lunchtime heats take place over four weeks, with the winning teams advancing to the finals. Parents are invited to attend the thrilling evening finals in the school hall, where the excitement builds to a fever pitch as teams compete for victory in both football and hockey. The tournament often sees lower school teams competing against upper school teams, with some surprising outcomes, and the sportsmanship on display is always impressive. This wonderful tradition provides children with a strong sense of achievement and participation in this optional yet highly popular event. 

At Connaught, we offer a fantastic variety of sporting clubs, with something for everyone! Whether it's led by our enthusiastic teachers or brought to you by exciting external providers, there's always an opportunity to get active and have fun. Check out our clubs list for all the details and get ready to join the action!